C
Chandna Pandey
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It looks like Uber doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned in order to improve its mapping technology, especially since it has decided to go head to head with Google and Apple in the war of self-driven cars.
The cab service provider is reported to be running a number of mapping vehicles to capture 3D images of streets – not unlike Google Street view, albeit with drivers. Now that the mapping cars bearing Uber’s branding have been capturing images of streets for months, the data is likely to be used to improve the accuracy of route suggestions as well as ETAs. For example, the improved data would warn the driver in advance before entering a street that is frequently congested, an Uber representative told BuzzFeed.
It all started in March when Uber acquired mapping startup deCarte followed by acquisition Microsoft’s mapping technology and team in June. The company already has partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the University of Arizona, close to which Uber has deployed a separate fleet of mapping vehicles. These vehicles use Uber’s propriety algorithm to capture images to collect data on safety needs of autonomous cars.
Uber currently uses a mixture of its home grown algorithm and Google Maps to navigate through streets and predict ETAs. But with a helping hand from acquired companies, it clearly has its eyes set on the future, which belongs to autonomous vehicles.
Source: BuzzFeed
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