SPOT your Uber: colour coded lights to match riders and vehicles
Uber wants to make it easier for riders to find their drivers, and to that end announced Uber SPOT yesterday, a new feature rolling out this month in Seattle that uses LED lights on driver windshields to help customers locate the right vehicle. After hailing an Uber ride with one of these drivers, a customer will select one of six colours in the app while waiting. When the driver arrives, the LED light will glow in the same colour. Riders can also press and hold the colour on their app to make their phone screen light up, thus helping the driver see them.

Uber

In Seattle, Uber is testing a new color-coding system to make sure you know exactly which car is yours, according to a blog post.

How does it work? Glad you asked.

When Seattleites hail a ride with select Uber drivers during this test, they're prompted to pick a color.

A light bar on the Uber car will change colors accordingly, so you can pick your driver out of a crowd.

Uber is providing drivers with the so-called Spot bars during this test. They won't light up until the driver is nearby.

And, apparently, a rider can hold down on their screen to make their phone light up the selected color, too.

Well, speaking as someone who's almost gotten into a stranger's car because I thought it was an Uber, that's one way to make sure you know which one's your ride. If it's successful, presumably this Spot test will find its way beyond Seattle.