Google’s patent filing hints ambitious plans for autonomous ride-sharing network

Google has been going really steady with its self-driving technology without much hullaballoo. But now it looks like that the search engine company is aiming big with its plans of developing an autonomous ride-sharing network to compete with the likes of Uber and Lyft.

According to a recent patent filing by Google, first noticed by the website Patent Yogi, the company has applied for a patent determining pickup and destination locations for autonomous vehicles. Google says it wants to operate fully self-driving cars where passengers provide some initial input, such as a pickup or destination location, and the vehicle then navigates itself to that location.

But as all locales might not be safe or feasible for autonomous vehicles like a construction site or emergency lanes, Google’s patent talks about a centralised dispatching system, that would be able to provide a set of suggested locations for safe pickups, cab waiting, or drop-offs after the trip.

This is precisely how Uber works by directing passengers to more convenient pick-up locations, mostly through its carpooling feature and other transit-focused products.

This isn’t the first patent filed by Google in relation to its self-driving efforts. Last year, the tech company was granted a patent for a unique solution to minimise injuries when a self-driving car strikes a pedestrian. The patent describes "an adhesive layer positioned on the front end of the vehicle" that pedestrians will simply stick to "in the event of a collision” — in other words, human flypaper.

Google’s self-driving fleet operates under Waymo brand. Just last week, Waymo CEO John Krafcik talked about his company’s possible move into a variety of markets including ride-hailing, logistics, personal transportation and so on.

The company also recently announced its plans to deploy its newly developed self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans in Mountain View and Phoenix at the end of January.

Though Google remains one of Uber’s early investors and backers, we might soon see them as competitors as both are gearing to bring the autonomous vehicle technology on roads.