**Uber Launches an AV Labs Division to Gather Driving Data for Robotaxi Partners: What’s the Point?**
So, Uber’s got a new idea – they’re going to help other companies with their autonomous driving programs by, well, driving their own cars around and collecting data. Yeah, you read that right. They’re not trying to compete with the likes of Waymo and others by creating their own robotaxis, not after the whole self-driving car fiasco back in 2018. Nope, this time it’s all about sharing the love… or should I say, the data.
According to TechCrunch, Uber’s new division, AV Labs, is designed to provide real-world driving data to companies like Waymo, Waabi, and Lucid Motors, among others. And get this – they won’t be charging for it… at least, not yet. Uber’s CTO, Praveen Neppalli Naga, had this to say: “Our goal is to democratize this data, right? I mean, the value of this data and having partners’ AV tech advancing is much greater than the money we can make from this.”
So, what’s the point? Well, for one, Uber’s trying to help out its partners by providing them with a bigger pool of driving data, which can be used to train their autonomous driving software. And we all know how important that is, especially when it comes to dealing with those pesky edge cases. Waymo, for example, has had its autonomous cars caught illegally passing stopped school buses. Yeah, not exactly the kind of PR coup you want.
But here’s the thing – Uber’s not just doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They’re trying to gain an edge in the autonomous driving game by providing a vital service to their competitors. And who knows, maybe one day they’ll be the ones calling the shots.
The new division is starting small, with just one car equipped with sensors and cameras, but Uber’s got big plans. They’re aiming to grow the division to around 100 people within a year and are already talking about scaling up the operation to include a fleet of cars. And while that might not be as impressive as Tesla’s 200,000+ car fleet, it’s a start.
So, the next time you see an Uber car driving around, just remember – it’s not just a ride-hail car, it’s a data-gathering machine.
