GPS inaccuracy is more pronounced in parts of a city where satellite signals are blocked by high-rise buildings, wreaking havoc for companies like Uber who depend on two people with smartphones finding each other.
A phenomenon referred to as “shadowing,” can create a location error of up to 100 meters or more. Occlusion modeling allows Uber to use a process of elimination to get a more accurate read on where you are when you’re trying to hail a ride.
“How often do you have to manually type in your address versus how often do we predict it accurately without you having to do anything?” Uber engineer, Danny Iland asks. “So that’s making it a more magical experience. When you open the app, we already know what is the correct address and all you have to do is hit request.”
Read the article at The Verge.
