Uber launches its mapping project in Asia, starting with Singapore

After introducing its mapping cars in the US, Mexico, Canada, the UK, South Africa, and Australia, Uber has begun generating its own 3D maps of Singapore.

“Feedback from riders and driver-partners in Singapore has also been a key motivation for us to improve mapping,” Uber said in its blog post. The new service is aimed at having improved understanding of traffic patterns with precise pick-up and drop-off locations. This would enable the company to provide a seamless experience to both, the passengers and the drivers.

Over the past decade, mapping innovation has disrupted industries and changed daily life in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I started,” said Manik Gupta, head of product, in a blog post. “That progress will only accelerate in the coming years especially with technologies like self-driving cars.”

To map Singapore, the company is attaching cameras and mapping equipment to vehicles that are already being used to drive on the ride-sharing platform and apparently no new vehicles would be added to the fleet.

Uber has also ensured that its mapping vehicles won’t retain any imagery at or around pick-up or final drop-off locations. “There is no plan to make the imagery or other data collected available to the public,” Gupta said.

Uber relies heavily on Google Maps, but recent reports and appointments have made it clear that the company is now creating its own maps that can stand on their own.