2024-05-06

May 06, 2024

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Sunday, May 5, 2024

19h edition of the 12th year of SmartDrivingCars eLetter

M. Sena, May 2024, “THE MOTIVATION FOR writing this article was a tragic occurrence: A person drove their car into a body of water and died. This incident became international news for two reasons: 1) the person who drove the car was well-known and very wealthy; 2) the person was the sister of Elaine Chao, who is both a former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and the wife of the current U.S. Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell. The fact that the car was a TESLA added to the interest because the reason the car ended up in the water was linked to TESLA’s unconventional gear-shifting design.

Approximately 400 people die each year in the U.S. in car accidents involving vehicle submersion.1…” Read More

Hmmmm… Michael reflects on two transport-related incidents, both resulting in deaths. There was a container ship that collided with a bridge support in Baltimore in which six workers who were on the bridge perished, and there was a woman who drove her car into a lake and drowned. Both have been classified as accidents, because there seems to have been no malicious intent involved in either incident. However, both were preventable if those who were in charge of setting policies had made different decisions than the ones which allowed these deaths to occur. The pilot of the ship that collided with the bridge pier, and the driver of the vehicle that ended up in the water, bear responsibility for those actions which were under their control. The politicians who decided not to put guards around the piers, and the car manufacturer who decided to make gear shifting a test of video gaming acumen, share some of the accountability. But the voters who put the politicians in their comfortable chairs, and the shareholders who have applauded the inventiveness and ingenuity of company leadership, do not escape criticism. Ultimately, it should not be a city or a state that decides whether to protect vital (and very expensive) infrastructure from being hit by wayward ships, and it should not be individual car companies who decide whether their cars can be driven by individuals who are incapacitated as a result of alcohol or drugs. Excellent read. Alain

Just Published!!! Go to Amazon.com… You can still be first on your block to have one J.

SmartDrivingCars
ZoomCast 370/ PodCast 370 w/ Michael Sena, AEB rules- Angela Chao- Baltimore Bridge & more

F. Fishkin, May 4, “What was learned in the Smart Driving Cars interview with NHTSA on the new automatic emergency braking regulations? The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Alain and Fred to discuss. Plus more on Angela Chao, the Baltimore bridge and even a new lunar rover! Tune in and subscribe.

0:00 open
01:00 what did we learn from Smart Driving Cars NHTSA interview on automatic emergency braking?
13:45 The business of safe car design and the death of Angela Chao
23:34 Tools available to prevent impaired driving
34:24 The Baltimore bridge- policy frameworks to blame?
40:30 a new moon buggy!
45:22 Smart Driving Car Summit coming end of May
0:00 NHTSA finalizes AEB rule
1:45 overview and background with NHTSA’s Markus Price
6:13 What is really hard here? Devoting resources.
8:00 avoiding false AEB activations
13:21 Anticipate legal challenges to rule?
16:00 New standard already being met by one car company and model
26:20 Significance of crash avoidance rather than crash mitigation
28:49 Why wait for 2029? Incentives for car makers to move more quickly?
34:00 Insurance companies happy?
35:29 more to come on AEB and more at Smart Driving Cars Summit
0:00 open
0:40 New Jersey AI Summit held at Princeton
7:09 Tesla cuts price for Supervised FSD subscription- Alain’s take on The Verge report
17:25 Release notes on latest Supervised FSD taking responsible approach as Musk posts on X about investment
26:40 Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas looks to August 8th Tesla Robotaxi event
27:29 Tesla settles Apple engineer fatal autopilot crash case
36:19 Cruise resumes with manual driving
37:05 Bern Grush reviews The Real Case for Driverless Mobility
46:08 Upcoming 6th Smart Driving Car Summit
0:00 open
0:40 New Jersey AI Summit held at Princeton
7:09 Tesla cuts price for Supervised FSD subscription- Alain’s take on The Verge report
17:25 Release notes on latest Supervised FSD taking responsible approach as Musk posts on X about investment
26:40 Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas looks to August 8th Tesla Robotaxi event
27:29 Tesla settles Apple engineer fatal autopilot crash case
36:19 Cruise resumes with manual driving
37:05 Bern Grush reviews The Real Case for Driverless Mobility
46:08 Upcoming 6th Smart Driving Car Summit
0:00 Open
0:30 Alain in Texas for eclipse viewing
2:00 Musk reiterates FSD licensing offer
13:53 Tesla’s Supervised FSD no long Beta software
16:00 Musk denies report that 25 thousand dollar model being abandoned and sets August 8th date to unveil robotaxi
18:14 The Verge reports Tesla is dragging Apple into upcoming fatal autopilot crash case
19:10 NHTSA launching Put the Phone Away or Pay campaign…with five million dollars.
22:48 What does drop in Tesla Q1 deliveries mean?
30:35 Techstination report on NVIDIA’s Danny Shapiro interview
31:31 Smart Driving Summit coming up in Princeton at the end of May
0:00 open
2:04 from the Dispatcher – using low earth orbit satellites for transport
13:25 Toyota Chairman on coming growth of battery electric vehicles
32:50 Polestar…a soap opera
38:50 An interesting take on carbon offsets
41:50 When it comes to AI,.whom can you trust
53:25 Tesla pushing supervised FSD offering free demo to car buyers and training
59:50 GM slices budget of Cruise…may bring in more investors
1:08:15 Smart Driving Cars Summit 2 months away.
0:00 open
0:30 More notes on IIHS partial automation safeguard ratings..unintended acceleration and shifting
13:00 The death of Angela Chao and the reporting on it
21:40 Taking a ride with Tesla FSD V12.3
34:15 NVIDIA and Hippocratic AI using AI powered health care agents to outperform nurses at 9 dollars an hour
43:45 Waymo service begins in L.A.
46:55 VW with Mobileye reportedly ready to bring autonomous driving to large scale production
49:20 May Mobility on Fast Company most innovative companies in automotive list
52:54 Biden Administration new rule
59:45 6th Smart Driving Car Summit coming up at the end of May
0:00 Open
0:53 Alex Roy on opinion piece in SF Standard on Waymo and Robotaxis
9:08 Alain, Alex discuss what the real case for driverless mobility is.and how to get there
15:00 Alain and Alex on the economics of robotaxis and mobility for all
19:21 What are the roadblocks?
44:00 Alex started out in the industry as a skeptic
54:00 IIHS introduces new ratings for partial driving automation systems
57:44 Automakers sharing consumer driving behavior with insurance companies
58:40 NVIDIA GTC about to get underway
59:00 Another Starship launch- followed by latest on upcoming Smart Driving Cars Summit
0:00 open
0:23 The Real Case for Driverless Mobility and upcoming Smart Driving Cars Summit
1:30 Waymo self driving vehicle pays visit to the University of Buffalo
15:15 NVIDIA GTC coming up soon
17:30 NY Times report-Behind Apple’s Doomed Car Project
31:30 Motley Fool headline…Things Have Gone From Bad to Worse for GM’s Cruise and Tesla may benefit
32:33 Jalopnik column… We’ve Wasted Nearly 50 Billion Dollars on Self Driving Cars
36:36 Self Driving vehicle bill nears final passage in Kentucky
0:00 open
0:38 reasons for new book-The Real Case for Driverless Mobility
9:29 Car dealers have sent another letter to the White House
15:48 Letter from Michael Wells about The Economist and Chinese EVs
30:38 The Musings section of The Dispatcher- What else can we put in our tanks?
0:00 open
0:38 The Real Case for Driverless Mobility available now and Ken Pyle’s interview with Alain about the book
3:00 NVIDIA adds 272 billion dollars in market value… in a day!
5:16 Waymo, California headlines.. robotaxi wrangling
8:55 Stellantis CEO saying Waymo partnership for self driving delivery vans is still alive
14:35 Princeton spinoff Vault Robotics featured in WSJ…designing delivery robots that can negotiate curbs and steps
18:15 Automotive News reports GM’s Cruise nearing resumption of robotaxi testing….looking at Texas
27:58 Self driving cabs on rails in Germany..
31:35 META chief AI researcher Yan LeCun reportedly critical of OpenAI’s SORA
36:00 NASA/Intuitive Machines land on the moon
46:30 More on The Real Case for Driverless Mobility and the upcoming Smart Driving Cars Summit in Princeton
0:00 open
0:28 GM CEO looks to unlock value of Cruise
6:05 A week since burning of Waymo vehicle in SF
9:25 Two Waymo vehicles hit same truck being towed in December
13:05 California DMV’s latest list of driverless vehicle permit holders
15:05 Forbes headline- American Innovation Can Counter Russia’s New Threat
17:45 L.A. Times reports California EV sales declined in second half of last year
19:50 Hertz to stop buying from Polestar
29:35 New reporting on Tesla crash that killed employee
32:00 6th Smart Driving Car Summit scheduled for May 29-31
0:00 open
0:45 Waymo vehicle burned in S.F.
22:40 Waymo vehicle cyclist collision under investigation
29:00 Apple Vision Pro headset being worn behind the wheel by some Tesla drivers?
40:20 Is MOVES style mobility for rural areas disruptive?
52:20 Ken Pyle’s Texas EV rental adventure
59:50 The Real Case for Driverless Mobility book in perspective
0:00 open
0:31 The Real Case for Driverless Mobility
3:45 NJ Supreme Court to hear case of injured E-scooter rider seeking no fault auto insurance coverage for injuries
9:45 Princeton University begins confiscated -E-scooters after banning them restricted zones
11:25 Princeton’s Bill Bradley new Rolling Along documentary is streaming on Max
11:44 GM plans for return of Cruise….but… and it is cutting the budget for Cruise
16:25 Aptive pulls support for Motional joint venture
19:49 Geely announces low earth satellites for autonomous navigation
21:19 Volvo is breaking up with Polestar
23:25 Tesla “recall” to fix font size will be over the air update
26:14 Role of dealerships in over the air updates
0:00 open
0:39 The Real Case for Driverless Mobility published
10:46 from The Dispatcher-The Business of Delivering Transport
23:30 NHTSA has finally stood up to Tesla
28:00 Volvo cars rate of return
32:00 The Crew comments section of The Dispatcher
34:15 from the Smart Driving Cars Newsletter-Cruise says hostility to regulators led to grounding of its autonomous cars
40:13 San Francisco suing state over “unsafe” self driving cars
46:19 Tesla new Dojo supercomputer coming to Buffalo, TuSimple, Apple electric vehicles and Forbes piece Waymo expansion plans
0:00 open
0:40 Sunnyvale considers ride share service for students
5:12 Why are American Drivers So Deadly?
22:55 Biggest American car makers won’t be running Super Bowl ads
23:40 Driverless trucks coming to Dallas
28:50 GM may be canceling Ultra Cruise
31:40 L. A. Times report-As EVs gain traction, how will California pay for road repair?
39:45 CNBC reports German startup Vay will use teledriving to bring vehicles to customers in U.S.
42:25 D.C. city officials seek more say in how autonomous vehicles are deployed
43:40 Alphabet’s Wing unveils larger drones for heavier packages
48:50 Rob Mauer ends Tesla Daily
51:00 The Real Case for Driverless Mobility book almost here
0:00 open
0:40 Interview with NVIDIA’s Danny Shapiro
11:00 Alain’s letter to the editor of the NY Times
15:00 A look at the Las Vegas Loop
19:35 Kia PBV at CES
20:10 Hertz unloading many electric vehicles
23:55 Skwheel One electric skis at CES
25:40 AI everywhere at CES with Rabbit and more
26:20 Smart glasses and Apple Vision Pro
27:50 LG shows transparent OLED screen
31:00 The Real Case for Driverless Mobility arriving this month
33:00 More thoughts on CES
0:00 open
0:25 Big week ahead with CES and TRB
1:30 Aurora and Continental finalize self driving truck design
9:47 Tough week for Mobileye and investors
13:20 French grocery giant Carrefour cuts off Pepsi products after price hikes
17:59 Pittsburgh Post Gazette piece headlined In the Year of AI, Autonomous Vehicles Had a Tough Showing
28:16 Reuters reports GM Cruise offers 75 thousand dollars to resolve investigation into failure to disclose all following October crash in SF
35:00 Tesla meets 2023 vehicle delivery goals and adjusts vehicle range estimates
36:56 BYD worries?
40:38 Fisker ending direct to consumer sales in favor of dealers and more Tesla
46:30 Ghost Autonomy survey on self driving tech
49:03 The Real Case for Driverless Mobility book on the way
0:00 Open
1:00 The Real Case for Driverless Mobility coming soon
7:28 2023 Highlights-The start of driverless revenue service
18:50 The demise of the wannabes
24:00 This is a new market
40:00 Lessons learned in 2023
43:40 Lessons learned in San Francisco
51:35 Serve a demand that is sustainable
57:45 Heading into 2024…the expectations? Still some optimism

SmartDrivingCars
ZoomCast 369/ PodCast 369 w/ Marcus Price, NHTSA issues AEB requirements for carmakers

F. Fishkin, May 1, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued automatic emergency braking system requirements carmakers will have to implement by September of 2029. NHTSA’s chief of Visibility and Injury Prevention, Markus Price joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for a dive into the regulations and what they’ll mean.”

6 th Princeton SmartDrivingCar Summit

Alain Kornhauser, May 5 “…

Read more Hmmmm…. Our intention is to hold lively, honest exchanges in which all participants feel comfortable sharing as candidly as is reasonable. Please see the registration and sponsorship pages. Given the success that we’ve had with the past Summits and the quality of the program that we’ve been able to assemble to date, we fully expect to be sold out. Hope you’ll be able to join in with us. Alain

The future is near for self-driving semis on the nation’s highways

T. Krisher, April 29, “On a three-lane test track along the Monongahela River, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rounded a curve. No one was on board.

A quarter-mile ahead, the truck’s sensors spotted a trash can blocking one lane and a tire in another. In less than a second, it signaled, moved into the unobstructed lane and rumbled past the obstacles. ….” Read More Hmmmm… They can’t come too soon! Aurora, we are rooting for you. Alain & Elizabeth

Tesla’s Robotaxi unveiling event sets the tone for 2030 and beyond: Morgan Stanley

J. Klender, April 9, “ YouTube user FSD in NYC has shared footage of their Model Y navigating midtown Manhattan traffic during peak hour.

It was able to execute more complicated manoeuvres, such as moving around a turning vehicle blocking an intersection and steering around an inconsiderate double parker.

However, it also proved too cautious at times – for example, waiting slightly too long at a green light because of traffic on the other side of the intersection.

.”..”… Read More Hmmmm… See Video. Video is running at least at 1.5x speed (nobody drives that fast going xtown). Doing Manhattan is totally irresponsible, unless one follows Tesla’s parameters. Alain

The Real Case for Driverless Mobility

B. Grush, March/April 2024, “… A new book by Alain L. Kornhauser and Michael L. Sena… advocates for automated driving systems as a core component of public transportation- … This is sourced from Princeton University’s long-standing and highly regarded SmartDrivingCar effort, which has for years advocated the intelligent application of automated vehicles to improve equitable access for mobility disadvantaged populations…” Read More Hmmmm… Thank you, Bern J Alain

Luminar, maker of lidar for autonomous driving, lays off 20 percent of its workforce

A. Hawkins, May 3, “Luminar, which makes lidar sensors for autonomous driving systems, announced today plans to lay off 20 percent of its workforce amid a broader restructuring of its production process.

The company, which just announced shipments of its next-generation laser sensors to Volvo, said that it will transition to an “asset light” business model that will see more of its production outsourced to its partners. As part of the restructuring, at least 147 people will lose their jobs. Luminar has at least 730 employees based in the US, according to LinkedIn.

“Many of these team members have been on our journey with us for years, which is why this is so difficult,” Luminar CEO Austin Russell said in a statement. “We have also made the decision to roll off the majority of our contractors who supported us to [start of production]. We have informed the affected employees regarding the roles that are no longer required at this juncture.”…” Read More Hmmmm… So sad. Alain

Tesla’s next-gen Dojo AI training tile is in production

Fred Lambert, May 1, “The first generation of its Dojo super computing platform went into operation last summer.

Shortly after, it was reported that Tesla had expanded its partnership with TSMC, a large semiconductor company that manufactures the Dojo chip for the automaker.

Now, TSMC has confirmed that Tesla’s next-generation Dojo chip has entered production and they are working on tech that could deliver much greater power to Dojo in 2027 (via IEEE Spectrum):…

This new tile is likely going to be used for Tesla’s new planned $500 million Dojo cluster in New York. …” Read More Hmmmm… Dojo is the pan & shovel. Alain

6th SmartDrivingCars Summit Evening May 29 -> May 31, 2024

Alain Kornhauser, May 5, “We promise civil and lively discussions as to how to improve the Quality-of-Life (QoL) for many while disrupting the QoL to as few as possible. Focus will be on the business aspects…

Giving Oneself a Ride

· Latest on ADAS Safety, Functionality, Regulation and potential Collaboration (given anti-trust relaxation), consumer value

Getting a Driverless Ride

· By people and goods using public roads

o “Proof-of-Concept” (Safety Update and Last “50 feet” delivery concepts)

o “Proof-of-Market” (Arizona, California, Texas, … rural & beyond)

o “Proof-of-Policy/Politics/Sociology” (Regulation + Opportunities for Collaboration on Safety (given anti-trust relaxation.))

· By people and goods on private property.

o “Proof-of-Concept” (Safety Update)

o “Proof-of-Market” ( Return-on-Investment (RoI) focus on: Private “ways”, Manufacturing, Ports, Terminals, Warehouses, Mining, Farms)

o “Proof-of-Policy/Politics/CorporateGovernance” (OSHA, Unions)

Workshop

· MOVES – Style Deployments “anywhere”. (See Example)

o Design, Analysis, Simulation, Animation & Business Case

….” Read More Hmmmm… Please see the registration and sponsorship pages. Given the success that we’ve had with the past Summits and the quality of the program that we’ve been able to assemble to date, we fully expect to be sold out. Hope you’ll be able to join in with us. Alain