Uber's new AV labs: Making robotaxis smarter, faster
Uber just launched AV Labs—a fresh division focused on speeding up robotaxi tech.
They're starting with a single sensor-equipped prototype and say they may scale selectively in cities where Uber operates—about 600—to collect real-world driving data that could benefit companies such as Waymo and Lucid Motors.
The big idea? Help self-driving cars handle tricky situations in traffic, airports, and beyond by testing alongside human drivers.
How AV Labs works (and keeps your data safe)
AV Labs kicked off with a Hyundai Ioniq 5 loaded with lidars, radars, and cameras.
Before sharing footage with partners, they blur faces and license plates to protect privacy.
The team is growing fast—expect more experts in AI, computer vision, and simulation joining soon.
Uber's new game plan after leaving self-driving R&D
After stepping away from building its own self-driving cars, Uber now teams up with others instead of going solo.
Recent moves include deals for thousands of Lucid Gravity SUVs with Nuro and a massive vehicle data project with NVIDIA—plus partnerships with May Mobility and Avride to keep pushing the future of ride-hailing forward.