Uber's Autopilot Has Challenges on the Road and in the Air
*By Britt Terrell*
In the race to deploy autonomous driving technology to chauffeur passengers wherever they might go by road, Uber's Elevate division is also looking to gain an edge in the air by becoming the first company to bring similar self-driving technology to its fleet of flying taxis [as early as 2020](https://nypost.com/2018/05/07/uber-hopes-to-have-flying-taxis-by-2020/).
"It's actually going to be significantly easier we think, because a lot of the problems that you deal with on the road such as complicated street signs, such as other cars that may not be necessarily cooperative ー we're going to build the system to be autonomous for the future vision from the outset," said Nikhil Goel, head of product and advanced programs at Uber.
But in an interview Tuesday with Cheddar, Goel said the company was proceeding with caution, especially as Uber addresses issues with its ground-level autonomous driving technology. The company found that its self-driving feature was at fault when one of its cars killed a pedestrian in March. The vehicle did not brake soon enough.
Though the challenges for autonomous driving on the ground are different from those in the air, the technology still needs some work.
"These vehicles will actually start out as piloted," Goel said, referring to Uber's plans for flying taxis, adding they would only be used after close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and after a thorough safety review.
Uber was scheduled to meet with U.S. transportation and safety officials this week at its second annual Elevate Summit. Officials will hear about the company's technological developments as it seeks to begin testing its flying taxi technology in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Dubai.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/uber-gets-elevated).
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