🚗Uber Aims to Equip Millions of Drivers' Cars With Sensors for AV Data
Uber Wants Your Car as a Data Collector for Self-Driving Tech
TL;DR
Uber plans to outfit millions of drivers' cars with sensors, turning them into data collectors for autonomous vehicle companies. This move aims to democratize access to critical training data.
Uber revealed ambitious plans at TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event: equipping human drivers' vehicles globally with sensors to collect data for autonomous vehicles (AVs). The company wants to become the data layer for the entire AV ecosystem by building an 'AV cloud.' This move is crucial as access to diverse driving scenarios and data is now the limiting factor in AV development. Uber's AV Labs program, which started in January, currently relies on a small fleet of sensor-equipped cars operated independently from its driver network. The company already partners with 25 autonomous vehicle companies, including Wayve, and plans to invest more directly into these firms.
Key Points
Uber's AV Labs program started in January and relies on a small fleet of sensor-equipped cars operated independently from its driver network.
The company plans to outfit millions of drivers' vehicles globally with sensors, turning them into rolling data-collection platforms for autonomous vehicle companies.
Uber aims to become the 'AV cloud,' allowing partner companies to query and use labeled sensor data to train their models in 'shadow mode.'
Currently, Uber partners with 25 AV companies, including Wayve which operates in London. The company plans more aggressive direct investments into these firms.
The goal is not profit but democratizing access to proprietary training data at scale for the entire autonomous vehicle sector.
Why It Matters
If you're developing an autonomous vehicle system, Uber's AV cloud could be a game-changer. Access to diverse driving scenarios and data is crucial for model training. However, smaller players may struggle with the $0.20/GB-month premium charged by Uber for accessing this data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this matter?
If you're developing an autonomous vehicle system, Uber's AV cloud could be a game-changer. Access to diverse driving scenarios and data is crucial for model training. However, smaller players may struggle with the $0.20/GB-month premium charged by Uber for accessing this data.
What happened?
Uber plans to outfit millions of drivers' cars with sensors, turning them into data collectors for autonomous vehicle companies. This move aims to democratize access to critical training data.
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