Ride-sharing service Uber is partnering with Carnegie Mellon University on a Pittsburgh research lab they say could lead to the development of driverless cars.
The partnership announced yesterday includes Uber funding for faculty chairs and graduate fellowships at the private research university.
San Francisco-based Uber says the Uber Advanced Technologies Center will also focus on mapping and safety technologies in support of its ride-sharing mission.
Uber operates in 200 cities in 54 countries, including Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Harrisburg. It competes with Lyft and other ride-sharing startups, as well as traditional taxi and limousine services.
Uber and Carnegie Mellon say they'll build the new lab near the university's National Robotics Engineering Center in the city's Lawrenceville neighborhood.
Mayor William Peduto says the lab furthers Pittsburgh's reputation as a center of innovation.
