Uber after the accident with the participation of his mobile phone decided to reduce the staff of operators of smart machines in Pittsburgh

The Uber company has started to dismiss "security operators" robots. We are talking about specialists who control the actions of a car with computer control while driving on public roads. Uber management decided to reduce the majority of operators after the accident, during which the mobile phone ran into a cyclist who crossed the road in the wrong place.

Earlier it was reported that now in full swing is investigating this incident. Let me remind you that a woman was shot down at full speed by a robotic mobile, the computing unit of which did not cope with the assessment of the nature of a sudden obstacle on the road. The accident happened a few months ago, in March of this year. The accident investigation is now led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Uber decided to cut about 100 operators. Their jobs will also be removed, this is not a replacement of some employees for others.

The company has already managed to declare that operators can easily apply for other positions, but at the same time they will have to go through the employment process. Operators are being cut only in Pittsburgh, as far as can be understood, other regions are not affected.
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Well, since the company will not be able to continue working on its project without a “spare driver” at all, it was decided to train new specialists. Uber will invite 55 people who have experience in testing cars (including those with robotic control) both on the tracks and on public roads. Uber expects that such experts will help developers deal with emerging technical problems on the spot, so to speak, in the field.

"Our team continues to pay great attention to the safety of autonomous machines, and we look forward to their return to public roads, which may occur over the next few months," said a spokesman for Uber.

Now robotaxi companies are being tested only on test sites; cars have been removed from ordinary roads by several cities in the USA and Canada. Now representatives of the company Uber declare that in Pittsburgh tests will resume this summer. But the statement of the company is questionable, since the mayor of the city said that he did not know anything about it. But the fact is that the mayor must give permission for the company to continue testing. The head of the city found out about the plans of Uber from the Internet, so he was not very pleased with the effectiveness of cooperation with Uber. Probably, all this will prolong the repeated exit of the ro-mobiles on public roads in this region.

In turn, the company stated that it provided all the necessary information to the relevant persons, with whom it maintains constant contact.

It should be noted that initially tests of robots were held with the participation of a team of two-person operators. But in November 2017, the company decided to remove one driver, relying on the efficiency of the remaining specialist. A source who wished to remain anonymous said it was done to reduce costs. In fact, why pay two employees if you can limit yourself to just one? The operator’s working time is estimated quite well - they get $ 24 per hour of work. After the accident, Uber continues to pay them, although now the operators do not work for obvious reasons - once the tests are suspended, then the workflow is paused.

Pittsburgh is the first city where the company's robots began to be tested. Here, Uber has found some of the employees in his car development unit with robotic controls. The Advanced Technologies Center was opened here, and here, in Pittsburgh, Uber conducted the first robot flights with passengers.

In principle, the authorities favor (or treated before the incident) Uber. There were no special problems with them, the company was welcomed in almost all regions where it went. And this can be understood, because the emergence of such a large corporation means the creation of jobs and a beneficial effect on the local economic situation.

As for the accident itself, it was largely due to the operator’s fault. Yes, the software did not recognize the cyclist, considering it an "unknown obstacle." But for such cases, Uber and hired its operators - their task is to take control in the event that something went wrong on the road. And not much has gone, plus everything turned out, the operator named Rafaela Vazquez watched the show “Voice” during the trip. The total viewing time of the show during the trip is 42 minutes. Viewing was completed at 21:59, when the accident occurred.

The company prohibits its drivers from using mobile devices on the road. Operators are told that in case of violation of this rule they may be dismissed. The ban was formed precisely because of concerns that drivers will be distracted. Robomobils in many cases work quite well, “confidently feeling” the road. The operator can relax and go about their business - for example, begin to be distracted by the phone or tablet.