2015-11-15
November 15, 2015
Google Driverless Car Is Stopped by California Police for Going Too Slowly
C. Hauser, Nov 13 "...Google's
autonomous test cars are programmed to
follow the letter of the law. But as
The New York [Times reported in September](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/02/technology/personaltech/google-says-its-not-the-driverless-cars-fault-its-other-drivers.html),
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 human drivers don't
behave by the book...."
Read more Hmmm…
Yes, a big challenge is not
operating like humans, but more
with respect to breaking "laws"
rather than operating well within
the "law". In this case, one has
a legitimate opportunity to ask of
Google "why was it going so
slow?" and if it doesn't have the
capability to "keep up" with
legitimately moving traffic should
it be operating on such roads.
Maybe it should be limited to
roads that have a 25 mph limit if
that's all it can do? Also look
at the source:
Mountain View police Blog, Nov 12
"...The officer stopped the car and
made contact with the operators to
learn more about how the car was
choosing speeds along certain roadways
and to educate the operators about
impeding traffic per 22400(a) of the
California Vehicle Code. The Google
self-driving cars operate under the
Neighborhood Electric Vehicle
Definition per 385.5 of the California
Vehicle Code and can only be operated
on roadways with speed limits at or
under 35 mph. In this case, it was
lawful for the car to be traveling on
the street as El Camino Real is rated
at 35 mph.
The Mountain View Police Department
meets regularly with Google to ensure
that their vehicles operate safely in
our community. [Read more](http://mountainviewpoliceblog.com/2015/11/12/inquiring-minds-want-to-know/)
Autopilot – expecting the unexpected
Volvo, Nov 6 "Volvo Cars has announced
details of how its self-driving cars
will help make roads safer for
everyone. Speaking at the
International Driverless Cars
conference in Adelaide, Australia, Dr
Trent Victor, Senior Technical Leader
Crash Avoidance at Volvo Cars Safety
Centre, said that the company's
autonomous cars will 'expect extreme
situations'..." [Read more](http://www.volvocars.com/intl/about/our-innovation-brands/intellisafe/intellisafe-autopilot/news/autopilot-expecting-the-unexpected) Hmmm...
more importantly watch[the video](http://www.volvocars.com/intl/about/our-innovation-brands/intellisafe/intellisafe-autopilot/gallery/autopilot-safety). Also, who owns
the "product-name" "AutoPilot"
Tesla, Volvo, ??? At this point,
none of these should be called
AutoPilot. (and Trimble/ALK owns
"CoPilot" :-) ) Please, someone
come up with a name that doesn't
over-hype this technology so that
consumers have a responsible
expectation of the technology.
Alain
A Preliminary Analysis of Real-World Crashes Involving
###
Self-Driving Vehicles
B. Schoettle & M. Sivak Oct '15 "
...Two important caveats should be
considered when interpreting the
findings. First, the distance
accumulated by self-driving vehicles
is still relatively low (about 1.2
million miles, compared with about 3
trillion annual miles in the U.S. by
conventional vehicles). Second,
self-driving vehicles were thus far
driven only in limited (and generally
less demanding) conditions (e.g.,
avoiding snowy areas). Therefore,
their exposure has not yet been
representative of the exposure for
conventional vehicles..." [Read more](http://www.umich.edu/%7Eumtriswt/PDF/UMTRI-2015-34_Abstract_English.pdf) Hmmm....
Its nice to have the early
information/analysis, but the
caveats are very important. Alain
Toyota Will Establish New Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Company
Press Release Nov 6 “ At a press conference today, Toyota Motor Corporation announced it will establish a new company, Toyota Research Institute Inc. (TRI), as an R&D enterprise with an initial focus on artificial intelligence and robotics. The headquarters will be located in Silicon Valley near Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, U.S.A. A second facility will be located near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. The new company will begin operations in January 2016…. “ Read more Hmmm… Welcome! Alain
Autonomous shuttles in Switzerland
Nov 4 “…Residents and visitors in the small town of Sion in the Canton of Valais may be called on to test a new mode of public transport next year: the driverless shuttle. For the first time in Switzerland, ‘smart’ vehicles capable of holding up to nine passengers are expected to circulate on public roads…” Read more Hmmm….Interesting, but still very much in the planning stage. Alain
Volvo Cars begins first ever Australian tests for kangaroo safety research
Press release, Oct 29, “Volvo Cars is developing kangaroo detection technology to solve one of the most costly causes of traffic collisions in Australia.
A team of Volvo Cars safety experts
travelled to the Australian Capital
Territory this week to film and
study the roadside behaviour of
kangaroos in their natural habitat.
The data Volvo Cars collects will be
used to develop the first ever
kangaroo detection and collision
avoidance system. According to the
National Roads & Motorists'
Association (NRMA) there are over
20,000 kangaroo strikes on
Australian roads each year costing
over AU $75 million in insurance
claims. The human cost of serious
injuries and fatalities from animal
collisions is incalculable..." [Read more](https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/168841/volvo-cars-begins-first-ever-australian-tests-for-kangaroo-safety-research) Hmmmm...
Again emphasizing the importance
of "localization". Google
addresses cattle crossings,
Volvo: Kangaroos; in Princeton
and many other places: Deer and
in New Hampshire and Canda:
Elk. These are VERY important.
Alain
Hyundai Motor set to unveil autonomous car next month
Nov 8 “… Hyundai plans to roll out the latest version of its Genesis luxury sedan equipped with the so-called highway driving assist (HDA) system… is designed to keep a car within the lane, maintain a safe distance from the car ahead and provide a navigation-connected system that gives warnings of maximum and minimum speeds on highway sections. Read more Hmmm… Continuing to play hard to catch-up with the club.
Alain
Residents and visitors in the small town of Sion in the Canton of Valais may be called on to test a new mode of public transport next year: the driverless shuttle. For the first time in Switzerland, ‘smart’ vehicles capable of holding up to nine passengers are expected to circulate on public roads.
Read more at: [http://phys.org/news/2015-11-autonomous-shuttles-switzerland.html#jCp](http://phys.org/news/2015-11-autonomous-shuttles-switzerland.html#jCp)
Ford’s Skipping the Trickiest Thing About Self-Driving Cars
A. Davies, Nov 10 "...Ford wants to
skip Level 3 because it presents the
one of the biggest challenges with
this technology: How to safely
transfer control from the computer to
the driver, particularly in an
emergency. It's a balancing act, one
that requires providing drivers with
the benefits of autonomy—like not
having to pay attention—while ensuring
they are ready to grab the wheel if
the car encounters something it can't
handle....[Read more](http://www.wired.com/2015/11/ford-self-driving-car-plan-google/#slide-7) Hmmm...
But Level 3 ("The Ultimate Texting
Machine") is what I really want to
buy! (Level 2 Insurance buys for
me and Level 4 is bought by aTaxi
fleet operators) Alain
Driverless electric shuttles are coming to cities around the world
D Muoio Nov 9 “Citymobil2 — a pilot program for automated transportation systems funded by the European Union — is working to bring driverless, electric shuttles to different parts of the world, with its latest shuttle launch occurring in Greece. …” Read more and nice video.
The largest property developer in China is making its own driverless cars See video (bottom of page)
Japan may widen millimeter-wave radar band for self-driving vehicles
”…A wider frequency band is believed to improve the accuracy of automated driving, while a unified band adopted by Japan, the United States and European nations will enable automakers to use technologies in all of the nations without requiring region-specific modifications…. participants will discuss widening the 77-81 gigahertz band, which can detect obstacles within 100 meters, the sources said. The United States and Europe have not implemented such an expansion….” Read more Hmmm..
This is important. Alain
Autonomous Vehicles Vs. Helping Humans Drive Better
T. Claburn, Oct 29 “…For automakers, creating self-driving cars may be an appealing technical challenge, but creating better-driving cars is a more attainable goal….” Read more Hmmm…
Yes! Do that well and the rest
will easily follow. Alain
A ROADMAP TO SAFER DRIVING
Boston Consulting Group, Sept ‘15 “…Relatively few vehicles on the road today have these systems, however, and their penetration of the market is growing at only two to five percent annually. This is a significant missed opportunity, especially considering that ADAS technologies pave the way to partially and fully autonomous vehicles, which could reduce accidents—and their cost to society—by 90 percent or more… Readmore Hmmm…. Yes! Very nice report encouraging
ADAS. Alain
Some other
thoughts that deserve your
Google Just Open Sourced TensorFlow, Its Artificial Intelligence Engine
C. Mertz, Nov 9, "...The app uses an
increasingly powerful form of
artificial intelligence called deep
learning. By analyzing thousands of
photos of gravestones, this AI
technology can learn to identify a
gravestone it has never seen before.
The same goes for cats and dogs, trees
and clouds, flowers and food...." [Read more](http://www.wired.com/2015/11/google-open-sources-its-artificial-intelligence-engine/?utm_source=udacity&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20151112_Sebastian%20ML%20Announcement) Hmmmm...
And we think it can identify the
salient features of the driving
environment to provide an elegant
algorithm for autonomous driving.
These tools will allow more of us
to contribute to contribute to the
development of SmartDrivingCars.
Alain
Cutting Edge News of the World’s Transitioning Mobility Markets
L. Fabian Nov 2 Edition " Market
Conditions, Project Initiations,
Airports, Driverless Metros, ..." Read
more Hmmmm... ace lots would be
available for commercial or
residential development or green
space.?..." [Read more](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/TP_PLUS_Fabian110215.pdf) Hmmm...Subscribe
: [Lfabian@gmail.com](mailto:Lfabian@gmail.com)
Alain
AeroMobil
Website Nov 2015 “…AeroMobil is a flying car that perfectly makes use of existing infrastructure created for automobiles and planes, and opens doors to real door-to-door travel. As a car it fits into any standard parking space, uses regular gasoline, and can be used in road traffic just like any other car. As a plane it can use any airport in the world, but can also take off and land using any grass strip or paved surface just a few hundred meters long. Read more Hmmm…What
may be even more interesting here
would be the automation of the
whole package (and its expansion
to possibly 4 seats) such that it
could become a much longer range
autonomousTaxi operating between [5,194 US airports with a paved runway](http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_03.html)
This would revolutionize short
range air travel by allowing for
the creation of demand-responsive
service and addressing air
travel's current "last 50-mile"
problem. Alain
The Dream Life of Driverless Cars
G. Manaugh, Nov 11 "...What they hoped
to scan was not just the shape of the
city streets but the inner life of the
autonomous cars that may soon come to
dominate them... [Read more](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/magazine/the-dream-life-of-driverless-cars.html?_r=0) and see video
City of the Future
National League of Cities “Mobility options are fundamental to providing a robust platform for economic activity and human interaction within the urban environment. Today, rapid technological advances coupled with shifts in demographics and public preferences are dramatically altering the nature of transportation in America’s cities. Technology’s ever-growing impact has profound and far-reaching implications for the future of urban mobility. Read more Hmmm… No kidding! Alain
Here’s What Tesla Autopilot Sees (w/Video)
S. Hanley, Nov. 8 “Tesla’s Version 7.0 firmware that enables its Autopilot suite of autonomous driving functions has been out for several weeks. We know it uses an array of sensors to gather data about its surroundings. To start with, every car built since October, 2014 has both a forward looking radar and camera. The car also gets GPS data constantly and has an array of 12 ultrasonic sensors that scan all around the car in real time out to a distance of 16 feet…. Read more, see video.
AIG Invests $4 million with Clemson University to establish Risk Engineering and Analytics Center;
P. Alongi, Oct 29 "American
International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG)
today announced an initial $4 million
investment with Clemson University to
develop a risk engineering and
analytics center and to establish the
Robert Benmosche Endowed Professorship
in Risk Engineering and Systems
Analytics, in honor of the company's
former president and chief executive
officer...." [Read more](http://newsstand.clemson.edu/mediarelations/aig-invests-4-million-with-clemson-university-to-establish-risk-engineering-and-analytics-center-endows-robert-benmosche-professorship-in-honor-of-former-ceo/) Hmmm...
Very interesting! Alain
Alibaba Tops Singles’ Day Sales Record Despite Slowing China Economy
G. Wong, Nov 11 “Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. reported a blockbuster $14.3 billion in sales during China’s Singles’ Day online shopping festival Wednesday, further highlighting the resilience of the Chinese consumer despite a flagging economy. … Read more Hmmm…. This is impressive! Alain
Cars Talk to Cars on the Autobahn
P. Ross Nov 10 “…“This is the first demonstration of car-to-car communication via a high-speed cellular connection with near-5G performance,” Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s minister of transport and infrastructure, said in a statement. The experiment was conducted on the recently inaugurated Digital A9 Motorway Testbed, a segment of an autobahn in Bavaria, southern Germany…” Read more Hmmm… And now even more driver distractions on the Autobahn. Good idea??? Alain
Recompiled Old
News & Smiles:
Courtesy of D. Maynudes: Tesla approach to AutoPilot?
Half-baked stuff
that probably doesn't deserve
your time:
Why Self-Driving Cars Must Be Programmed to Kill
Oct 22 "Self-driving cars are
already cruising the streets. But
before they can become widespread,
carmakers must solve an impossible
ethical dilemma of algorithmic
morality. ..." [Read mor](http://www.technologyreview.com/view/542626/why-self-driving-cars-must-be-programmed-to-kill/?utm_source=CB+Insights+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f7153711f1-UnicornAnniversary_11_01_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9dc0513989-f7153711f1-87117709&goal=0_9dc0513989-f7153711f1-87117709)e Hmmm... Wait a
minute: If something is
"impossible" and "must" be done,
then we should quit now. Alain
Mysterious billion-dollar car company is taking on Tesla
Nov 6, “…Despite the fact the car company has close to 500 employees, no one really knows anything about the car they’re making aside from the fact it’s completely electric and will be packed with connected-car features…” Read moreHmmm…“Connected-car
features"??? Maybe they
didn't get the memo? Alain
###
C’mon Man! (These folks didn’t get/read
the memo)
Reality Check: It Wasn’t Tesla’s Autopilot That Prevented Crash in Viral Video
J Bartlett, Oct 30 “A recent viral video purporting to show how Tesla’s new Autopilot software helped a driver avoid an accident underscores that there is confusion about how advanced safety systems work and what they actually do.
In that dramatic video, a dash
camera shows the Tesla Model S
motoring alongside a lane of stopped
traffic at night, when a car coming
from the other direction turns into
the path of the Tesla. In the
YouTube title, the driver says
Autopilot deserves credit for
avoiding the accident, as the
description explains that he didn't
see the car coming nor have his foot
on the brake. However, the reality
is that forward-collision warning
with automatic braking is the hero—a
feature that many brands offer
across the price spectrum... " [Read more](http://www.consumerreports.org/cars/reality-check-wasnt-tesla-autopilot-that-prevented-crash-in-viral-video) Hmmm....
Amazing the lengths that Tesla
goes to hype itself. [Tesla: C'mon Man](https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=c%27mon+man&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001) Alain
Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak’s Vision for Cars in Just 20 Years: ‘No Human Drivers Will Be Allowed’
L. Klimas, Nov 3 “…“Self driving cars is the biggest technology for the future,” said Wozniak during his keynote at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo at the Gold Coast….”In 20 years, no human drivers will be allowed except for the young kids at Disneyland.”…“ Read more Hmmm.. Steve, C’mon Man! There are still horse and buggies on Pennsylvania roads. Please! Alain
###
Calendar
of Upcoming Events:
##
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:
#
###
Port Authority Unanimously Approves $10 Billion Plan to Replace Bus Terminal
A Siff, Oct 22
"The Port
Authority of
New York and
New Jersey has
unanimously
approved an
estimated $10
billion plan
to replace the
existing
65-year-old
bus terminal.
The plan
approved
Thursday
includes an
international
design
competition.
The final
design will be
picked in
September." [See Video](http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/NYC-Port-Authority-Bus-Terminal-Replaced-Plan-Board-Meeting-Vote-335720501.html)
Hmmm... This
is great, but
since it will
not be
finished for
15 years, it
better be
designed with
SmartDrivingBuses
in mind. In
fact, [20 years ago, Lou Pignataro and I envisioned](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/FtMonmouth/alain%27s%20ahs%20xbl%20Pro%2010-95.pdf)
that today's
longitudinal
and lateral
control
systems could
readily allow
a 50% increase
in the
capacity (from
a current max
of 700 to
1,050
buses/hr) of
the
Counter-flow
Exclusive Bus
(XBL)
lane/Lincoln
Tunnel if only
the PA Bus
Terminal could
accommodate
the additional
buses. This
enable an
additional
17,500 seated
passengers per
hour to
commute from
NJ to NYC, a
volume that is
essentially
equivalent to
what a new
rail tunnel
would
provide.
Hopefully, the
PANY&NJ
accommodate
such a service
improvement
when they
design and
build this new
bus terminal.
Alain
###
Should Autopilot Cars Be Required To Pass Driving Tests?
J. Gorzelany
Oct 22, "Every
state in the
union requires
motorists to
pass a battery
of tests in
order to be
licensed, so
why not
self-driving
vehicles?
That's a
notion
recently
discussed in a
white paper
written by
Michael Sivak
and Brandon
Schoettle of
the University
of Michigan's
Transportation
Research
Institute..."
[Read more](http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2015/10/22/should-autopilot-cars-be-required-to-pass-driving-tests/Hmmmm)Hmmmm... [See the UofM white paper: Should We Require Licensing ...](http://www.umich.edu/%7Eumtriswt/PDF/UMTRI-2015-33_Abstract_English.pdf).
Of course!
The question
is now, what
should that
test be?
Should it
simply be the
same test as
administered
today, but
with the car
doing it as
opposed to the
human (that
means the
automated car
is empty
except the
examiner
riding shotgun
barking out
instructions)
or is it a
progressive
exam coupled
with a well
defined set of
conditions
under which
the automated
functionalities
are
"engage-able"
(For example:
NJ Turnpike
Southbound
between
mileposts X
and Y, in
lanes 2 and 3
of the "truck
barrel"
between
sunrise and
sunset,
without heavy
rain, sleet,
snow or fog;
etc.) or ???
as in the
report.
Alain
###
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](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O05htLHWuE)
Hmmmm....
Well worth
watching. As
well as Video1, [Video2,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yCAZWdqX_Y) [Video 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrwxEX8qOxA), [Video4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY9oeCa4ATw),
[Video@night](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYBV9Dqmsxs):-)
Alain
###
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](https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/167975/us-urged-to-establish-nationwide-federal-guidelines-for-autonomous-driving)
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](http://www.popsci.com/volvo-on-self-driven-car-liability-i-volunteer)
###
“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](http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/60-minutes-test-rides-mercedes-benz-self-driving-car/) and
watch 60
minutes on
Sunday Oct 4.
This is really
becoming
mainstream.
Congratulations
Ralf! Alain
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](http://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/22/us/record-penalty-likely-against-diesel-makers.html)
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](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljI2S7rwZ1Y%20)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](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/business/as-vw-pushed-to-be-no-1-ambitions-fueled-a-scandal.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0)
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](http://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-dot-and-iihs-announce-historic-commitment-10-automakers-include-automatic-emergency) 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](http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/nhtsa-iihs-commitment-on-aeb-09112015) (Same
as the DoT
Statement.) [Read more](http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/09/12/business/automakers-will-make-automatic-braking-systems-standard-in-new-cars.html) 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](http://www.driverlesstransportation.com/truck-safety-out-of-the-box-from-autonobox-9450) 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](https://reason.com/blog/2015/07/15/self-driving-cars-could-destroy-fine-bas) 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
police 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 Attacksin Wake of
[Fiat Chrysler Recall](http://www.wsj.com/articles/fiat-chrysler-recalls-1-4-million-vehicles-amid-hacking-concerns-1437751526)
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 mor](http://www.lipinski.house.gov/press-releases/lipinski-continues-efforts-to-keep-cars-and-other-transportation-safe-from-cyber-attacks-in-wake-of-fiat-chrysler-recall/)e 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](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/FtMonmouth/NJCARTS/PressRelease_CARTS@FM.pdf)
###
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](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2886/text),
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](http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/la-grange/community/chi-ugc-article-rep-lipinski-introduces-future-transportatio-2015-06-29-story.html#page=1) 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](http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20150608b.aspx) 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](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/25/science/john-nash-a-beautiful-mind-subject-and-nobel-winner-dies-at-86.html)
See also: [John, Alicia Nash Remembered After Fatal Crash](http://www.towntopics.com/wordpress/2015/05/27/john-alicia-nash-remembered-after-fatal-crash/)
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](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/26/nyregion/deaths-of-math-genius-john-f-nash-jr-and-his-wife-show-need-to-use-seatbelts-in-back-experts-say.html)
". 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 the highway carnage. It is the driver who needs help and our public policy should focus on delivering that help. Alain
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