Uber to put 500 data-collection vehicles on the road this year

On Wednesday, Uber announced a groundbreaking initiative to deploy a fleet of 500 modified Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles, designed to gather crucial real-world driving data. This data will support the company's growing network of autonomous vehicle collaborators, which includes notable partners like Avride, Waymo, and WeRide. The prototype vehicle, equipped with an array of sensors mounted on its exterior, may not appear radically different from its standard counterparts. However, it signifies a significant milestone for Uber, marking the first time the company has assembled a vehicle since divesting its autonomous vehicle division to Aurora in 2020. The new initiative is part of Uber's recently launched AV Labs division, which aims to leverage these sensor-rich vehicles to collect and share valuable data with an expanding roster of over 30 partners in autonomous vehicle technology. Uber plans to have 50 of these specially outfitted Ioniqs operational by summer, with the entire fleet capable of producing up to 2 million miles of high-fidelity data each month. These vehicles will be equipped with 14 cameras, eight solid-state lidar sensors, and nine radars, thanks to a collaboration with Roush Performance, which is responsible for the retrofitting process. All collected data will be processed through Nvidia’s Dual Drive Thor autonomous vehicle computer. Notably, Uber has indicated a willingness to adapt its sensor suite, suggesting that it will continue to evolve based on the needs of its partners. The ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive, geographically diverse dataset tailored for training autonomous driving systems. With a head start from previous data collection efforts involving thousands of specially equipped vehicles across numerous cities, Uber is poised to enhance its data collection capabilities. The company has also gathered data from hundreds of Lucid Air vehicles operating in the U.S. and Europe over the last two years, which will further inform the development of their autonomous vehicle technology.