The future is now, and that future involves Uber sending out their first self-driving car for testing in the coming weeks.

No more having to make small talk with your driver, I hear you say. Have you no heart?

Anyway moving on to the company’s autonomous Ford Fusion, complete with sensors from Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center [sic].

Here’s what TIME have to say:

[It] will have a human in the driver’s seat to monitor operations. The car will be used to collect mapping data in addition to testing self-driving capabilities, and will include laser scanners, radars, and high-resolution cameras.

Uber says the technology is in its early days and that the company has informed local officials and law enforcement of its plans.”Right now we’re focused on getting the technology right and ensuring it’s safe for everyone on the road,” Uber wrote in a blog post.

Last month, Uber joined with Google, Ford, Volvo, and Lyft in announcing that they would form a coalition to urge lawmakers to pave the road for self-driving vehicle technology. Investors value the San Francisco-based Uber at over $60 billion.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has long envisioned a future where his company’s cars operate autonomously.

For now at least, you’ll have to put up with an actual human driving the vehicle. To soften the blow you can sign up with 2OV and get R150 off your first ride – boom, you just make sure you get home safe and sound.

[source:time]