Uber is giving the UA’s College of Optical Sciences $25,000 to research and develop lenses and sensors for car navigation, which could eventually lead to driverless cars being tested in Tucson, according to UA News. 

Gov. Doug Ducey visited the college Tuesday, and called the partnership, “A great day for Uber, for the UA and for the future innovation in Arizona.”

(Can the UA have its funding back, yet?)

“Today’s announcement is the latest signal that it’s working…All  Arizonans stand to benefit from embracing new technologies—especially when it means new jobs, new economic development, new research opportunities and increased public safety and transportation options for our state,” he said, according to UA News. “That’s what this partnership is about, and I thank Uber and the University of Arizona for their efforts and commitment to making it happen.”

Ducey signed an executive order yesterday supporting the testing and operation of self-driving cars in the state, Ducey’s office said in a press release.

Uber’s Vice President of Advanced Technologies Brian McClendon says the move puts Arizona on the map as a state that welcomes innovation and new technology. 

“Over the last twenty years, technology has helped democratize access to so many services—working in partnership with forward-thinking universities and elected officials across the United States. We’re still in the early days of what’s possible—and I look forward to working with Arizona to make the next step of that journey a reality,” he said, according to UA News.

This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2015.

I was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala. I moved to Tucson about 10 years ago. Since I was old enough to enjoy reading, I developed an interest in writing, and telling stories through different...

2 replies on “University of Arizona Joins Forces with Uber for Research on Driverless Cars”

  1. I am not sure what kind of research is going to be funded with the small amount of 25k but it’s pretty clear Uber did just get a great deal on exposure. To get news articles and press releases published in papers, aired on TV news and spread all over the internet for only 25k? That is called a marketing coup. I know I am being cynical but I am curious as to how many more of these super tiny research grants they are giving to universities around the country?

  2. It’s a massive investment in the future from a company still primarily associated with the development of its app and associated back-end technology, but it’s one that Uber has been hinting at for a long time.

    Mark Peter,
    Zoplay

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