Uber is Exploring Autonomous Bikes and Scooters (techcrunch.com)

Uber is looking to integrate autonomous technology into its bike and scooter-share programs. Details are scarce, but according to 3D Robotics CEO Chris Anderson, who said Uber announced this at a DIY Robotics event over the weekend, the division will live inside Uber's JUMP group, which is responsible for shared electric bikes and scooters. From a report: The new division, Micromobility Robotics, will explore autonomous scooters and bikes that can drive themselves to be charged, or drive themselves to locations where riders need them. The Telegraph has since reported Uber has already begun hiring for this team. "The New Mobilities team at Uber is exploring ways to improve safety, rider experience, and operational efficiency of our shared electric scooters and bicycles through the application of sensing and robotics technologies," Uber's ATG wrote in a Google Form seeking information from people interested in career opportunities.

Comments

Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[Locke2005]

Wouldn't they, uh... fall over?

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[AndyKron]

Where have you been hiding? Google figured this out years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[alvinrod]

You'd think that you could include sensors that would allow it to make adjustments to keep it upright, much the same way that a person will naturally do this while riding a bicycle. I'd be more worried about the person riding it feeling disconnected from these adjustments and falling off or feeling discomforted instead.

If they're looking for a smaller vehicle, why not build something more like an auto rickshaw? There are plenty of times you need multiple passengers and these do take up a lot less road space. Even really fancy designs are far less expensive than a car and that's probably over-engineered for a simple taxi.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[Rick Schumann]

This is literally the most ridiculous thing I've heard of in recent times. It HAS to be a prank, it CAN'T be real.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[110010001000]

I don't know. Pretty much everything I have heard from the "autonomous" people is ridiculous. It is like they aren't seeing reality. Reality is that autonomous navigation is very hard, and might be impossible to do. What we have now is basically lane assist and braking/following assist, which is great, but not enough.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[arth1]

Gyroscope.

This is what most people think is the reason why bikes tend to stay stable. It's also mostly wrong.
Sure, if running really fast with heavy wheeled motorbikes, the gyrostabilization effect is noticeable. But it's negligible for light bikes at lower speeds or smaller wheels.
The main reason is how the front frame is angled. As long as a bike is going forward, a dip to the side combined with the rider's weight will angle the steering towards the middle, which helps right the bike.

This is something to look for when buying the first bike for a toddler. The more angled back the steering column is, the more stable it will be. A chopper is far more stable than a pennyfarthing.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[Anonymous Coward]

fully autonomous navigation and travel, and SAFELY, absolutely requires dedicated transit ways that are completely locked down so that NOTHING foreign can enter the system.

no computer regardless of how many sensors it has at its disposal, regardless of how accurate mapping is, can cope with the literally infinite scenarios that could arise when dealing with people, wildlife and other things in our world. it's a pipe dream that cannot be realized with current or even upcoming near-future tech. impossible.

not saying they should stop trying (that is what research is, after all).. but wide spread rollouts really need to be prohibited until safety can be absolutely assured under every conceivable (and inconceivable) condition.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[nospam007]

"Wouldn't they, uh... fall over?"

Fall over like a Segway you mean?
Those only fall over when granny is standing on it, alone it's quite OK.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[Applehu Akbar]

It will take a generation to achieve full vehicular autonomy, but unmanned return of bikes and scooters is a valid and safe usage for the early-stage tech we have now.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[mjwx]

This is literally the most ridiculous thing I've heard of in recent times. It HAS to be a prank, it CAN'T be real.

I've figured out that Uber wen't to the same school of marketing as Ryanair.

1. Make incredulous statement to get name in the media.
2. ?????
3. Free Marketing.

I couldn't write Profit there whilst Uber seem to be copying Ryanair's marketing, they aren't following Ryanair's ability to make money.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[Immerman]

Agreed - however, the leaning of the passenger is also a big component of the stability of most two-wheel vehicles. Not having that, most autonomous two-wheel vehicles need to add a gyroscopic balancing system.

Also - when buying a first bike for a toddler, consider a pedal-less balance bike. It lets them lean to balance and steer a bike (the actually difficult part), without the distraction of learning to maintaining a pedal cadence (the mostly labor-intensive part, once you know how to balance and steer).

Fun fact - that was how the first commercially successful adult bicycle worked, patented in 1818 and commonly called a velocipede. Pedals weren't introduced until more than 40 years later.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[Immerman]

>no computer regardless of how many sensors it has at its disposal, regardless of how accurate mapping is, can cope with the literally infinite scenarios

Obviously that's not true - the computer between our ears does a good enough job, if far from flawless. Our more primitive artificial computers just aren't really up to the task yet. Or perhaps more accurately, they fail in scenarios completely unlike those that we fail in. Which is not surprising considering they operate in a completely alien manner, but does tend to make them look really incompetent. Especially since we don't often look at ourselves from the perspective of the many frequent accidents we cause that could easily be avoided by an AI.

Actually... autonomous scooters and bicycles could be an excellent place to work on developing a safer AI driver - the operating environment is far more chaotic than highway traffic, while the occasional inevitable collisions are unlikely to be more than a nuisance.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[arth1]

Agreed - however, the leaning of the passenger is also a big component of the stability of most two-wheel vehicles. Not having that, most autonomous two-wheel vehicles need to add a gyroscopic balancing system.

As kids, we had fun pushing our bicycles off a small hilltop and watched how they stayed upright - the one that got the farthest would "win". Most made it all the way, and my best friend had a bike that hardly ever fell over until it was at a standstill. Looking at it with hindsight, I suspect that his bike had a sharp enough front angle and heavy enough frame that it would auto-adjust better.

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[Immerman]

Intriguing...

Re:Autonomous bikes and scooters???

[Immerman]

It is a machine that processes information - a.k.a.... a computer. It operates in a manner very alien to digital computers, with different strengths and weaknesses, but they serve a common purpose. In fact "computer" originally referred to a person whose job was to perform computations - a job rendered obsolete by digital devices that far exceeded human capabilities.

I'm holding out

[AndyKron]

I'm waiting for autonomous shoes that walk over to me and put themselves on.

Re:I'm holding out

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

Autonomous unicycles. Then they can add automaton mimes to complete the creepy entertainment.

Re:I'm holding out

[Red_Forman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Re:I'm holding out

[Tablizer]

I'm waiting for autonomous boots that kick jerks in the ass.

Re:I'm holding out

[Type44Q]

Let's cut to the chase: how about the antonymous shit that takes itself. Or... I'll think of something.

Why?

[Bobrick]

Who needs this? Who is asking for this? What is the problem that this is trying to solve? I guess my point is what the fuck is wrong with these people?

Re: Why?

[Anonymous Coward]

And why is everyone pumping this story?

Re:Why?

[drinkypoo]

Who needs this? Who is asking for this? What is the problem that this is trying to solve?

A lot of people have been complaining about the fact that bikes and scooters are littering the landscape. This is a solution to that problem. So, lots and lots of people have been asking for a solution, and this is a potential solution.

I guess my point is what the fuck is wrong with these people?

Capitalism.

Re: Why?

[Type44Q]

"When all you have is a hammer..."

Give 'em some credit; sure, they're thinking with their asses... but it's all they've got.

Re:Why?

[gijoel]

Because Uber's business plan seems to be throw shit at a wall and hope that something sticks.

Re:Why?

[jellomizer]

Who needs this? People who needs to go from Point A to Point B. Who doesn't have a bike of their own, or it is difficult to store it. (Street Apt on the 8th floor)
Who is asking for this? People who wants services like Uber, but doesn't necessarily need a Car.
What is the problem that this is trying to solve? Getting a Person from Point A to Point B, without having a Car, or paying for a physical driver, because it is difficult to fit a driver onto a scooter.

Now this wouldn't work for me. And especially today where it is -1 degree outside. But for people who live in cities, having a scooter drive up to them, vs lugging down their bike, is a good way to get them to point B.

Now I don't live in the City, and the Weather where I live is currently way too cold. But for those who live in the right area, it probably solves a lot of problems.

Re:Why?

[Red_Forman]

Maybe they could start selling brown paint.

Re:Why?

[timholman]

What is the problem that this is trying to solve?

Obviously you don't live in a metropolitan city where people are constantly complaining about electric scooters blocking the sidewalks and littering city streets.

An autonomous scooter is the next logical step. Why look on your phone for a nearby charged scooter, and walk to it, when you can summon one to you instead? And when you're done, there's no need to think about where to park it; you step off of it, and it heads off to its next customer, or back to a charging base.

An autonomous scooter service is no different than the multitude of autonomous taxi services that are in the process of being deployed. It's just a matter of the size of the vehicle, and the range of the service.

Uber has exactly the right idea. The first company to successfully deploy an autonomous scooter will sweep away the competition, and help solve the problem of "scooter rage".

Re:Why?

[nicolaiplum]

Who needs this? Uber

Who is asking for this? Uber

What is the problem that this is trying to solve? The problem that Uber does not make enough money to satisfy the greed of their investors and executives. Also that even externalising costs and breaking laws to reduce costs, Uber still isn't profitable. Malicious, amoral AND incompetent - that's Uber.

What is wrong with these people? They are amoral profit seekers who want to make as much money as possible and have no problem with externalising costs as much as possible so they maximise their profit.

Bonus answer:
What is wrong with the other people, the ones who aren't the Uber execs or investors? They are willing to stand by while badly regulated corporations make profits while passing on costs (clean up of broken scooters, hits from un- or under-insured illegal taxi drivers, medical care for people assaulted by their illegal taxi drivers, social welfare costs of supporting their under-paid drivers, pollution and road congestion from their illegal taxis displacing public transport.

Re: Why?

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Give 'em some credit; sure, they're thinking with their asses... but it's all they've got.

. . . and they're doing it with other people's money.

Extra credit, for sure.

Re:Why?

[Ichijo]

People who don't want their pizza getting cold because it's stuck in traffic.

Re:Why?

[mjwx]

Who needs this? Who is asking for this? What is the problem that this is trying to solve? I guess my point is what the fuck is wrong with these people?

The problem with this is Uber's growing irrelevance. They need to keep their name in the news to detract from the fact that they're running out of money, losing hundreds of millions each quarter and are only left with the drivers who literally cant get a job at McDonalds.

For Brits, this is basically what Michael O'Leary of Ryanair does. Every few months they'll announce something silly that will never get approved by any aviation authority like coin slots on the lavatory, replacing the co-pilot with a blow up doll or installing urinals in the seat back and get some free publicity (paying for advertisement costs money, not a good thing for a low cost airline or illegal taxi company). Uber is basically doing the same thing but with a bit less flair and imagination than Ryanair.

Re:Why?

[Red_Forman]

To the smartass moderator who modded me flamebait: look up my name and learn something new today, dumbass.

Re:Why?

[Bobrick]

You're absolutely correct, I live in a big, metropolitan city where people aren't so fucking misadapted that they'd leave rental vehicles abandoned all over the place.

Re: Why?

[Bobrick]

Of course a city needs easy, efficient transportation. The idea of autonomous bikes and scooters going around is an absolutely unnecessary nightmare to conjure up.

Re:Why?

[Bobrick]

I live in a big city with rental bicycles everywhere. I can't imagine someone just abandoning one of them somewhere instead of the designated stations. especially when your name is attached to the card that unlocked the bike in the first place. Seems the problem here is that the users are americans.

A taxi app

[Luthair]

with delusions of grandeur. Maybe if they waited for the technology to be commoditized they wouldn't be burning cash as badly as if they fed it to a bonfire heating their offices.

Payback!

[Sponge Bath]

Now bikes can drive people into a lake instead of people dumping bikes there. Be nice to the machines or feel their wrath.

I can see a market

[bobstreo]

for autonomous cargo bikes for local deliveries.

Re:I can see a market

[jellomizer]

It seems like a better idea then a Drone.

But if the technology works correctly, it could solve a lot of problems with logistics. A lot of time is wasted with the delivery person handling the last mile problem. Because the delivery truck may have space for say 50 - 100 deliveries, and he is spending all his time in serial going from house to house. If these 50-100 deliveries could be on automated small cars, that have a 10 mile range (5 miles in and 5 miles back). A truck can stop at each town, deploy the packages, where they all in parallel go out to all the houses, and drive back, even if they are just having a max speed of 10 mph. A whole town can be covered in little over an hour.

Where will they drive?

[Comboman]

autonomous scooters and bikes that can drive themselves to be charged, or drive themselves to locations where riders need them.

Where will they drive? On the road? On the sidewalk? Either way they would be a menace to cars and/or pedestrians. It's hard enough to see a rider on a bike, imagine dealing with a riderless scooter (basically a skateboard with tiny handle) zipping down a busy sidewalk or street. Then again, maybe the entire purpose of this is to get the rental devices to drive themselves from the private property where they are abandoned (or stolen), back to a public sidewalk where they can be retrieved by the owners without legal complications.

Re:Where will they drive?

[arth1]

I think they would be less of a menace. A riderless bike would presumably obey traffic laws and regulations, unlike a great many human bike riders who don't give a shit.

Re:Where will they drive?

[drinkypoo]

Then again, maybe the entire purpose of this is to get the rental devices to drive themselves from the private property where they are abandoned (or stolen), back to a public sidewalk where they can be retrieved by the owners without legal complications.

Let me know when they can build one that can transform into a robot and kick the shit out of bike thieves.

Re:Where will they drive?

[HornWumpus]

Taser in the seat. Done.

Re:Where will they drive?

[arth1]

Given that I don't have a cell phone, I'm not sure what laws I'm ignoring...

Re:Where will they drive?

[arth1]

Your reading comprehension is terrible, because I never made a claim about all cyclists, just some of them. Learn about qualifiers.

Won't work

[110010001000]

I'll save them a bunch of money: this will never work. But that won't stop them from trying it and then giving up after spending millions.

Re:Won't work

[jellomizer]

Business failures, are not always overall failures. A lot of lessons can be learned from the attempt. I much rather see a company put in some risk and try something new, then just do the same old as before because doing something new is risky.

Now if it fails, they may have spent millions, but they also have an interesting case study on why it had failed. Technology isn't up to snuff, not enough demand, gain valuable insight in customers needs. Just doing the research alone with marketing could cost a company millions, and not solve the question, will it actually work.

But Slashdot in general are not good at seeing the next trend. We are too bound to the old ways of doing things. And new ideas and approaches we see as scary, wrong, or had tried it in the past and it failed then, and will fail now.

the iPhone was predicted to fail by Slashdot, Because the Newton was such a failure, and didn't have an external keyboard. the iPod was predicted to be such a looser, because we focused on the limitations (No WiFi and less space then the Nomad) and not its benefits (very small, thin, long battery life). Slashdot has been predicting the fall of Windows and the Year of Desktop Linux to be any time now.

Linux itself has got a lot of love, not because it was free and open source, but because it was very close to the Unix OS, so the old school unix guys didn't have to worry about switching to those new fangled gui OS's

Liability

[Shotgun]

How much do I get to sue for when one of these runs into me?

Seriously though, with enough sensors to not be a safety hazard, and an expensive lithium battery, these thing will become prized collectibles to hackers everywhere.

How does that even work

[SuperKendall]

In Soviet Uber, Segway leans YOU.

Self-righting scooters?

Re:autonomous return-to-base would be good

[Oswald McWeany]

One of the reasons I'm not a fan of bike hire places is that you have to end your trip at a bike station, which is usually not close enough to my destination (not enough bike stations in my city). This could allow me to hop off, and let the bike return itself to the nearest depot - that would be really convenient.

Not to mention it would be rather amusing to watch bikes riding themselves back along the sidewalk.

Autonomous Unicycles are the holy grail

[thesjaakspoiler]

Everybody knows that. Just like sharks with freakin' laserbeams.