Uber’s new driverless robotaxis are now operating in downtown Dallas, but a full transition to autonomous rides is still a work in progress.
Annie Duvnjak, Uber’s head of global mobility autonomous operations, said Wednesday that the long-term goal is to remove the onboard drivers, but she did not give a timeline for when that might happen.
“When you go into the Uber app like you normally would, you would go ahead and order an Uber X, Uber Comfort, or Uber Electri,c and they may actually be paired with an AvRide robotaxi,” Duvnjak said. “You’ll get a pop-up, and it will say you’ve been matched with an autonomous vehicle, and you’ll be able to accept it or not.”
For now, each vehicle includes a human operator in the front seat monitoring the ride. Once those operators are removed, riders will still have access to support using a help button or emergency pull-over option inside the car or through the Uber app.
The autonomous vehicles, developed in partnership with AvRide, are already in use in Austin and Atlanta. Each car is equipped with 13 cameras, four radars and additional sensors designed to navigate complex urban environments.
“The safety and various processes this goes through are incredibly rigorous,” Duvnjak said. “Safety really is our number one priority in making sure we are rolling this out in a safe way with our partners on the AV developer side and Uber process as well.”
The current service area spans 9 square miles, including Downtown, Uptown, Turtle Creek and Deep Ellum. Uber says it plans to expand the coverage in the coming months.
“It’s really new and innovative technology and really helps bring new types of transportation and technology to cities and to riders,” Duvnjak said.