Google is Working on Apps Similar to Uber

Uber is an app which offers convenience to people like you and me who wants a ride to our destination or people who wants to earn extra pocket money by becoming a driver to drive his/her passenger(s) from a location to another location. The fees are definitely lower than traditional taxi services and the drivers are qualified drivers.

Google Venture, Google’s capital arm, has invested $258 million onUber in August 2013. On top of that David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer and senior vice president of corporate development, joined Uber board of directors in 2013.

Recently, Google has released leaks that the tech giant is preparing for its own ride-hailing service which also in conjunction with its long term driverless car project. Drummond has informed Uber’s board about this possibility and the Uber executives have seen the screenshots of the car-sharing apps, which is currently used by Google employees.  There are also leaks that the Uber board is now considering whether to ask Drummond for resignation as a Uber board member.

Uber, on the other hand, is teaming up with Carnegie Mellon University to develop its own autonomous vehicle technology in a research facility in Pittsburgh Pa.

One possible scenario to use autonomous vehicles is that it will patrol around the neighborhood to pick up and drop off passengers as mentioned by Chris Urmson, Google executive in charge of the project, during Detroit auto show last month. On top of that, Chief Executive Officer Larry Page is mentioned to be excited with the challenges to make cities operate more efficiently. Google recently announce that the driverless car technology is ready for public use in another two to four years more.

Google is Working on Apps Similar to Uber

Tesla’s autopilot isn’t anything sensational but it’s quite cool

Tesla had announced its autopilot during the unveiling of its dual-motor all-wheel drive sedan Model S. “We’ve been able to accelerate autopilot and bring it to market faster than originally anticipated,” said Elon Musk to a gathering at its facility in Southern California. “It’s actually in production. In fact, every car coming off the line at Tesla at the factory has the autopilot hardware.“

The autopilot that is installed in the new Tesla cars is a “bundle of hardware and software” that allows the car to take control when running on highways, park by itself in the garage and even intervene when it senses that you are on a collision course. This is an advanced autonomous driving system but if you think the autopilot will drive the car around while you sleep comfortably at the wheel or when there is no driver at all, think again.

All the new Model S vehicles that roll off the assembly line will have a sensor package containing radar, ultrasonic sensors and forward-facing cameras which are new to Tesla, but other automakers have already been offering them. For instance, the Lexus HS250h of 2010 could drive by itself on highways by controlling the steering, acceleration and brake, through dynamic cruise control and lane-keep assist systems.

This was achieved by using a combination of cameras and radar just like the Tesla, but Tesla’s is more sophisticated as the technology has advanced considerably since then. Steer Assist present in Mercedes 2014 S Class is somewhat similar. Some BMWs are capable of reading speed limit signs like the Tesla Model S. Audi has demonstrated car parking by itself and picking you up unattended. However, full autonomy in cars will still take a few years. Tesla is also promising to make its system more advanced over a period of time.

Google has logged thousands of miles for its driverless car but it still hasn’t solved the problem of heavy rain and snow although it has a wider range of sensors than what Tesla is using. Making a car that can transport you safely by itself is a pretty challenging task but hopefully in the next few years, there will have been much more progress on this front.

 

Via The Verge

Tesla’s autopilot isn’t anything sensational but it’s quite cool