Uber has reactivated its autonomous vehicle fleet, although with a different approach than its previous attempts. Instead of driverless robotaxis, the company has launched the AV Lab project, which starts with a Hyundai Ioniq 5 equipped with sensors such as cameras, lidar, and radar. These cars will be manually driven and will make regular trips on the Uber network to collect data on edge cases on the road.
Data for partners, not for distracted passengers 🤖
The goal of the AV Lab is not to replace the driver, but to feed information to Uber's partners in the autonomous driving sector. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, which may not be the only model used, carries a sensor kit that includes high-resolution cameras, lidar, and radar. By traveling along the platform's regular routes, these vehicles capture complex scenarios and adverse conditions that are difficult to replicate in simulations, data that is then shared with project collaborators.
The clinical eye of the Uber that takes you home 🚗
So, if you see a Hyundai full of tech gadgets driving around your city, don't be scared: it's not that the car is going to spy on you, it's just taking note of how human drivers mess around on the road. The best part is that while it collects data so that someday cars can drive themselves, you pay for the ride. A masterstroke: having the customer finance the research while the car keeps an eye on distracted pedestrians.