Like Google and even Tesla, Uber wants to map the world down to the right-hand lane and Australia is the focus of its latest effort.
Following mapping projects in the U.S., Canada and the UK, as well as Mexico and South Africa, the transport giant is launching locally on the Gold Coast Monday, with a wider rollout to follow.
SEE ALSO:Mark Zuckerberg just nabbed Uber's head of policy for his charity work"Existing maps are a good starting point, but some information isn't that relevant to Uber, like ocean topography," Manik Gupta, head of product at Uber Maps, said in a statement emailed to Mashable.
"There are other things we need to know a lot more about, like traffic patterns and precise pickup and dropoff locations. Moreover, we need to be able to provide a seamless experience in parts of the world where there aren’t detailed maps -- or street signs."
Unlike most other markets where Uber has rolled out its mapping project, a number of driver vehicles on the Gold Coast will be fitted with devices to collect data about routes, rather than Uber's own cars. Like the Google Street View car, Uber's camera will sit on top of the vehicle collecting imagery.
An Uber spokesperson told Mashable"several dozen" Uber driver cars would be on the road mapping the Gold Coast from Monday.
"It was very successful in Cape Town, with cameras going all the places riders are going anyway," he said. "It means we're not adding extra vehicles to the road."
To reassure privacy-concerned riders, Uber claims the devices will not keep imagery around "initial pick-up or final drop-off locations."
Uber is just one party in something of a global mapping arms race. Gupta was formerly part of Google's Maps team, and Uber relies on that company's data to deliver its service in many regions.
Highly detailed road maps will be integral to driverless cars -- a technology Uber has been dabbling in to the dismay of some U.S. regulators -- and Google has had a significant head start. It's even rumoured to be getting into ride-sharing itself.
Uber has been stepping up its own internal mapping operation, including acquiring the mapping and search startup deCarta in 2015 and poaching another Google Maps veteran, Brian McClendon. In 2016, the Financial Times reported Uber was looking to pour $500 million into a global mapping effort.
Uber would not comment to Mashableregarding the cost of its mapping project.
TopicsGoogleUber
(责任编辑：休閑)
Despite IOC ban, Rio crowds get their political messages acrossGoogle warns of 'hermit spyware' infecting Android and iOS devices'I Love That for You' coAirbnb horror stories are taking over TwitterThis app is giving streaming TV news a second tryCarlos Beltran made a very interesting hair choice
Apparently the Texas Rangers' Carlos Beltran is taking hair advice from another Carlos in sports --
...[详细]Most streamed movies this week (July 2) are rather strange
So,what's everyone been watchingthis week?Each week, the most popular streamed movies come down to a
...[详细]NASA preps new spacecraft heat shield for Mars landings
To gently land a rocket ship on the surface of Mars one must overcome the most ornery physics. When
...[详细]Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are on a downward spiral. Why?
It hasn't been a great couple of months for cryptocurrency owners. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and basically
...[详细]Olympian celebrates by ordering an intimidating amount of McDonald's
It's no secret that Olympians have to eat clean for years to ensure they're at peak physical conditi
...[详细]Report: How Facebook is getting your private data from hospitals, according to The Markup
About a third of the top hospitals in the U.S. are allegedly sending private data to Facebook, an in
...[详细]'Wordle' today: Get the answer, hints for June 1
Can't get enough of Wordle? Try Mashable's free version nowIt's the first day of summer (or winter f
...[详细]Best outfits from Apple WWDC 2022
This was my first year covering Apple's WWDC, and as I typed furiously to update our readers about t
...[详细]Richard Branson 'thought he was going to die' in bike accident
Virgin Group founder Richard Branson was recently injured in a serious bike accident while cycling o
...[详细]5 kids movies on Amazon Prime Video that are actually worth watching
You don't have to be under the age of 12 to enjoy kids' movies.Main target demographic aside, someti
...[详细]Two astronauts just installed a new parking spot on the International Space Station
'Wordle' today: Answer, hints for May 23