2015-10-19

October 19, 2015

Self-Driving Cars Are Coming Right For Us

Stephen C. Oct 16 “… It seems like every billionaire with a tech company is working on a self-driving car, so they’re coming whether you like it or not…” See Video Hmmmm….

Well worth watching. As well as Video1, Video2, Video3, Video4, Video@night :-) Alain

Tesla’s Cars Now Drive Themselves, Kinda

M. McHugh Oct 14 “TONIGHT, TESLA MAKES its cars autonomous. Well, semi-autonomous. And it did it with an over-the-air update, effectively making tens of thousands of cars already sold to customers way better.

There are two things to talk about here. There’s the small story about the features and what the upgrade actually looks like and how it works. That’s a good place to start: This is the biggest change to the visual display of the Model S and X ever. There are new instrument panels, app windows are larger and take up more of the 17-inch touchscreen. Drivers will now get more information about what their cars are doing when in Autopilot, they can lock and unlock their car from the status bar. There’s a new clock!..” Read more

How human nature could foil Tesla’s new autopilot

M. McFarland, Oct 16 “When Tesla owners activate their car’s new autopilot feature, a warning appears in a small box at the bottom of the dashboard: Always keep your hands on the wheel. Be prepared to take over at any time”….

Early signs indicate that it’s wishful thinking to expect Tesla drivers to keep their hands on the wheel. You can already find plenty of videos of drivers on YouTube cruising around without holding the wheel. Perhaps ironically, tech reporters given early access to test the technology have been some of the worst offenders.” Read more Hmmmm… All part of getting started. We are going to need to get through this early phase. (No other way to get to a later phase!) Alain

Tesla Autopilot First Ride: Almost as Good as a New York Driver

R. Sorokanich, Oct 15 “We got to take a brief spin behind the wheel of Tesla’s new semi-autonomous Autopilot feature in the thick of New York City traffic…..” Read more

Mercedes-Benz’s self-driving big-rig proves that autonomous vehicles are coming sooner than we think

B. Logan, Oct 6 “A Mercedes-Benz big-rig just made history by driving itself on a public road. It’s the first time a production-model big-rig has been driven semi-autonomously in traffic, on an open highway. …” Read more

Some other thoughts that deserve your

A. J. Swoboda, Oct. 2015 “…while others search for next-generation physical technologies to solve this modern transportation problem, an effective solution may be possible with current technology on existing infrastructure – dynamic ridesharing. Using highly-detailed data of all Taxi & Limousine Commission trips taken in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs of New York City during 2013 as a proxy for on-demand, personal, door-to-door transportation demand of NYC, this research examines characteristics of the current system and investigates how various ridesharing policies could perform if they were implemented as an enhancement to the existing system. … Read more

NEW ALLSTATE POLL FINDS AMERICANS MOSTLY EMBRACE DIGITAL REVOLUTION

Oct 1, 17 “The 24th quarterly Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll asked Americans across the country how technology is reshaping their lives. The poll explored how in many cases the Digital Revolution has made their lives easier, and how, in some areas, it has given Americans cause for concern….Driverless cars are viewed positively by one-in-four (24 percent) and negatively by 38 percent.” Read more See also The Atlantic Hmmmm… We have a “way to go” to get the public buy-in, but given that it is completely hypothetical at this point (essentially no one has ridden in a car when the driver wasn’t steering), the 24 percent positive is a good basis to work from. Alain

Traveler Needs & UK Capability Study

TSC-IN-Oct15-V01 Oct 2015, “…found the UK traveller to be progressive and ready for new developments in mobility:

■ 53% always look for ways to optimise their journeys.

■ 72% have smartphones – 54% of which already consider it essential to their travel experience.

■ 57% would not mind sharing their data for better services and 32% would share their possessions with others.

■ 39% would consider driverless cars today.

■ 31% of journeys made today in the UK would not have been made if alternative means were available that did not necessitate physical travel (i.e. ‘virtual mobility’) … “Read more Hmmmm… Interesting. Alain

White House honors UMTRI’s James Sayer for innovation in transportation

Oct 15, “UMTRI’s James Sayer will be honored at the White House this week for his leadership in advancing connected and automated transportation. Sayer, a research scientist at UMTRI and deployment director for the U-M Mobility Transformation Center,…” Read more Hmmmm… Congratulations Jim! Alain

Jaguar Land Rover and EPSRC announce £11 million autonomous vehicle research programme

Press release, Oct 9, “…The research, which will take place at ten UK universities and the Transport Research Laboratory, was announced today by Secretary of State for Business, Sajid Javid during a visit to Jaguar Land Rover’s facility at Gaydon in Warwickshire.

As part of its strategic partnership with Jaguar Land Rover, EPSRC issued a joint call for research proposals that focussed on developing fully autonomous cars: Towards Autonomy - Smart and Connected Control (TASCC)…” Read more

Introducing Schlep: The Uber Run By Jewish Mothers

T Gildin “…Introducing, Schlep: the first on-demand car service that uses “Jewish Geography” navigation. Rather than having a driver who doesn’t speak English or has little to say, Schlep provides a nice Jewish mother to chew your ear off until you get to your final destination…” Read more See video Hmmmm… Just for fun (and if you need something to eat, See video i-Shiva). Alain

Recompiled Old News:

Infineon CEO Says Robot Cars Will Drive Semiconductor Demand

P. Singer “…Speaking in a keynote address at SEMI’s Semicon Europa’s Fab Manager’s Forum in Dresden, Germany, Ploss outlined the “drivers” behind the evolution of robot cars and autonomous cars and what we might expect in terms of semiconductor requirements. Ploss expects a slow evolution to fully autonomous cars, but eventually the experience may be no different than what stepping into an elevator and pushing a button is like today…

In terms of added semiconductor content, Ploss said a partially automated car will have about $100 in added in semiconductor content (today’s cars already have about $330 in semiconductor content. A highly automated car would have $400 added and a fully automated would have about $550 (Figure 3)…” Read more

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

Mercedes-Benz Releases ‘Back To The Future’-Inspired Videos Of Driverless F 015

S. Killebrew, Oct 16, “ The luxury automaker released three short clips of the “Back to the Future”-inspired videos on Mercedes-Benz TV with the caption, “The F 015 Luxury in Motion spot Reveal. Happy Back to the Future Day.” …” Read more, See Videos 1, 2 Hmmm… One vision of the future ??? Alain

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

Calendar of Upcoming Events:

November 4-6, 2015

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:

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

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 of 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

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

Oct 2 “As Google’s driverless cars have logged more than 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

September 26, 2015

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

September 14, 2015

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

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

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

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

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