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???

[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???

[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.

I'm holding out

[AndyKron]

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

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?

[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: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