Uber has opened up its online booking to allow any app to call a car . Previously , only a handful of Uber 's corporate partners had permission to hail Uber cars directly . Now , the ride-hailing service hopes app developer will boost its usage by including car-hailing capabilities . The firm said it hoped developers would use the system to make their apps 'smarter ' . In blog post Uber recently said it would be partnering with roboticists at Carnegie Mellon University . It is said to have opened a research facility in Pittsburgh with the intention of creating a self-driving car , going head-to-head with Google 's efforts . Google was an early backer of the San Francisco-based firm , investing $ 258 million ( £170 million ) in the controversial ride-sharing service through its venture capital arm in August 2013 . David Drummond , Google 's chief legal officer and senior vice president of corporate development , then joined the Uber board of directors . Uber is already working with companies such as Starbucks , United , OpenTable , TimeOut and TripAdvisor - but now anyone can write an app that uses Uber . 'This makes great business sense for us and our driver partners , ' said Rahul Bijor , API product manager at Uber . 'Every new ride request that comes through the API means even more business for our driver partners , ' he said . The firm said it hoped developers would use the system to make their apps 'smarter ' . 'We are eager to make this endpoint available because we know how satisfying it is to create technology that impacts the physical world , ' the firm said . 'Putting this power in the hands of developers has our imaginations running wild . 'Should an Uber be waiting immediately after your last meeting of the day ? Will someone create a way to request a car with just a simple SMS ? We have no idea what you might build , but we can not wait to find out . ' The ride-hailing company , which links drivers to riders through an app , announced plans this month to create 1 million jobs for women as drivers by 2020 — suggesting aggressive growth plans for the coming five years . In the U.S. , where Uber got its start six years ago , the company boasts 160,000 active drivers - just 14 % of them are women . 'Uber does not require ( minimum ) hours , and it does not require a schedule , ' Salle Yoo , Uber 's general counsel , said in an interview on Monday , referring to why women might find working for Uber attractive . 'It offers the chance to be entrepreneurial , the chance to balance work and family . ' Female passengers will not yet have the ability to request female drivers , Yoo said . She emphasized the app 's safety features , including the notification of the driver 's identity received by customers on their phones beforehand , and the ability to share via text message an estimated arrival time with others . The pledge comes as the rapidly expanding company deals with fallout over incidents of assaults by drivers from Boston and Chicago to Delhi . In the highest-profile case , an Indian woman said in December her driver raped her in Delhi , leading to outcries and a temporary ban of Uber in that city . Uber screens drivers , including the use of background checks that vary from country to country . It does not hire drivers as full employees . Instead , it lets them use the smartphone-based app to connect them to passengers looking for a paid ride , and takes a cut of the fare . The ride-hailing company , which links drivers to riders through an app , announced plans this month to create 1 million jobs for women as drivers by 2020 — suggesting aggressive growth plans for the coming five years . Uber lets consumers use an app to locate a driver and instantly book a ride . Google Maps software is already integrated into Uber to let users check progress of drivers on their way to pick them up . San Francisco-based Uber has grown into one of the world 's largest start-ups , and now operates in more than 200 cities in 54 countries around the world . But the app 's growth has also cause friction with existing taxi operations , and posed challenges for regulators . Uber does not employ drivers or own its vehicles , but instead uses independent contractors with their own cars . Since launching in 2010 , Uber has also been dubbed a prime example of a 'disruptive ' economic force , and taxi drivers in dozens of cities have staged protests against the firm .
Uber told MailOnline it expects to close the deCarta deal '2020 ' Mapping service will be used to boost the cab service 's current offerings . May give it independence from Google , on whose maps it service relies . Deal bolsters rumours Uber is serious about building an autonomous car . Californian firm is said to have built a research centre in Pittsburgh with the intention of creating a self-driving car .