01 July August 2016, USA :
Uber, one of the top ride-hailing service has decided to invest $500 million into an ambitious global mapping project to wean itself off dependence on Google Maps and pave the way for driverless cars, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
Last year Uber hired one of the world’s leading digital mapping experts, Brian McClendon, who previously ran Google Maps and helped create Google Earth. “Accurate maps are at the heart of our service and backbone of our business,” Mr McClendon said in a statement. “The ongoing need for maps tailored to the Uber experience is why we’re doubling down on our investment in mapping.”
Uber’s vehicles equipped with mapping technology have been crisscrossing across US and Mexico to gather information and images to develop maps, says the report. The company is planning to start mapping other countries as well soon. With an influx of $3.5 billion in the company with its latest round of investors, the San Francisco-based transport company is making new investments in driverless cars and mapping.
