2015-10-15

October 15, 2015

Tesla’s autopilot lets cars drive, change lanes themselves

D. Durbin Oct 14 “Electric car maker Tesla Motors is leapfrogging competitors with a new autopilot system that lets cars change lanes by themselves.

Like other semi-autonomous systems already available from Mercedes, Audi and Volvo, Tesla’s system automatically keeps the car within its lane and maintains a certain distance from the car in front, both at highway speeds and on city streets. It can find a parking spot and parallel park itself. It also uses cameras and sensors to warn drivers about potential side impacts…. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the system is also unique because it will constantly collect data from actual drivers and improve itself. The system will note, for example, how quickly drivers can safely navigate a particular bend in the road or where stop signs are located….

The autopilot update will be added to around 60,000 vehicles worldwide, including Model S sedans made after September 2014 and Model X SUVs. Owners will get the system through a software update starting Wednesday evening in North America…” Read more Hmmmm…. The lane changing is an impressive substantive enhancement! Congratulations Tesla. Alain

No Apple, No Google, No Uber, Oh, My!

R. Lanctot, Oct 6 “ How do you talk about the future of transportation in this day and age without talking about Apple, Google and Uber? Attend the 22nd ITS World Congress in Bordeaux, that’s how…. How do you talk about the future of transportation in this day and age without talking about Apple, Google and Uber? Attend the 22nd ITS World Congress in Bordeaux, that’s how…

Multiple speakers did pay homage to the importance of interoperability. But interoperability does not mean forcing market driven solutions to come to terms with flawed or ill-conceived and outdated solutions conceived by standards-setting bodies. A powerful indication of the disconnection of the ITS community from transportation technology developments throughout the world was the absence of a start-up or developer area on the show floor and the utter lack of interest from the venture capital community. The claustrophilic ITS community has almost completely hemmed itself in and away from market forces …

Sadly, in this scenario, the last resort for the ITS community, working in cahoots with transportation authorities, NGOs and governments, is to reach out for the solution of last resort: The Mandate. This rarely works out well – as in the case of Europe’s hopeless eCall mandate and Brazil’s foundering Contran 245 mandate. Time after time mandated solutions lock old technologies into place hindering future developments…. Read more

Hmmm…Well said. Fortunately my class meets Monday afternoon so I went to Bordeaux only for Richard Bishop’s ITFVHA’15 meeting on Sunday and made it back to Princeton in time for my class. :-) Alain

International Task Force on Vehicle-Highway Automation: 19th Annual Meeting

Oct 4, Bordeaux: Team Photo; listing of important presentations, including Introduction, CityMobil2, AdaptIVe, Ibeo, International Transport Forum, Progress in France, Progress in Netherlands, Progress in UK, Progress in Sweden, Progress in Korea…. Read more

Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Liability for Self-Driving Car Accidents

M. Harris, Oct 12 “…Volvo president Håkan Samuelsson caused a stir earlier this week when he said that Volvo would accept full liability whenever its cars are in autonomous mode. Samuelsson went further, urging lawmakers to solve what he called “controversial outstanding issues” over legal liability in the event that a self-driving car is involved in a crash.

“If we made a mistake in designing the brakes or writing the software, it is not reasonable to put the liability on the customer,” says Erik Coelingh, senior technical leader for safety and driver support technologies at Volvo. “We say to the customer, you can spend time on something else, we take responsibility.”

The takeaway? While carmakers’ promises to accept liability are probably unnecessary, they’re not a signal to steer your old wreck into an autonomous Volvo in the hope of a fat payout. “We do not take responsibility for all potential crashes with a self-driving car,” warns Coelingh. “If a customer misuses the technology or if there is another road user that causes an accident, it’s not we or our customer who are to blame, it’s the third party.” Read more Hmmm… Yup! Alain

Munich Reinsurance America, Inc. launches “Mobility Domain” – part of the company’s enhanced focus on innovation/emerging risks, and as an engine for future growth

Sept 16 Press Release “Munich Reinsurance America, Inc. has launched a Mobility Domain as part of the company’s overall commitment to understanding and developing innovative solutions for emerging risks, and as an engine for future growth.

Why mobility? United Nations projections put the world population at 10 billion by 2056, with more people living in cities and becoming more mobile than ever. Americans? They’re the most mobile of all, traveling more than 15,000 miles a year on average, according to a Siemens report on urban mobility.

The Mobility Domain will focus on establishing strategic partnerships and pilot projects that will enable the company and its clients to develop risk management solutions for the new era of mobility, including such areas as vehicle telematics, shared mobility, crash avoidance systems, and autonomous driving. Over time, these technologies could also help to reduce loss costs in the auto insurance marketplace. …” Read more

Recap from The autonomous car 2015

J. Plunkett, E. Smith “On 24 September 2015, we welcomed over 100 participants to “The autonomous car 2015: Risks and opportunities for the re/insurance industry”. We invite you to have a look at the short summary, presentations, photo gallery and video clip which includes interviews with some of the speakers and event attendees. Read more

Tiny, automated bus experiment begins in Greece

K. Walker, Oct 3 “Four tiny, driverless buses are on trial in the Greek city of Trikala, the first of five European cities to introduce the automated transportation.

The vehicles are part of CityMobil2, an EU-funded research project that is staging tests of automated road transport systems with self-driving buses across Europe. Each bus can carry 10 to 12 passengers along the road at speeds of up to 20 kilometers an hour, around the same speed as a milk float, but faster than a golf buggy. … Read more Hmmmm… CityMobile2 continues to make progress. Alain

Volvo’s Intellisafe Autopilot

Autonomous driving, defined by Volvo Cars Read more

Autonomous cars are headed to Ontario

A. Krok, Oct 14 “Beginning January 1, 2016, the Canadian province of Ontario will be the first to allow self-driving cars to test alongside bleary-eyed commuters and teenagers with something to prove….” Read more

DMV Creates First Public Data Set on Driverless Car Crashes

Oct 14, “ h the release of nine reports, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has created what is likely the first public data set on driverless car crashes in the U.S.

The DMV released all its reports on autonomous vehicle (AV) crashes on Thursday, including details such as vehicle speeds, location and the circumstances of each crash….”Read more Hmmm… Link to list and links to reports. Alain

Peugeot Citroen trials driverless car

C. Russon, Oct 4 “A PROTOTYPE driverless car built by Peugeot Citroen has completed a 325 mile journey from Paris to Bordeaux where it will feature in this week’s Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress. The autonomous car, which uses an array of cameras, radar and sat nav to travel, completed the route without any human intervention. Driving along the motorway the modified Citroen C4 Grand Picasso automatically adjusted its speed and changed lanes to overtake, taking into account other vehicles, speed limits and junctions….”Read more Hmmm…Mercedes, Delphi, now Peugeot Video (Sort of (Only AutoRoute???)) . Alain

EasyMile Brings Driverless Shuttles to Silicon Valley Office Park

EasyMile, a French company that provides shared driverless transportation, announced it has forged a partnership with GoMentum Station, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority’s Concord testing ground for autonomous vehicles. Based on the collaboration, a pilot project is being launched in summer 2016 that will start by bringing two driverless shuttles to Bishop Ranch, an office park in San Ramon, for prototype testing.

The shuttles are designed to take passengers a short distance at low speeds and are meant to compliment already existing public transportation options…“Read more Hmmm…First step beyond CityMobil2. Alain

Some other thoughts that deserve your

Recompiled Old News:

Volvo Cars’ standard safety technology cuts accidents by 28%

Jun 11, 2015, Press Release “One of the most comprehensive scientific studies performed on collision avoidance systems in cars reveals that Volvo Cars’ standard City Safety technology reduces insurance claims for rear-end frontal collisions by 28 percent. Based on real-life accumulated insurance claims data from the Swedish insurers If and Volvia, the study of City Safety performance conclusively reveals the real-life value of auto braking collision avoidance systems.

The main benefit of City Safety is its ability to reduce the incidence of whiplash and other neck-related injuries caused by low-speed traffic accidents. The secondary benefit to Volvo car drivers is a reduction in accident damage to their cars and the costs that this incurs… “Read more Hmmmm… Just the beginning. Alain

Half-baked stuff that probably doesn’t deserve your time:

Committee Releases Draft Proposal to Keep Families Safe on the Road

Oct 3 “ The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), today released a number of staff drafted proposals as part of the committee’s ongoing work to keep families safe on America’s roads. The subcommittee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, October 21, 2015, entitled “Examining Ways to Improve Vehicle and Roadway Safety,” to discuss the proposals and other ideas for improving motor vehicle safety – including measures aimed at manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). …

The staff draft includes proposals to:

Incentivize the adoption of crash avoidance technologies and other connected vehicle technologies that improve roadway safety and fuel efficiency;
Improve recall awareness;
Increase privacy and security protections for motorists; and
Modernize NHTSA for the digital age.

To read the staff draft,click here. Read more Hmmm… Great idea; however, Section 502 on Pages 54-55:

SEC. 502. CREDITS FOR ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

(a) IN GENERAL.—

CREDITS.—Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7521(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

CREDITS FOR ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY.—

APPLICABILITY.—This paragraph applies with respect to any light-duty vehicle, light-duty truck, or medium-duty passenger vehicle that is

(i) manufactured after model year 2018; and

(ii) equipped with (as original equipment)—

(I) at least three advanced automotive technologies; or

(II) one connected vehicle technology

Why wouldn’t aftermarket technologies also qualify?? (only way to really accelerated adoption!) AND, more importantly, why the “or, one connected vehicle technology”?? Guess what the manufacturers will choose, “one” instead of “three” and, to add insult to injury, that “one” (as it seems to be interpreted by the manufacturers) is focused on TravelTainment, not Safety and is actually a major contributor to the “safety problem”. Alain

In California, Electric Cars Outpace Plugs, and Sparks Fly

M. Richtel, Oct 10 “…The push to make the state greener is creating an unintended side effect: It is making some people meaner. The bad moods stem from the challenges drivers face finding recharging spots for their battery-powered cars…The competition has led people to judge one another’s cars and which ones deserve charging priority. Owners of all-electric cars see themselves as most entitled to the chargers, since they have no Plan B. One rung down are “plug-in hybrids,” which use electricity but also can use gas, followed by hybrids, and then two groups for which the owners of pure electric cars reserve particular disdain: gas cars and, perhaps surprisingly, Teslas. (The $100,000 Teslas, as much as three times the cost of other plug-ins, have a range of several hundred miles and so, theoretically, do not need the charge spots.)

Jamie Hull, who drives an electric Fiat, grew apoplectic recently when she discovered herself nearly out of a charge, unable to get home to Palo Alto. She found a charging station, but a Tesla was parked in it and not charging. She ordered a coffee, waited for the driver to return and, when he did, asked why he was taking a spot when he was not charging. She said the man had told her that he was going to run one more errand and walked off. “I seriously considered keying his car,” she said.

Read more Hmmm… Who knew that the “1%” that created the legislation that gave then a subsidy, preferential parking, free electricity and, of course, don’t use the true green mobility: mass transit, would behaved this way. Alain

Google Maps Lands On The Apple Watch: Simpler But Still Smart

A. Maniit Sept 30 “Google has updated the iOS version of its Google Maps app to quietly roll out compatibility with the Apple Watch. Google Maps for the Apple Watch is a simpler version of the app compared to its iterations for smartphones and tablets. It has been designed as more of a companion app to the feature-packed smartphone version, …” Read more Hmmm…The beauty of a map is that it allows the user to Zoom around and discover what is important at the time. The watch simply doesn’t have the real estate to be anything but totally superficial. I guess that I’m just old-school. :-( Alain

C’mon Man! (These folks didn’t get/read the memo)

Calendar of Upcoming Events:

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November 4-6, 2015

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http://www.automatedfl.com/our-efforts/florida-automated-vehicles-summit/

Technix 2016 Envision Automated Transit (EAT) Saturday, January 9th, 2016

9:30 am – 4:00 pm

Kim Engineering Building, University of Maryland

8228 Paint Branch Dr., College Park, MD 20742

Open to the public

http://www.advancedtransit.org/library/news/technix-2016-envision-automated-transit-eat/

Recent Versions of:

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October 08, 2015

US urged to establish nationwide Federal guidelines for autonomous driving

Oct 7 “The US risks losing its leading global position in the development of self-driving cars if it allows a patchwork of varying state laws and regulations to develop, according to Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars.

In a speech to be delivered Thursday at a high level seminar on self-driving cars organized by Volvo Cars and the Embassy of Sweden in Washington DC, Mr Samuelsson will say…

He will urge regulators to work closely with car makers to solve controversial outstanding issues such as questions over legal liability in the event that a self-driving car is involved in a crash or hacked by a criminal third party.

Mr Samuelsson will clearly state Volvo’s position on both of these contentious issues.

He will say Volvo will accept full liability whenever one if its cars is in autonomous mode, making it one of the first car makers in the world to make such a promise.

He will add that Volvo regards the hacking of a car as a criminal offense. ….”Read more

Hmmmm… Fantastic!!! This will really “shake ‘em up”. I’ll be on a panel at this meeting later this morning. Can’t wait!!! This is FANTASTIC!!! Alain See also

“60 Minutes” test-rides Mercedes-Benz self-driving car

Oct 2 “As Google’s driverless cars have logged more then a million miles in the past six years, the rest of the auto industry is racing to keep up. Computer scientist Ralf Herrtwich hits the road with “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker to demonstrate Mercedes-Benz’s most advanced self-driving prototype. Watch the full story Sunday on “60 Minutes.” Watch video and watch 60 minutes on Sunday Oct 4. This is really becoming mainstream. Congratulations Ralf! Alain

As Volkswagen Pushed to Be No. 1, Ambitions Fueled a Scandal

D. Hakim, Sept 26 “…It is not Volkswagen’s first run-in with regulators over emissions. When the United States began regulating tailpipe pollutants in the 1970s, Volkswagen was one of the first companies caught cheating. It was fined $120,000 in 1973 for installing what became known as a “defeat device,” technology to shut down a vehicle’s pollution control systems. This time, it equipped its vehicles with software that was programmed to fake test results, an action the E.P.A. rebuked in 1998, when it reached a $1 billion settlement with truck-engine manufacturers for doing the same thing…..

Cheating on emissions tests solved several issues at once. Not only were drivers rewarded with better mileage and performance, but the automaker also avoided more expensive and cumbersome pollution-control systems. While Volkswagen cheated behind the scenes, it publicly espoused virtue. This, after all, is the company that used one of the largest advertising arenas in the world, the Super Bowl, to run a commercial showing its engineers sprouting angel’s wings.

…Confronted again, Volkswagen continued to maintain that there was a problem with the testers, not the vehicles…Government officials then increased the pressure on the company, threatening to withhold approval for its 2016 Volkswagen and Audi diesel models. According to the E.P.A., that is what forced Volkswagen’s hand. On Sept. 3, a group of senior engineers admitted what the regulators had suspected: …. Read more Hmmm…So UGLY!!! Alain

Automakers Will Make Automatic Braking Systems Standard in New Cars

B. Vlasic, Sept 11 “ Federal regulators said on Friday that 10 automakers had agreed to install automatic braking systems, which use sensors to detect potential collisions, as standard equipment in new vehicles.

But the automakers have not set a timetable for the introduction of the systems, …Anthony Foxx, the transportation secretary, said in a prepared statement that emergency braking technology could reduce traffic deaths and injuries.

“We are entering a new era of vehicle safety, focusing on preventing crashes from ever occurring, rather than just protecting occupants when crashes happen,” Mr. Foxx said….

The 10 companies “will work with I.I.H.S. and N.H.T.S.A. in the coming months on the details of implementing their historic commitment,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement (Same as the DoT Statement.) Read more Hmmm… This is major because the automakers “had agreed…” rather than “the regulators had required…” (although there seems to be a little push-back in that “…had not set a timetable…” We do know that many are now offering these systems at a modest up-sell. So there may actually be substance in the announcement.) What is clear now is that we should all Invest in insurance companies that are creative in insuring these new vehicles!!! They are going to become so profitable! Insurance gets the cash benefit of the technology without having to pay for it!!! Wow!!! Congratulations Warren Buffett. He must have played a role in this. He stands to benefit so much. :-) While trucks are mentioned, (amazing that buses aren’t; DoT is SO BAD!!), they seem very much the stepchild. SO unfortunate! :-( Alain

Google’s Driverless Cars Run Into Problem: Cars With Drivers

M. Richtel & C Dougherty, Sept. 1 “ Google, … has run into an odd safety conundrum: humans.

Last month, as one of Google’s self-driving cars approached a crosswalk, it did what it was supposed to do when it slowed to allow a pedestrian to cross, prompting its “safety driver” to apply the brakes. The pedestrian was fine, but not so much Google’s car, which was hit from behind by a human-driven sedan.

Google’s fleet of autonomous test cars is programmed to follow the letter of the law… Researchers in the fledgling field of autonomous vehicles say that one of the biggest challenges facing automated cars is blending them into a world in which humans don’t behave by the book. “The real problem is that the car is too safe,” said Donald Norman, director of the Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego, who studies autonomous vehicles. “They have to learn to be aggressive in the right amount, and the right amount depends on the culture.”… Read more Hmmm… Much of this is good; however, many of the comments about warning systems being turned off and gaps being too large are a result of poor designs and not the real issue here which is that traffic laws have been written to control human drivers and placed in language that will cause human drivers to achieve the desired behavior most of the time or at the critical times. The law addresses the process to achieve the desired outcome, and not the outcome itself. For example, one might argue that the fundamental objective of a stop sign at an intersection is to ensure that one proceeds through the intersection only at a time when there is no chance of a collision with traffic in the cars traveling in the thru lanes. Because of human information processing limitations coming to a complete stop is the parsimonious way for a human to achieve the desired outcome. (The sight-lines on the approach to the intersection are such that a human driver needs to come to a complete rest so as to be able to “look both ways” and determine that it is safe to proceed.) If, however, the automated technology enables the automated vehicle to determine that it is safe to proceed prior to coming to a complete stop, why should that vehicle be required to come to a complete stop?

Speed limits are also an issue. For many, they have little to do with the maximum “safe” speed and their enforcement is totally whimsical. With automated vehicles we have the opportunity to deliver a safe speed limit which can vary along curves, ramps, time-of-day, school in/out, weather, traffic volume, prevailing conditions, etc.

It would be a shame for the automated driving algorithms to be cloistered by the letters of the existing laws. Each of these traffic laws need to be examined and be re-cast with a view as being implemented explicitly by the automated technology. This may well be the most challenging hurdle facing SmartDrivingCars. Alain

Truck Safety Out of the Box from Autonobox

B Simpson, July 19, 2015 “The premise is promising. Develop and market a plug-and-play, forward-avoidance braking system for the heavy vehicle market that can be installed quickly, upgraded regularly, and even transferred from vehicle to vehicle if necessary.

The Autonobox System essentially is a second braking system for heavy-duty vehicles that addresses the long-standing problem of brakes that overheat after intense use like a panic-stop or sustained use while going downhill…. Read more Hmmm…A viable after-market retro-fit opportunity. Alain

Self-Driving Cars Could Destroy Fine-Based City Government. What’s the Downside?

S. Shackford, July 15 “One of the propelling concepts behind self-driving cars isn’t just innovation for the sake of innovation, leading us to our sci-fi Jetsons future. If successfully implemented, it will make ground travel safer, …Local governments have become increasingly dependent on human screw-ups as a way to raise money. Speeding tickets. DUI citations. Parking violations. Those are all big money-makers for municipalities that could very well go away under a regime of self-driving cars….On top of that, if the theory that self-driving cars will lead people to own fewer cars holds up, revenue from registration fees will drop as well…. Read more Hmmm… No downside here! These have to be one of the most regressive tax systems, just behind lotteries and gambling. Governments deserve it, but will save because they will need way fewer police who now waste way too much of their time enforcing traffic laws. Police have much better things to do. Wins all around; No Downside! Alain

Lipinski Continues Efforts to Keep Cars and Other Transportation Safe from Cyber Attacks in Wake of Fiat Chrysler Recall

July 28 “…These vulnerabilities pose great risks and the federal government must do more to help protect Americans from these risks.”

Late last year, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, originally introduced by Congressmen Lipinski, was signed into law. The Act increases the security of federal networks and information systems, improves the transfer of cybersecurity technologies to the marketplace, trains a cybersecurity workforce, and coordinates and prioritizes federal cybersecurity research and development efforts. Read more Hmmm… Besides protecting we must also prosecute. There has to be bad consequences and not notoriety to those that do the nasty deed. Alain

Center for Automated Road Transportation Safety @ Fort Monmouth is Launched

Monday, July 20, 2015 – “After more than three (3) years of planning and several major meetings the substantive launch the Center for Automated Road Transportation Safety @ Fort Monmouth (CARTS@FM) occurred this week with the establishment of the not-for-profit. (501(c)(6)), New Jersey Corporation. The mission of this Center is to substantially improve safety on our existing conventional roadway infrastructure through the use of inexpensive automated collision avoidance systems installed on individual vehicles operating harmoniously with conventional vehicles throughout most, if not all, existing roadways. The scope of CARTS’s mission is across all modes that utilize the nation’s conventional road system: trucks, buses and cars. .. Read more

Automatic Cars Or Distracted Drivers: We Need Automation Sooner, Not Later

D. Norman 6/4/15 “Imperfect automation, continually getting better? Or distracted drivers, continually getting worse? Choose.

I am fearful of the rapid rush toward full automation and have published numerous articles about the difficulties we will face because of the mismatch of the automation and human behavior. However, I am even more fearful of the rapid rise of distracting devices installed in automobiles, mounted on dashboards, worn on the wrist or body, or carried on seats, pockets, and laps of drivers…Each day seems to bring a new distraction. Heads-up displays (HUDs) that once were aids to minimizing distraction by making it easier for the driver to see navigation aids and speed, are now catching featuritis, that deadly disease which corrupts products….” Read more

Hmmm…. Yup!! Plus more comments from Don… “You might also want to add your traditional sarcasm saying “He saw the light!” or something because up to now, I have been arguing for caution (including my keynote at last years automated Vehicles conference (where I met you) – it’s about to be published in the proceedings. And I have a tech review article about to come out arguing the same caution (except I was just able to add a paragraph saying that all my words of caution are correct, but we still should switch to automation quickly).

The most dangerous part of automated vehicles is when they are partially automated: the better the automation, the less able a person is able to take corrective action. This is a point I have argued for since my early work on aviation safety some 20 years ago but has been part of the human factors literature since long before that (Bainbridge Hmmm…it would not be bad to re-read the 1983 paper.). So we have to skip this stage if at all possible. I have long argued that we should have either all or none. it is the mixture that is dangerous.

Basically, we have not solved the human element yet. By this I mean the pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboards, manually driven cars that will always be an issue. Moreover they will game the system: deliberately ignoring the cars under the assumption that they are programmed not to hit them, so they can do anything they want.

This assumption will both stall traffic, create roadblocks, and also occasionally prove to be false (automated cars cannot overcome the laws of physics).

Another complexity is aggression. Drivers have to be aggressive to get through traffic, but the amount and form of aggression is cultural. Pedestrians behave differently on college campuses (they think they own the place) versus the same people just a few miles away in cities, where they are more lawful. Korean drivers have to be aggressive to merge. And in China or Vietnam or India? Wow.

Milan drivers are the most lawful I have experienced recently, but even they lose their patience.” Alain

Rep. Lipinski Introduces Future Transportation Research and Innovation Act

I. Sancken 03/29/15, “Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) has introduced H.R. 2886, the Future Transportation Research and Innovation for Prosperity (TRIP) Act, to support innovative technologies that have the potential to fundamentally alter mobility in America and beyond.

“Surface transportation used to be rather staid and unimaginative, but today the very concept of ‘mobility’ is being reinvented through research, innovation, and entrepreneurship,” said Rep. Lipinski. “Rapidly advancing automation, connectivity, and information technologies are creating incredible opportunities for transportation innovation. We need to develop innovative ways to improve safety, ease congestion, improve personal mobility, and cut energy use…” Read more Hmmm… Excellent! Alain

MOSI debuts nation’s first driverless vehicle open to public

D. Dangerfield, 6/12/15 “Imagine a vehicle that can drive on its own. On Saturday, the public will be invited to take a ride in one. The new driverless Meridian Shuttle is part of an exhibit that opens at MOSI on Saturday. The vehicle allows up to eight people to ride around the first floor of the museum. Read more Hmmm… It is all about starting. Congratulations! Alain

NTSB Calls for Immediate Action on Collision Avoidance Systems for Vehicles; Cites Slow Progress as Major Safety Issue

6/8/15 “ WASHINGTON – In a report released today, the National Transportation Safety Board outlined the life-saving benefits of currently available collision avoidance systems, and recommended that the technology become standard on all new passenger and commercial vehicles.

“You don’t pay extra for your seatbelt,” said Chairman Christopher A. Hart. “And you shouldn’t have to pay extra for technology that can help prevent a collision altogether.”… Read more Hmmm Yea!!! Finally some semblance of sanity in Washington. Alain

John F. Nash Jr., Math Genius Defined by a ‘Beautiful Mind,’ Dies at 86

E. Goodmay, May 24 “…Dr. Nash and his wife, Alicia, 82, were in a taxi on the New Jersey Turnpike in Monroe Township around 4:30 p.m. when the driver lost control while veering from the left lane to the right and hit a guardrail and another car, Sgt. Gregory Williams of the New Jersey State Police said.

The couple were ejected from the cab and pronounced dead at the scene. The State Police said it appeared that they had not been wearing seatbelts…. Read more

A Beautiful Mind Mathematician John Nash and His Wife Killed in N.J. Car Crash

Hmmm… So tragic!!! What a crying shame!!! So preventable!!! We will miss them :-(

Unfortunately, the NYT and others tried but missed the fundamental point by following up with “Deaths of Math Genius John F. Nash Jr. and Wife Show Need to Use Seatbelts in Back, Experts Say “. Why do we so easily put up with crashes in the first place? It is as if it is OK to go around crashing, just put on a seat belt. Technology is available to avoid crashes, but there isn’t sufficient public policy focus on avoiding crashes to accelerate its adoption and enhancement.

The fundamental problem was that the taxi was not equipped with available automated stability control, lane keeping and collision avoidance systems. This was not an accident, it was a failed public safety policy that refuses to move beyond crash mitigation and its challenged “V2x” initiatives to embrace forthright automated crash avoidance.

Moreover, there is a failed Taxi regulatory structure that doesn’t even hint that taxis should have electronic stability control, automated lane keeping and collision avoidance. What is the purpose of taxi regulation, to keep “Ubers” out of business?

It is time for the nation’s transportation policy to focus intelligence/automation on the vehicle in support of the driver. Hopefully Congress will restructure the pending transportation legislation to focus automated vehicle technologies that actively assist drivers when they make driving mistakes. We are not perfect. We deserve a public safety policy that is more mindful of our imperfections. Policy that isn’t aimed at just warning and scolding us but actively takes over and does the right thing. We, not the infrastructure, are the cause of most of the highway carnage. It is the driver who needs help and our public policy should focus on delivering that help. Alain

The View from the Front Seat of the Google Self-Driving Car

Chris Urmson May 11, 2015 “After 1.7 million miles we’ve learned a lot — not just about our system but how humans drive, too. The most common accidents our cars are likely to experience in typical day to day street driving — light damage, no injuries — aren’t well understood because they’re not reported to police. Yet according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, these incidents account for 55% of all crashes. It’s hard to know what’s really going on out on the streets unless you’re doing miles and miles of driving every day. And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing with our fleet of 20+ self-driving vehicles and team of safety drivers, who’ve driven 1.7 million miles (manually and autonomously combined). The cars have self-driven nearly a million of those miles, and we’re now averaging around 10,000 self-driven miles a week (a bit less than a typical American driver logs in a year), mostly on city streets. In the spirit of helping all of us be safer drivers, we wanted to share a few patterns we’ve seen. A lot of this won’t be a surprise, especially if you already know that driver error causes 94% of crashes.

If you spend enough time on the road, accidents will happen whether you’re in a car or a self-driving car. Over the 6 years since we started the project, we’ve been involved in 11 minor accidents (light damage, no injuries) during those 1.7 million miles of autonomous and manual driving with our safety drivers behind the wheel, and not once was the self-driving car the cause of the accident. … We’ll continue to drive thousands of miles so we can all better understand the all too common incidents that cause many of us to dislike day to day driving — and we’ll continue to work hard on developing a self-driving car that can shoulder this burden for us.” Read more

Hmmm…. MUST reading; HOWEVER, we need much more information to be released, not just a few examples. Please make your data public! We don’t need to know who but we desperately need to know what so that not only Google, but the rest of us can… “…work hard on developing…” SmartDrivingCars “….that can shoulder this burden for us.” Alain

Mailto:alaink@princeton.edu