Here's what happens when a self-driving Uber fails

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Here's what happens when a self-driving Uber fails

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Business Insider/Corey Protin

Internal company documents obtained by Recode show that Uber's self-driving cars regularly need human assistance. 

The metrics show that Uber's self-driving cars can barely drive a mile before they "disengage," which is when a safety driver has to take control of the vehicle. Compared to company's like Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving-car company, the data shows Uber has a very long way to go before achieving full autonomy.

Uber is conducting a pilot program in Pittsburgh using Ford Fusion cars retrofitted with its autonomous tech. The company attempted to launch another pilot in San Francisco, but was forced to leave after failing to obtain an autonomous driving permit. 

We got a ride in Uber's self-driving Ford Fusion back in September and experienced firsthand how regularly the car disengaged. Here's what happens when the car fails and what it says about Uber's place in the autonomous space:

Prior to the Pittsburgh pilot launch in September 2016, Uber said that its self-driving cars did disengage from time-to-time. In particular, the cars struggle to handle bridges because there aren't enough environmental cues for the car to figure out where it is.

Business Insider/Corey Protin

Uber actually chose Pittsburgh because it has so many bridges in order to troubleshoot that issue.

Uber has put itself in a tough place by marketing its cars as self-driving even though they disengage regularly.

Business Insider/Corey Protin

When the California DMV asked Uber to obtain an autonomous vehicle license to test its cars, Uber said it shouldn't have to because they have the same functionality as Tesla's Autopilot and required a human driver.

Uber eventually pulled its pilot from San Francisco, but the dispute showed how Uber later tried to market its cars as semi-autonomous though initial announcements branded the cars as "self-driving."

Uber let me get behind the wheel of its self-driving Ford Fusion last September. A button on the center console will kick the car into autonomous mode. Right next to it is a giant red "kill switch" that, when hit, lets you take control of the car again.

Uber; Business Insider/Danielle Muoio

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: Google has asked a judge to freeze Uber's use of self-driving-car tech

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March 20, 2017 at 03:36AM