My ride in a self-driving Uber; or how I learned to stop worrying and trust the algorithm

Parked outside a warehouse by the Allegheny River was Uber's vision of the future: 14 Ford Fusions, each mounted with conspicuous cameras, antennae and sensors. A lumpy lidar unit, which uses light to map its surroundings, spun atop each car's roof like a high-tech propeller hat. But I was about to get into a car that drives itself. Style was the least of my worries. This fleet of geekmobiles, clearly marked with Uber's logo, will be deployed Wednesday as part of a test that will let Pittsburgh customers hail a self-driving car.