2015-11-27
November 26, 2015
Inside Faraday Future, the secretive car company chasing Tesla
T. Warren Nov. 19 "...This is the headquarters of Faraday
Future, a young, seemingly well-funded company with an odd
name that hasn't said much about what it's working on. We know
that electric cars are involved, and we know that they're
probably years away from production. In the year and a half
since Faraday's founding, it has transformed this facility
into a bustling corporate campus, stacked with a who's-who
list of poaches from some of California's most prominent tech
companies..
Faraday's cars will be electric, and Sampson suggested that
they will be autonomous. More pointedly, he focused on the
potential for new ownership models that Faraday is
considering. "Uber, for instance, is a new way of traveling, a
new way of getting about. Some people are considering not even
having a car. The cars of the future have got to meet those
needs," he says. Sampson imagines various custom vehicles that
are designed for specific purposes such as a family trip, the
work commute, or Home Depot runs. "I don't have to buy one
compromise vehicle, I can just have use of the perfect model
when I need it, like a subscription service. We now subscribe
to music; we used to buy music."..." [Read mor](http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/19/9761852/faraday-future-car-company-interview-tour-electric-tesla-competitor)e Hmm... Very interesting,
especially the video interview. Faraday may be real and
have legs. See also [Green Car Congress](http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/20151105-ff.html) and [StreetInsider.com](http://www.streetinsider.com/Management+Changes/Senior+Autopilot+Engineer+Said+to+Depart+Tesla+%28TSLA%29+for+Startup+%28MBLY%29/11104730.html)
Alain
US officials signal move toward embracing self-driving cars
J. Prichard, Nov. 24 “Federal transportation officials are rethinking their position on self-driving cars with an eye toward getting the emerging technology into the public’s hands…With the technology’s rapid development, that federal policy is being updated, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Tuesday.
"I want the posture of our agency to be obviously
vigilant on the safety front, but I don't want our
agency to be skittish about innovations that are out
there," Foxx said..." [Read mo](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SELF_DRIVING_CARS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-11-24-18-34-52)[re](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SELF_DRIVING_CARS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-11-24-18-34-52) Hmmm... Although there isn't
much more, could it be that US DoT will finally
realize that automation is the appropriate way
address their primary mission which is
safety and to do it not only with cars, but with
trucks and buses too. While they are at it, they
should also take some interest in
retrofit/aftermarket opportunities if they expect to
reap substantial safety benefits earlier rather than
later. Also, shouldn't all of this be contained in
the emergent re-authorization legislation???? Alain
Technology that could curb truck deaths is mired in DC bureaucracy
J. Edwards, Nov 24, "...earlier this month, the powerful House
Rules Committee refused to consider an amendment to a $325
billion transportation policy bill. The measure proposed by
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia, would have required the
technology on commercial motor vehicles after three
years...."The rules committee decided in its abundant wisdom
that it was not in order," Johnson said. "They don't have to
give a reason."...Rep. Johnson said the months of carnage on
the expressway between Macon and Savannah prompted him to
question why tractor-trailers shouldn't have the same
technology already in cars...."Nothing moves quickly in
Washington,...(except to preserve the
legacy of "connected cars" and "truck platoons")[Read more](http://www.myajc.com/news/news/transportation/technology-that-could-curb-truck-deaths-is-mired-i/npRNN/)Hmmm... Right on!
Even though many of the comments deserve to be in C'Mon
Man! See Bendix [video1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv9UyI2gjlI)
and [video2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtvLVYrsdZI).
Alain
City Planning Needed as 6 out of 10 Global Consumers Expect Driverless Revolution
P. Vanham, Nov 24 "The age of autonomous vehicles is fast
approaching, and city leaders need to take steps to prepare as
the disruptive technology becomes a reality, according to[new survey result](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/WEF_Self-DrivingVehiclesInAnUrbanContext.pdf)s by the [World Economic Forum](http://www.weforum.org/)released
today...As part of a project the World Economic Forum also
conducted interviews with over 20 city policy-makers and
transport authorities from cities such as Dubai, Helsinki, New
York, Amsterdam, Singapore and Toronto about their
expectations for SDVs. The survey showed that most city
authorities believe that applications like shared self-driving
vehicles are coming very quickly and will have the potential
to be the last-mile solution for public transport.
Nevertheless, most cities have yet to integrate SDV technology
into their future mobility plans. "Many cities aren't yet
seeing how the programmes of today, such as car sharing and
smart parking, might provide an essential backbone for shared
self-driving vehicle programmes in the future," said Alex
Mitchell, Head of the Automotive Industry at the World
Economic Forum...." [Read more](https://agenda.weforum.org/news/city-planning-needed-as-6-out-of-10-global-consumers-expect-driverless-revolution/) Hmmmm.... Let alone,
autonomousTaxis (aTaxis) revolutionizing shared-ride mass
transit. Be sure to look at the [WEF Briefing on Self-Driving Vehicles](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/WEF_Self-DrivingVehiclesInAnUrbanContext.pdf) (The "10 insights
that surprised us" are very interesting; especially #6
(sharing aTaxi rides), for which the door is certainly
left open as one would expect that sharing a ride would be
done in conjunction with a high discount. Money is
on the table). Alain
Interview: How Autonomous Vehicles will Transform Fuel Consumption
L. Hayward, Nov 25 "In an exclusive interview, Brad Templeton
of Singularity University discusses the many ways that an
autonomous vehicles will transform our lives, and the ways we
consume energy. Templeton offers specific examples of how the
sharing economy will enable greater efficiency and convenience
in personal transportation"[Watch Video](http://energyfuse.org/videos/interview-how-autonomous-vehicles-will-transform-fuel-consumption/) Hmmm...Well
worth watching. Alain
What happens when cities and states try to prepare for self-driving cars
M. McFarland, Nov 25 ""A technology tsunami." That's
how Richard Biter, assistant secretary of the Florida
Department of Transportation, describes the arrival of
autonomous vehicles."We're designing infrastructure today with
life expectancies of 50, 80, even 100 years into the future,"
Biter said. "Not just Florida but virtually every state needs
to start taking into account what are the factors that we need
to be aware of and what can we do in designing and building
our infrastructure today that will be able to take full
advantage of this technology." ..."[Read more](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/11/25/what-happens-when-cities-and-states-try-to-prepare-for-self-driving-cars/)Hmmm... Yup! Alain
Euro NCAP Puts Autonomous Pedestrian Detection to the Test
Press Release, Nov 10 "European safety organisation Euro NCAP
is introducing a new test that will check how well vehicles
autonomously detect and prevent collisions with pedestrians.
With new vehicles offering more autonomous driver assist
systems, Euro NCAP's Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
Pedestrian tests will make it simpler for consumers and
manufacturers to find out which systems work best. ...[Read more](http://www.euroncap.com/en/press-media/press-releases/euro-ncap-puts-autonomous-pedestrian-detection-to-the-test/) Hmmm... [Please see their video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLU9zdsud17Y1DYndFClb3WYVzsPBNI3Hv&v=FTKxCE5qmQM)Alain
How We Roll: Is America Ready for a Driverless Future?
G. Cherry, Nov 6 “…We’re
fascinated by driverless vehicles – at least in theory. The
most popular videos of Google's driverless cars have scored
tens of millions of views on YouTube. New studies and articles
come out literally every day. And according to a recent
University of Michigan study, a solid majority of Americans
have at least some interest in owning or using a driverless
car."..."
...If a car company says 'We're so confident in our system
that we'll assume the liability for a crash,' that's a
pretty powerful statement," he says. "You've just solved
the liability problem, you've put your money where your
mouth is when it comes to safety and you've also laid out
an attractive marketing proposition. That kind of thing
could really change the game when it comes to consumer
acceptance." [Read more](http://dme.engin.umich.edu/driverlesscars/)Hmmm... Since Volvo
has publicly announced that it "will assume the
liability, the liability problem is solved as well as
the safety problem, so all that stands in the way is
Madison Avenue / Mad Men created nostalgia. Alain
Some other thoughts
that deserve your
The clockspeed dilemma:What does it mean for automotive innovation
G. Silberg, Nov '15 "...The auto industry must reconcile these
two different rates of change. It must act as if it were
simultaneously in two worlds, moving at two different speeds.
To do so is what successful innovation now means. It is
inspiring. Innovation in the current auto space will transform
the very nature of transportation and change people's lives
along the way....Personal miles will soar. Younger and older
age groups are making small changes in their mobility
decisions that will drive big changes in personal miles
traveled... Read more Hmmm... PMT
(Personal Miles Traveled) will increase, increasing
Quality-of-Life (why else would one travel? As we all
know, the only value of travel is to improve one's place
& time utility! We'll just have to share rides, so
that VMT (Vehicle...) will decrease, thus also saving the
planet. Win-win! QED :-) Alain
Volvo Cars to develop next generation automotive technologies with Microsoft
Press Release, Nov 20 "Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, will
work together with Microsoft, the leading platform and
productivity company, to jointly develop next generation
automotive technologies...Areas of future collaboration
between the two companies could include autonomous driving
technologies and the utilization of data generated from
connected cars to create new services..." [Read more](https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/169675/volvo-cars-to-develop-next-generation-automotive-technologies-with-microsoft) Hmmm... Microsoft
following Apple & Google into the Car business???
Interesting, See the imbedded video. (I didn't include
the HoloLens stuff because I'm way to traditional and
conservative :-) )Alain
Hyundai to develop fully autonomous cars by 2030
P. Igluder, Nov 19 "Hyundai Group will develop highly
autonomous vehicle technology by 2020 and fully autonomous
vehicle technology by 2030, Kwon Moon-sik, vice chairman for
R&D at Hyundai and Kia, said during the second annual
Heart Dream consumer event in Seoul on Tuesday.
With Hyundai Motor Group to elaborate in detail on its R&D
budget for the technology, it earlier this year announced
R&D investments of $9.75 billion over the next five years
for future driverless car technology. Included in that amount
is $2 billion on R&D to Kia Motors -- the country's second
largest car maker and affiliate of Hyundai Motor's sister
company -- over the next three years to develop the first of
its new Advanced Driver Assistance system (ADAS) technologies
and to recruit more engineers.... " [Read mor](http://www.zdnet.com/article/hyundai-to-develop-fully-autonomous-cars-by-2030/)e Hmmm... $2B/yr in
R&D; but how much for automation??? Alain
On the More
Technical Side
Of note publications by K. Kockelman and co-authors:
-
Management of a Shared, Autonomous Electric Vehicle Fleet: Implications of Pricing Schemes Proceedings of the 95th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, With Donna Chen.
-
Operations of a Shared, Autonomous, Electric Vehicle (SAEV) Fleet: Implications of Vehicle & Charging Infrastructure Decisions Proceedings of the 95th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (2016), With Donna Chen and Josiah Hanna.
-
Dynamic Ride-Sharing and Optimal Fleet Sizing for a System of Shared Autonomous Vehicles Proc’gs of the 94th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, With Dan Fagnant.
-
A General Framework for Modeling Shared Autonomous Vehicles Proceedings of the 95th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (2016), With Michael Levin, Tianxin Li, and Stephen Boyles.
-
Long-Distance Travel Mode Shifts due to Automated Vehicles Proceedings of the 95th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board,With Jeffrey LaMondia, Dan Fagnant, Hongyang Qu, and Jackson Barrett.
-
Design and Implementation of a Share Autonomous Vehicle System for Austin, Texas Proceedings of the 95th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, With Marc Segal.
-
Valuing the Safety Benefits of Connected and Automated Vehicle Technologies Proceedings of the 95th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, With Tianxin Li.
-
Preparing a Nation for Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities, Barriers and Policy Recommendations for Capitalizing on Self-Driven Vehicles Forthcoming in Transportation
Research Part A (2015). With Dan Fagnant. -
Operations of Shared Autonomous Vehicle Fleet for the Austin, Texas Market Transportation Research Record No. 2536: 98-106 (2015). With Dan Fagnant and Prateek Bansal.
-
Assessing Public Opinions of and Interest in New Vehicle Technologies: An Austin Perspective Proceedings of the 95th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (2016)With Prateek Bansal & Amit Singh.
-
The Environmental Implications of Shared Autonomous Vehicles, Using Agent-Based Model Simulation Transportation
Research Part C 40: 1-13 (2014). With Dan Fagnant.
DeepDriving: Learning Affordance for Direct Perception in Autonomous Driving
C. Chen, A. Seff, A. Kornhauser and J. Xiao.[DeepDriving: Learning Affordance for Direct Perception in Autonomous Driving](http://deepdriving.cs.princeton.edu/paper.pdf) Proceedings of 15th IEEE
International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV2015)
Recompiled Old News
& Smiles:
Rolls-Royce says it invented the driverless car – with a black tie
Oct 22 “Rolls-Royce has an answer that can only come from a luxury marque when asked if it will develop a driverless car. “I think we invented it,” said the company’s Asia Pacific regional director Paul Harris. “With a chauffeur.”…
“So the self-drive car, I’m not sure it’s really going to give you that option. For me, it seems to be an extension of almost buses really – they’re driving around in certain circles and you ask them to stop at point A, you jump on board and get on with people you don’t know and continue your journey.” Read more Hmmm… Seems like RR may have the clearest view of Self-Driving Cars; which is great for the rest of us. :-) . Alain
The Good Wife Season 7, Episode 7 - “Driven”
C. McGuire, Nov 17 ““If the software learns, then it must not know what it needs to learn, right?”
An argument—and a very good one at that—could be made that
The Good Wife, on a macro level, is just one big story
about how life beats you down. That's why when Alicia
Florrick (Julianna Margulies) utters the above line in a
deposition about the perils of trusting a smart car, it
echoes with irony.... [Read mor](http://www.popmatters.com/review/the-good-wife-season-7-episode-7-driven/)e Hmmm.. [See episode](http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_good_wife/video/60757E8C-A352-E673-5B77-03A1885FBF6E/the-good-wife-driven/). Alain
People Are Going to Have a Lot of Sex in Driverless Cars
B. Guarino, Nov 24 “…Will the sex be legal?…“ Hmmm…. I guess I don’t have to encourage you to Read more. Someone finally had to write about this topic. Please, I’m just the messenger here. Alain
Half-baked stuff
that probably doesn't deserve your time:
Laying the Groundwork for Smart, Connected Cities
Oct 21, 2015 “…U.S. DOT’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) has released a white paper that presents a vision of the smart/connected city and lays the groundwork for future research….”Read moreHmmm….The white paper was obsolescent when it was written last year and is obsolete on its release today. Practical use of the connected data requires at least some up-front automated processing in order to make it “smart” (whatever that is). Alain
Self-Driving Cars: A Coming Congestion Disaster?
J. Walker “…This leads to a nightmare scenario that University of Washington’s Mark Hollenbeck laid out in our recent Seattle Times panel. Paraphrasing Mark: A suburban father rides his driverless car to work, maybe dropping his daughter off at school. But rather than park the car downtown, he simply tells it to drive back home to his house in the suburbs. During the day, it runs some other errands for his family. At 3 pm, it goes to the school to bring his daughter home or chauffeur her to after-school activities. Then it’s time for it to drive back into the city to pick up Dad from work. But then, on a lark, Dad decides to go shopping at a downtown department store after work, so he tells his car to just circle the block for an hour while he shops, before finally hailing it to go home …” Read more Hmmm…OK, one “less than stellar” scenario. A more plausible one is that the local mass transit company (or Uber, or ALKaTaxiCorp, or ???) purchases a fleet of these vehicles and manages then efficiently offering an on-demand ride-sharing level-of-service so that the suburban father now only owns a “55 Chevy” to tool around in on weekends while he and his family happily use the new “mass” transit to get to/from where ever. That’s Human Transit! Alain
###
C’mon Man! (These folks
didn't get/read the memo)
###
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/
The Business of Autonomous Vehicles
March 22-23, 2016
Crowne Plaza Hotel,
San Francisco
Airport
Recent
Versions of:
#
###
November 15, 2015
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 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
October 31, 2015
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
October 23, 2015
###
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 moreHmmmm…
[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
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,](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
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](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)
October 02, 2015
###
“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
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](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
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](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
August 28, 2015
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
August 10, 2015
###
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 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
July 31, 2015
###
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 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
July 27, 2015
###
###
###
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
July 3, 2015
###
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](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
June 10, 2015
###
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
May 29, 2015
###
###
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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