After a year, Carnegie Mellon and Uber research initiative is stalled

A man checks a vehicle at the first of Uber's 'Work On Demand' recruitment events where they hope to sign 12,000 new driver-partners, in South Los Angeles on March 10, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Mark Ralston

SAN FRANCISCO: More than a year after Uber announced a research pact with Carnegie Mellon University – and then hired away four of the institution's faculty and 36 researchers and technicians – the ride-hailing company and university have not collaborated on a single project, according to CMU faculty and administrators. 

Herman Herman, director of CMU's National Robotics Engineering Centre, former employer of the experts Uber hired, said the centre currently has no plans for research projects with Uber, adding, "certainly we are open to it in the future."