Uber's first self-driving car pulls out onto the streets of Pittsburgh

CNET reports:

If you're looking forward to the day when an Uber whisks you across town without anyone behind the wheel, then good news: the ride-sharing company has shown off its first autonomous vehicle.

The car -- a Ford Fusion Hybrid -- has been shown taking to the streets of Pittsburgh. It's equipped with sensors, radars, laser scanners and high-resolution cameras, and is designed to gather mapping data as well as test its self-driving capabilities, Uber writes on its blog.

"When it's in self-driving mode, a trained driver will be in the driver's seat monitoring operations," the company explains. "Real-world testing is critical to our efforts to develop self-driving technology. We believe this technology will mean less congestion, more affordable and accessible transportation, and far fewer lives lost in car accidents."

Uber says it's still in the very early days of testing, so don't expect a driverless car pulling up at your door anytime soon. Somehow, the company managed to get this prototype out the door just in time to lay claim to being the first ride-sharing company to dabble in autonomy.

The autonomous car inches closer.