Self-Driving Cars Take To The Streets Of Pittsburgh, Courtesy Of Uber

A pair of Uber technicians will ride inside each of the new self-driving cars offering rides to regular Uber users during an indefinite beta testing phase. On each vehicle, dozens of stationary and spinning cameras collect 1.4 million distance measurements per second, guiding the car on its journey. Beginning today the cars will be deployed on Pittsburgh's streets in a striking experiment by Uber to introduce self-driving technology to its passengers. "For me this is really important," says Anthony Levandowski, the head of Uber's self-driving car team, "because I really believe that the most important things that computers are going to do in the next 10 years is drive cars." Each of Uber's new self-driving, hybrid vehicles being tested on Pittsburgh, Pa., streets is outfitted with dozens of stationary and spinning cameras that watch for braking cars, crossing pedestrians, traffic lights and signage.