Uber will launch its first self-driving car fleet in Pittsburgh this month.
According to Bloomberg, within weeks customers will be able to request self-driving cars through the regular Uber app. The autonomous fleet will supervised by humans in the driver’s seat for the time-being. The Pittsburgh fleet will consist of modified Volvo XC90 sport utility vehicles that will feature sensors using cameras, lasers, radar and GPS receivers.
One hundred vehicles are due by the end of 2016 after Volvo and Uber signed a contract earlier this year to spend $300 million on developing a fully autonomous car. However, Uber plans to recruit other automakers for its fleet as well.
The goal, according to Bloomberg, is to replace the more than 1 million Uber drivers with self-driving cars.
“The minute it was clear to us that our friends in Mountain View were going to be getting in the ride-sharing space, we needed to make sure there is an alternative [self-driving car],” said Travis Kalanick, Uber co-founder and CEO. “Because if there is not, we’re not going to have any business.”
Trips will be free for now. In the future, Kalanick says that the prices will fall so low that the per-mile cost of travel will be cheaper than in a private car.
In June, an Ernst & Young report titled “Internet of Things” claimed that self-driving cars could add more than $20 billion in incremental revenue for Hollywood … someday.
“If the focus during that time were to shift from concentrating on the road to watching video, that equates to more than $20 billion in incremental revenue for the video industry,” the report read.
This came two months after a driver of a Tesla Model S was killed in a car crash, which is considered to be the first death resulting from a self-driving car. The vehicle was in “autopilot” mode, but an investigation found that the driver was watching “Harry Potter” while in autopilot mode.
13 Gadgets and People to Get Excited About at 2016 CES (Updating Photos)
2016 International Consumer Electronics Show
CES
K-1 Assistive Devices are 3D-printable, functional, prosthetic hands that are donated to people in need.
3D Systems
The Ōura smart ring is a wellness computer paired with an app designed to help track your sleep and adjust your daily activities to optimize them.
Ouraring
Secretive California automaker Faraday Future unveiled its 1,000-horsepower electric concept car Monday night. Integrating a partnership with Chinese media firm LeTV, it provides a peek at the company's first production vehicle, set to go on sale in two years.
Faraday Future
Cerevo's Tipron is a cute scooting robot that transforms into an Internet-connected projector. Its articulated head and neck allow it to project an 80-inch screen at different heights and angles, and it folds itself to a compact size when your movie is finished.
Cerevo
Prizm is a twist on the music player. A tool you plug into any speaker, it identifies who is in the room, what their music preferences are and the current mood -- and decides what's best to play.
Prizm
Sphero's BB-8 is a "Stars Wars"-inspired wearable wristband that will let you use gestures to control and puppeteer the "Force Awakens" droid.
Getty Images
Shaken or stirred? Somabar is a Wi-Fi connected robotic bartender that can make more than 300 different cocktails.
Somabar
Seaboard Rise's keyboard remodels the portable piano with a soft, sensor-embedded surface that responds to even light touches, and a thin lightweight form that makes it easy to take on the go.
Roli
Sick of hunting for a AAA battery when your remote goes dead? The Pilot ECO USBCell is a USB plug-in battery that fits the standard AA or AAA size. The first battery of its kind on the market, it can plug into virtually any USB port to recharge.
Pilot
Sengled Voice integrates a microphone, speaker and LED bulb. Owners can control devices via voice commands, and it can enhance home security and safety by detecting the sound of glass breaking or a baby crying.
Sengled
The Alcatel CareTime kid's smartwatch is equipped with its own SIM card for children to call for help with the five pre-set numbers their parents approve and a GPS tracker that allows parents to set safety boundary on Google Map and get alert if their kids exit that area.
Getty Images
"Entourage" star Adrian Grenier greeted the audience at the Dell Consumer Press Dinner on Jan. 7
Getty Images
Sony President and CEO Kazuo Hirai spoke to members of the media during a press event for CES 2016 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on Jan. 5, 2016
Getty Images
President and COO of Samsung Electronics America Tim Baxter spoke to members of the media during a press event for CES 2016 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on Jan. 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Getty Images
Sony Electronics President and COO Mike Fasulo spoke to members of the media during a press event for CES 2016 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on January 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Getty Images
Funimation Founder and CEO Gen Fukunaga and COO Mike DuBoise pose with characters as they arrive at the FunimationNow 2016 CES launch party on Jan. 7
Getty Images
Nick Cannon (far right) was joined by Alex Hissom, Andrea Wynn, Wynn Resorts Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn for the Encore Player's Club grand opening celebration at Wynn Las Vegas on Jan. 6 during CES.
Getty Images
Bob Marley's son, Rohan arrives at the House of Marley booth during CES 2016.
Getty Images
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Robots, concept cars and ”Star Wars“ tie-ins are dominating the buzz for the 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, running Jan. 6-9