2016-03-17
U.S. DOT and IIHS announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles
Press Release, Mar 17, NHTSA & IIHS "announced
today a historic commitment by 20 automakers
representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto
market to make automatic emergency braking a
standard feature on virtually all new cars no later
than NHTSA's 2022 reporting year, which begins Sept
1, 2022. Automakers making the commitment are Audi,
BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda,
Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda,
Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche,
Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen and
Volvo Car USA. The unprecedented commitment means
that this important safety technology will be available to more
consumers more quickly than would be possible
through the regulatory process...The
commitment takes into account the evolution of AEB
technology. It requires a level of functionality
that is in line with research and crash data
demonstrating that such systems are substantially
reducing crashes, but does
not stand in the way of improved capabilities
that are just beginning to emerge.
The performance measures are based on real world
data showing that vehicles with this level of
capability are avoiding crashes..[Watch NHTSA video on AEB](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Src2jhS4wcA) [Download AEB video from IIHS](https://www.hightail.com/download/ZWJVbGtNR3NrWTg4RmNUQw) [Read more](http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/nhtsa-iihs-commitment-on-aeb-03172016) Hmmmm...Fantastic!
Automakers leading with regulatory process
staying out of the way. Alain
Hands Off: The Future of Self-Driving Cars
Hearings, Mar 15, "...The hearing will explore
advancements in autonomous vehicle technology and
its anticipated benefits for Americans. Witnesses
have been asked to testify on their continued
efforts to develop automated vehicles, their views
on the appropriate role of government in promoting
innovation including removing unnecessary hurdles,
and their strategy to grow consumer adoption of this
new technology....Watch archived webcast attached to
the page as well as read the [majority](http://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?Id=C1BE704F-8D6B-43C6-B472-858C6B457E86&Statement_id=7CBB2815-83AE-4969-A5B0-E60FC2267C78)
and [minority](http://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?Id=C1BE704F-8D6B-43C6-B472-858C6B457E86&Statement_id=3EF95145-1164-4035-A116-31EAC783736E)
statements " [Read more](http://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2016/3/hands-off-the-future-of-self-driving-cars)Hmmmm...No
where near enough discussion about the real
impact on Commerce and Quality of Life.
Alain
Bus Passengers Deserve a Safe Ride
Editorial, Mar 14, "Buses are the only affordable
way many Americans can travel between cities. That
makes it urgent that the Obama administration do
more to make sure passengers arrive safely...." [Read more](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/14/opinion/bus-passengers-deserve-a-safe-ride.html?ref=opinion&_r=0) Hmmmm.... While
this editorial is focuses on the inter-city bus
industry the same and more is of concern with
intra-city bus transit (and school buses).
Intra-city ....Buses are the only
affordable way many Americans can travel ... within cities. and these
are unsafe. A recent paper by J. Lutin et al
reported that the US Bus Transit systems spent
almost $500M settling liability claims resulting
from accidents. When divided by the total US Bus
Fleet size (not the number of buses involved in
accidents) that translates into an annual
liability exposure of $6,300. per bus! That is
a hard top-line cash expense that is paid by a
heavily subsidized industry and allocated to
each and every bus. (And the $6,300 doesn't
include expenses that are incurred but not
reported to the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) that likely double that liability. And,
not included are the societal economic (pain
& suffering) costs associated with each
crash.) What is unfortunate is that automated
collision avoidance technology exist today that
could likely cut in half those crashes and their
associated liability and economic cost.
Moreover, these technologies have RoIs that are
less than 1/4 of a bus service life. If such
technologies were included in the specifications
for the 1,000 buses that NJ Transit is about to
buy, they would each end up printing money
(~$3,150/bus/yr) for NJ Transit for 3/4 of their
service lives (8-10 years; ~$30M for the
new fleet. that's a substantial print run!).
Plus all of the deaths, injuries and human
suffering associated with those avoided crashes
would be captured for free. But NO!! NJ transit
doesn't see it. FTA doesn't see it. In fact 3
years ago FTA. declined to fund a my University
research proposal that would have prepared the
Transit industry to adopt these safety features
and print the money. Yes, I am angry! :-(
Since FTA refuses to lead, then Amalgamated
Transit Union (ATU) and Occupational Safety
& Health Administration (OSHA) should be
demanding these technologies to improve the
workplace of bus drivers and the safety of those
they serve. Alain
Cities Should Start Testing Autonomous Transit: Planner
B. Simpson, Mar. 12, “Cities should begin testing (SAE) Level 5 autonomous vehicles now in last mile/first mile transit applications to stay ahead of the coming changes brought by driverless technology, according to Grush Niles Associates, a transportation planning consultant.
Implementing Level 5 transit on an incremental,
application-by-application basis will help it to
expand and spread as demand grows,...
...[Grush](http://endofdriving.org/about-grush-niles-associates/)
calls his approach Transit Leap, where
"public-use, robotic, shared-mobility
applications" will encourage consumers to shift to
transit and away from single-owner cars... [Read more](http://www.driverlesstransportation.com/grush-transit-autonomous-12647-12647), See Also [Getting past the hype](http://endofdriving.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/What-Gartner%E2%80%99s-Technology-Hype-Cycle-teaches-us-about-the-autonomous-vehicle.pdf) Hmmmm...Sounds like a
plan!! Alain
A $20,000 Self-Driving Vehicle Hits the Road
J. Stoll, Mar 13, "As auto makers offer these option
packages for as low as $1,800, they are being
snapped up faster than electrified vehicles... The
Obama administration has proposed spending $4
billion to accelerate autonomous-car technology
during the next decade. For $20,440, you can get a
Honda capable of driving itself pretty well on a
highway today.
Honda Motor Co. is releasing automated safety
features on its entry-level vehicle Civic LX sedan,
a step that takes some of the most sophisticated
technology on the market available and makes it
accessible to significantly more buyers, including
younger one..." [Read more](http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-20-000-self-driving-vehicle-hits-the-road-1457913797) Hmmmm.... While
"snapped up faster than electric vehicles" is
not a very high bar, it is being achieved
without any public sector (aka Washington)
encouragement or incentives (we should be
careful what we wish for) and the insurance
industry has yet to weigh in. The [hockey stick](http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/hockey-stick-chart.asp) is forming! Alain
WSP | PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF RELEASES PRIMER FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON RESPONDING TO DRIVERLESS VEHICLES
Press release, Feb. 24, "...has released a guide for
state, regional and local government officials in
responding to the infrastructure and policy changes
that the advent of driverless vehicles will
require...he guide, titled "Driving Towards
Driverless: A Guide for Government Agencies," was
researched and written by Lauren Isaac.."Driverless
vehicles have the potential to change all aspects of
mobility – from driver safety and insurance
liability to car ownership and how Americans
commute—and could disrupt both public and private
transportation as we know it," said Ms. Isaac.
"Driverless vehicles will likely have a huge impact
on our future; however, it is the government's
actions (now and in the future) that will determine
how they are integrated into society and if the
impacts are largely positive or negative. The intent
of this guide is to outline the role of government
in the integration of driverless vehicles in society
and present the information that local and regional
governments need to inform planning and
decision-making, now and in the future."... [Read more](http://www.wsp-pb.com/en/WSP-USA/Who-we-are-USA/Newsroom/News-Releases/2016/WSP--Parsons-Brinckerhoff-Releases-Primer-for-Government-Officials-on-Responding-to-Driverless-Vehicles/), especially [the actual report](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/PB_DrivingTowardsDriverless.pdf)
Hmmmm...I almost put this in "half baked"
because, it seems to fundamentally believe: "..
the government's actions that will
determine...". As with the conventional
automobile at the beginning of the 20th
century, this is a market/private sector
play. The economic forces and business
cases are simply too strong (which aren't
even mentioned in the report). This
is not a Transit "welfare" play. Once again it
will be government trying to play catch-up
following and supporting the industry as it did
with the auto industry's run-up to our current
societal land-use situation. It will be business
cases that will determine where we end up
between the Driverless Nightmare and Driverless
Utopia. I happen to think that this time the
private sector forces end up much closer to
Utopia :-) Alain
At SXSW, a Future Dedicated to Autonomous Vehicles
K. Pryor, Mar 14, “The future is here, and not surprisingly, it was all over SXSW Interactive. One of the biggest trends we saw at SXSW was conversations and exhibitions around autonomous vehicles. Now, we know that companies and researchers have been testing self-driving cars for a while, but it seems that we’re getting ever closer to the day when normal people like us will be able to buy them.
Over the five days of SXSW Interactive, there were
eight sessions on autonomous vehicles and at least
ten others that brought them into the conversation
in some way. Google's Chris Urmson was also on
hand to [give insight](http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/google-exec-explains-crash-caused-by-autonomous-vehicle-ar172740.html) as to what it was like to build the
world's first fully self-driving car.
A lot of the sessions on autonomous vehicles
focused on how this technology will change us as a
society. What will it mean when the majority of
humans are riding around in cars that they don't
have to drive? How will this change how we work,
interact with each other, and of course, travel?
And most importantly, are we ready?
At a panel called "[Autonomous Vehicles are Here. But Are We Ready?](http://schedule.sxsw.com/2016/events/event_PP50575)" they
dove into the challenges that face consumers,
policy makers and industry leaders as self-driving
cars become more imminent. ...Two panels, "[Autonomous Vehicles and the American City](http://schedule.sxsw.com/2016/events/event_PP57187)" and "[Autonomous Cars Will Make us Better Humans](http://schedule.sxsw.com/2016/events/event_PP57164)" talked
about possible changes in urban infrastructure,
homelessness, the environment, and
communication..." [Read more](http://tech.co/sxsw-trend-the-autonomous-vehicle-2016-03) Hmmmm...An
the beat goes on. :-) Alain
Google Exec Explains Crash Caused By Autonomous Vehicle
Mar 12, “At the conference, Urmson explained that all of Google’s autonomous vehicles have been taught to move to the right-most lane when they plan to turn right, something all human drivers are also taught to do….the tech is fed through its fleet of autonomous cars through deep learning technology, enabling all the Google cars to share these tests and experiences from real-world driving situations.Read more Hmmmm…Deep Learning is everywhere. :-) Alain
Some other
thoughts that deserve your attention
Google’s AI Wins Fifth And Final Game Against Go Genius Lee Sedol
C. Metz, Mar 13,"The win puts an exclamation point
on a significant moment for artificial intelligence.
... Lee Sedol could not climb back to finish within
one win of his artificially intelligent rival. But
he did lead Game Five in the early going, after a
significant error by AlphaGo—an error that looked
amateurish to the human eye. As the Google machine
dug out of its hole in the second half of the
contest, Game Five grew into the most exciting of
the series, a game balanced on a knife edge,
exceeding even the drama of Lee Sedol's win in Game
Four.
The Korean showed—in swashbuckling fashion—that
humans still carry talents that no machine can
duplicate. Yes, early in the five-game series, he
struggled to deal with the pressure—a very human
failing. But as the match continued, he adapted to
what he saw from his opponent in previous
games—something AlphaGo can't yet do...
AI is flawed. But it is here.[Read more](http://www.wired.com/2016/03/googles-ai-wins-fifth-final-game-go-genius-lee-sedol/)Hmmmm..
It's all over!! Alain
Go Grandmaster Lee Sedol Grabs Consolation Win Against Google’s AI
C. Metz, Mar 13,"Korean Go grandmaster Lee Sedol has
won his first game against AlphaGo, Google's
artificially intelligent computing system, after
losing three straight in this week's historic match.
[AlphaGo had already claimed victory](http://www.wired.com/2016/03/third-straight-win-googles-ai-claims-victory-historic-match-go-champ/) in the
best-of-five contest, a test of artificial
intelligence closely watched in Asia an[d across the tech world..... Read more](http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v518/n7540/full/nature14236.html)Hmmmm...As background, see V. [Mnih et al in Nature](http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v518/n7540/full/nature14236.html). It's all over.
In the end it will be these kinds of algorithms
that will be the cognitive engines that drive
cars safely. Alain
On the More Technical Side
http://orfe.princeton.edu/~alaink/SmartDrivingCars/Papers/
Recompiled Old News
& Smiles:
###
Half-baked
stuff that probably doesn't deserve your time:
European Truck Platooning Challenge
Mar 2016, "During its Presidency of the European
Union in 2016, the Netherlands will initiate a
European Truck Platooning Challenge. This will
involve various brands of automated trucks driving
in columns (platooning), on public roads from
several European cities to the Netherlands. Main
European ITS corridors could be used like the
Nordic Way and Rotterdam-Frankfurt-Vienna. The aim
of the Challenge is to bring platooning one step
closer to implementation, indeed we believe that
truck platooning can become a reality in Europe in
the near future..."[Read more](https://www.eutruckplatooning.com/default.aspx)Hmmmm...The biggest challenge will be to
find at the same time two trucks so equipped
headed in the same direction at the same
location. There are essentially no stretches
of European motorways where trucks take up a
significant enough portion of the available
lane capacity that having them a few meters
closer would make any difference. It would be
better to expend the effort on getting all
trucks to have intelligent cruise control and
automated collision avoidance systems and
leave the platooning for later. It is not the low hanging
fruit. Alain
Raleigh envisions self-driving pods, buses around NC State
Raleigh Report, Feb. 15, "N.C. State University
students could hop in automated pods – think
"Jetsons"-like, futuristic-looking golf carts –
that would take them between Central and
Centennial Campus.
Anyone who lives or works on Avent Ferry Road
could ride driver-less buses that use dedicated
lanes, bypassing other traffic along the
corridor...." [Read more](http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/raleigh-report-blog/article60517396.html) Hmmmm...Why do
the driver-less buses need dedicated lanes???
It would have been nice if they would have
envisioned futuristic-looking golf carts as
the driver-less buses running frequently
sharing both the Raleigh streets as well as
some dedicated guideway in places where that
dedicated guideway was necessary to augment
the existing roadways. Essentially everyone
in Raleigh could then be served by such a
mobility system. Alain
###
C’mon Man!
(These folks didn't get/read the memo)
Calendar
of Upcoming Events:
The Business of Autonomous Vehicles
March 22-23, 2016
Crowne Plaza Hotel, San Francisco
Airport
Workshop on Automated Vehicle Policy and Regulation:
The National Transportation Center, University of Maryland
May 18, 2016
Recent
Highlights of:
#
###
GM Buying Self-Driving Tech Startup for More Than $1 Billion
D. Patrick Mar 11,”General Motors GM 1.43% this morning announced that it will acquire Cruise Automation, a San Francisco-based developer of autonomous vehicle technology. No financial terms were disclosed, but Fortune has learned from a source close to the situation that the deal is valued at “north of $1 billion,” in a combination of cash and stock.
Talks between the
two companies
originally related
to a strategic
investment by GM
in Cruise, which
was planning to
raise a new round
of venture capital
funding. But that
quickly morphed
into an
acquisition
discussion with
the entire
agreement getting
hashed out in less
than six weeks. [Read more](http://fortune.com/2016/03/11/gm-buying-self-driving-tech-startup-for-more-than-1-billion/)Hmmmm...That
sets the bar.
Reminiscent of
[AOL paying $1.1B for MapQuest](http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/2068.html)
resulting in [NavTeq getting $8.1B from Nokia](http://mashable.com/2007/10/01/nokia-navteq/#CnEKJL0cUOqM)
followed by [Here getting $3B from MB et al](http://mashable.com/2007/10/01/nokia-navteq/#CnEKJL0cUOqM).
[Deja vu all over again!](http://yogiberramuseum.org/just-for-fun/yogisms/)
Very
interesting
:-) Alain
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN: How we found (and lost) the dream of Personal Rapid Transit
A. Robertson, Feb
10 , Feb. "...Half
a century after
its heyday, the
Alden StaRRcar
clearly wasn't
made for its
world. It looks
like a white
flatiron with
wheels or a sleek,
plastic bullet,
dwarfed by the
regal sedans of
1960s Detroit. It
belongs in one of
Buckminster
Fuller's domed
cities, a vehicle
for traveling
under the
geodesics of a
bubble-topped
Manhattan. Its
future wasn't one
of highways, but
of narrow cement
tracks looping
gracefully between
city and suburb,
connecting
increasingly
alienated parts of
the American
landscape...
Once considered a
key to solving
urban blight, the
StaRRcar was part
of a public
transit revolution
that never was —
but one that would
help launch one of
the weirdest and
most politicized
public
infrastructure
experiments of the
20th century. It's
an old idea that
today, in an age
of self-driving
cars, seems by
turns
impractically
retro and
remarkably
prescient...
PRT's invention is
attributed to a
transportation
expert named Donn
Fichter, but the
central idea was
conceived,
remixed, and
adapted by many in
the 1950s and
1960s. While the
details varied,
the prototypical
PRT system was a
network of narrow
guideways
populated by small
passenger pods.
When commuters
arrived, they
would hit a button
to select a
destination,
calling one of the
pods like a taxi.
Then, instead of
running on a set
line, the pod
would use
guideways like a
freeway system,
routing around
stations in order
to take passengers
directly to their
final stop.
The system was
designed to be
everything that
existing public
transportation
wasn't. Pods would
carry only as many
people as an
average car,
guaranteeing a
nearly private
ride. Riders
wouldn't need to
follow a timetable
or wait for other
people to enter
and exit the
system. Because
the pods would
only be dispatched
on demand, cities
could run service
to many
low-traffic areas
without worrying
about waste. There
were no drivers to
train or pay, and
the pods could run
quietly on
electrical power
instead of with
fossil fuels...
Multiple plans for
personal rapid
transit fell
through, whether
because of budget
problems,
logistical issues,
or political power
struggles....
And as in the
'60s, we're
talking about
whether
self-driving
vehicles could
spell the end of
private cars...."[Read more](THE%20ROAD%20NOT%20TAKEN:%20How%20we%20found%20%28and%20lost%29%20the%20dream%20of%20Personal%20Rapid%20Transit)Hmmmm...A
must read.
Pretty much as
I remember
it. I lived
much of it,
including
designing
10,000
station,
10,000 mile
PRT networks
that could
serve all of
New Jersey's
needs for
personal
mobility. The
good news was
that the
area-wide
systems would
provide great
mobility for
all. The bad
news: No
viable way to
start. The
best starting
places could
each be
readily served
by
conventional
systems with
no technology
risk. Without
a place to
start, PRT
never got a
chance to
flourish in
the vast areas
that are
un-servable by
conventional
technology.
Moreover, PRT
needed the
diversion of
public sector
capital funds
that weres already in the back pocket of those pedaling the
conventional
technologies.
Consequently,
the personal
auto has
reigned on.
Today
is different.
With PRT, even
the first
vehicle needed
a couple of
stations and
interconnecting
guideway (and
all of the
discussion and
heartache was
about the
location and
cost of those
initial
stations and
guideway).
With
autonomous
taxis sharing
existing
roads, one can
begin with a
single vehicle
capable of
serving many
existing
places without
needing to
pay-for/justify
any
infrastructure.
That is today's fundamental
opportunity,
in contrast to
PRT's
monumental
infrastructure
burden even
for one
vehicle.
That's why
aTaxis are
destined to
finally
deliver PRT's
utopian
mobility to
all and
substantially
transform our
cities and
suburbs. Alain
Vancouver councillor wants city to prepare for driverless cars T. Fletcher, Feb 18 “Driverless cars might seem like a futuristic dream, but a city councillor doesn’t want Vancouver to take a hands-off approach to the emerging technology. Coun. Geoff Meggs is steering a motion slated for next Tuesday’s council meeting asking city staff to look into the impact of self-driving vehicles and how to maximize the benefits of the technology for Vancouver and the city’s economy.
Although the
city's
transportation
2040 plan, which
outlines a
strategy for how
people and goods
will move in and
around Vancouver
for the next 30
years, was adopted
only four years
ago, Meggs said it
fails to address
driverless
technology....
"It may be a
powerful tool or
there may be
problems with it,
but at the moment,
it's an empty
category in a lot
of our thinking,"
Meggs told Metro.
"We don't want our
(transportation)
plan, which we
just did, to
be obsolete
before it even
starts."..." [Read more](http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2016/mv-fatality-report-1215.pdf)Hmmmm...Yup!
Obviously,
"obsolescence
before ribbon
cutting" is
something all
cities should
try to avoid.
Alain
Motor Vehicle Deaths Increase by Largest Percent in 50 Years
Press Release Feb
16 "With continued
lower gasoline
prices and an
improving economy
resulting in an
estimated 3.5%
increase in
motor-vehicle
mileage, the
number of
motor-vehicle
deaths in 2015
totaled 38,300,
up 8% from 2014.
The 2015 estimate
is provisional and
may be revised
when more data are
available. The
total for 2015 was
up 8% from the
2013 figure. The
annual total for
2014 was 35,398, a
less than 0.5%
increase from
2013. The 2013
figure was 3%
lower than 2012.
The estimated
annual population
death rate is
11.87 deaths per
100,000
population, an
increase of 7%
from the 2014
rate. The
estimated annual
mileage death rate
is 1.22 deaths per
100 million
vehicle miles
traveled, an
increase of 5%
from the 2014
rate. [Read more](http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2016/mv-fatality-report-1215.pdf)Hmmmm...This
is REALLY BAD
news. Come on
insurance.
This is
costing you
money!
Accident rates
going up means
that your
actuarials are
behind, your
regulated
pricing lags
and you are
losing money.
To get ahead
of your
actuarials,
you MUST
incentivize
the adoption
of automated
collision
avoidance
systems.
You'll then do
very well,
thank you AND
help society.
Alain
Budget of the U.S. Government, FY 2017
Feb. 9, “…(3) Accelerate the integration of autonomous vehicles, low-carbon technologies, and intelligent transportation systems into our infrastructure….
- Providing almost $400 million on average per year in funding over the next 10 years for the deployment of self-driving vehicles. Investments would help develop connected infrastructure and smart sensors that can communicate with autonomous vehicles, support R&D to ensure these vehicles are safe and road ready, and expand at-scale deployment projects to provide “proving grounds” for autonomous self-driving and connected vehicles in urban and highway settings.
Read moreHmmmm…major
victory...not
only: "...for
autonomous
self-driving...",
bit also
stated before:
"... and connected...".
Alain
London’s first driverless cars revealed
The consortium
behind the trial
has decided to
adapt electric
passenger shuttles
that are currently
in service at
Heathrow Airport
for use in
Greenwich. Unlike
the Heathrow pods,
they will not need
dedicated tracks.
The Greenwich
trial is one of
four in the UK to
test driverless
technology and
public reaction to
it..."This vehicle
has millions of
miles under its
belt and now we
have to take it
outside of the
track and modify
it for use on
pavements," he
added. The
so-called
UltraPODs
currently in
service at
Heathrow carry
passengers between
the car park and
Terminal 5. In the
five years they
have been in use,
they have carried
1.5 million
passengers and
traveled three
million kilometers
(1.8 million
miles)...." [Read more](http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35432687) Hmmm...Wow!! ... PRT
evolving to be
autonomousTaxis!
Wow!!! :-) Alain
###
Obama’s $4 Billion Plan for Self-Driving Cars Will Make Google Very Happy
M. Bergen, Jan 14
"The Obama
Administration has
seen the
self-driving
future, and it's
jumping aboard.
At the Detroit
auto show on
Thursday morning,
U.S.
Transportation
Secretary Anthony
Foxx will unveil a
plan to develop a
national blueprint
for autonomous
driving technology
within the next
six months. He
will also announce
that President
Obama is planning
to insert $4
billion into the
2017 budget for a
10-year plan to
support and
"accelerate"
vehicle automation
projects.
"We are on the
cusp of a new era
in automotive
technology with
enormous potential
to save lives,
reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, and
transform mobility
for the American
people," Secretary
Foxx said in a
statement. ...But
here's the part
of Foxx's talk
that really
matters for
Google: These
national rules
will allow fully
driverless cars..."
[Read More](http://recode.net/2016/01/14/obamas-4-billion-plan-for-self-driving-cars-will-make-google-very-happy/) Hmmm... A [few months ago](http://www.its.dot.gov/press/2015/ngv_tech_announcement.htm)
it was $42M
for Connected
Vehicles.
Today it is
100x for
automated
vehicles!
Finally
Secretary
Foxx.."[YES! YES! JESUS H. TAP-DANCING CHRIST... I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX5tfRdkoY0)"
(Blue
Brothers)
Yea!!!!! :-)
Alain
Google Pairs With Ford To Build Self-Driving Cars
J. Hyde & S.
Carty, Dec. 21
"Google and Ford
will create a
joint venture to
build self-driving
vehicles with
Google's
technology, a huge
step by both
companies toward a
new business of
automated ride
sharing,
...According to
three sources
familiar with the
plans, the
partnership is set
to be announced by
Ford at the
Consumer
Electronics Show
in January. By
pairing with
Google, Ford gets
a massive boost in
self-driving
software
development; while
the automaker has
been experimenting
with its own
systems for years,
it only revealed
plans this month
to begin testing
on public streets
in California....
Google already has
several links to
Ford; the head of
the self-driving
car project, John
Krafcik, worked
for 14 years at
Ford, including a
stint as head of
truck engineering,
and several other
ex-Ford employees
work in the unit
as well. Former
Ford chief
executive Alan
Mulally joined
Google's board
last year.
And Ford
executives have
been clear for
years that the
company was ready
to embrace a
future where cars
were sold as
on-demand
services. Ford CEO
Mark Fields has
repeatedly said
Ford was thinking
of itself "as a
mobility company,"
and what that
would mean for its
business" [Read more](https://www.yahoo.com/autos/google-pairs-with-ford-to-1326344237400118.html) Hmmm...Not surprising
and not
exclusive.
:-) Alain
Adam Jonas’ View on Autonomous Cars
Video similar to
part of Adam's
Luncheon talk @
2015 Florida
Automated Vehicle
Symposium on Dec
1. [Hmmm ... Watch Video](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/Videos/AdamJonas10T_MorganStanley.mp4) especially
at the 13:12
mark.
Compelling;
especially
after the 60
Minutes
segment
above! Also
see his [TipRanks](https://www.tipranks.com/analysts/adam-jonas).
Alain
[Mailto:alaink@princeton.edu](Mailto:alaink@princeton.edu)
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###
Go Grandmaster Lee Sedol Grabs Consolation Win Against Google’s AI
C. Metz, Mar 13,"Korean Go grandmaster Lee Sedol has
won his first game against AlphaGo, Google's
artificially intelligent computing system, after
losing three straight in this week's historic match.
[AlphaGo had already claimed victory](http://www.wired.com/2016/03/third-straight-win-googles-ai-claims-victory-historic-match-go-champ/) in the
best-of-five contest, a test of artificial
intelligence closely watched in Asia an[d across the tech world..... Read more](http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v518/n7540/full/nature14236.html)Hmmmm...As background, see V. [Mnih et al in Nature](http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v518/n7540/full/nature14236.html). It's all over.
In the end it will be these kinds of algorithms
that will be the cognitive engines that drive
cars safely. Alain
On the More Technical Side
http://orfe.princeton.edu/~alaink/SmartDrivingCars/Papers/
Recompiled Old News
& Smiles:
###
Half-baked
stuff that probably doesn't deserve your time:
European Truck
Platooning Challenge
Mar 2016, "During its Presidency of the European
Union in 2016, the Netherlands will initiate a
European Truck Platooning Challenge. This will
involve various brands of automated trucks driving
in columns (platooning), on public roads from
several European cities to the Netherlands. Main
European ITS corridors could be used like the
Nordic Way and Rotterdam-Frankfurt-Vienna. The aim
of the Challenge is to bring platooning one step
closer to implementation, indeed we believe that
truck platooning can become a reality in Europe in
the near future..."[Read more](http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/raleigh-report-blog/article60517396.html) Hmmmm...The
biggest challenge will be to find at the same
time two trucks so equipped headed in the same
direction at the same location. There are
essentially no stretches of European motorways
where trucks take up a significant enough
portion of the available lane capacity that
having them a few meters closer would make any
difference. It would be better to expend the
effort on getting all trucks to have
intelligent cruise control and automated
collision avoidance systems and leave the
platooning for later. It is not the low hanging
fruit. Alain
Raleigh envisions self-driving pods, buses around NC State
Raleigh Report, Feb. 15, "N.C. State University
students could hop in automated pods – think
"Jetsons"-like, futuristic-looking golf carts –
that would take them between Central and
Centennial Campus.
Anyone who lives or works on Avent Ferry Road
could ride driver-less buses that use dedicated
lanes, bypassing other traffic along the
corridor...." [Read more](http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/raleigh-report-blog/article60517396.html) Hmmmm...Why do
the driver-less buses need dedicated lanes???
It would have been nice if they would have
envisioned futuristic-looking golf carts as
the driver-less buses running frequently
sharing both the Raleigh streets as well as
some dedicated guideway in places where that
dedicated guideway was necessary to augment
the existing roadways. Essentially everyone
in Raleigh could then be served by such a
mobility system. Alain
###
C’mon Man!
(These folks didn't get/read the memo)
Calendar
of Upcoming Events:
The Business of Autonomous Vehicles
March 22-23, 2016
Crowne Plaza Hotel, San Francisco
Airport
Workshop on Automated Vehicle Policy and Regulation:
The National Transportation Center, University of Maryland
May 18, 2016
Recent
Highlights of:
#
###
GM Buying Self-Driving Tech Startup for More Than $1 Billion
D. Patrick Mar 11,”General Motors GM 1.43% this morning announced that it will acquire Cruise Automation, a San Francisco-based developer of autonomous vehicle technology. No financial terms were disclosed, but Fortune has learned from a source close to the situation that the deal is valued at “north of $1 billion,” in a combination of cash and stock.
Talks between the
two companies
originally related
to a strategic
investment by GM
in Cruise, which
was planning to
raise a new round
of venture capital
funding. But that
quickly morphed
into an
acquisition
discussion with
the entire
agreement getting
hashed out in less
than six weeks. [Read more](http://fortune.com/2016/03/11/gm-buying-self-driving-tech-startup-for-more-than-1-billion/)Hmmmm...That
sets the bar.
Reminiscent of
[AOL paying $1.1B for MapQuest](http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/2068.html)
resulting in [NavTeq getting $8.1B from Nokia](http://mashable.com/2007/10/01/nokia-navteq/#CnEKJL0cUOqM)
followed by [Here getting $3B from MB et al](http://mashable.com/2007/10/01/nokia-navteq/#CnEKJL0cUOqM).
[Deja vu all over again!](http://yogiberramuseum.org/just-for-fun/yogisms/)
Very
interesting
:-) Alain
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN: How we found (and lost) the dream of Personal Rapid Transit
A. Robertson, Feb
10 , Feb. "...Half
a century after
its heyday, the
Alden StaRRcar
clearly wasn't
made for its
world. It looks
like a white
flatiron with
wheels or a sleek,
plastic bullet,
dwarfed by the
regal sedans of
1960s Detroit. It
belongs in one of
Buckminster
Fuller's domed
cities, a vehicle
for traveling
under the
geodesics of a
bubble-topped
Manhattan. Its
future wasn't one
of highways, but
of narrow cement
tracks looping
gracefully between
city and suburb,
connecting
increasingly
alienated parts of
the American
landscape...
Once considered a
key to solving
urban blight, the
StaRRcar was part
of a public
transit revolution
that never was —
but one that would
help launch one of
the weirdest and
most politicized
public
infrastructure
experiments of the
20th century. It's
an old idea that
today, in an age
of self-driving
cars, seems by
turns
impractically
retro and
remarkably
prescient...
PRT's invention is
attributed to a
transportation
expert named Donn
Fichter, but the
central idea was
conceived,
remixed, and
adapted by many in
the 1950s and
1960s. While the
details varied,
the prototypical
PRT system was a
network of narrow
guideways
populated by small
passenger pods.
When commuters
arrived, they
would hit a button
to select a
destination,
calling one of the
pods like a taxi.
Then, instead of
running on a set
line, the pod
would use
guideways like a
freeway system,
routing around
stations in order
to take passengers
directly to their
final stop.
The system was
designed to be
everything that
existing public
transportation
wasn't. Pods would
carry only as many
people as an
average car,
guaranteeing a
nearly private
ride. Riders
wouldn't need to
follow a timetable
or wait for other
people to enter
and exit the
system. Because
the pods would
only be dispatched
on demand, cities
could run service
to many
low-traffic areas
without worrying
about waste. There
were no drivers to
train or pay, and
the pods could run
quietly on
electrical power
instead of with
fossil fuels...
Multiple plans for
personal rapid
transit fell
through, whether
because of budget
problems,
logistical issues,
or political power
struggles....
And as in the
'60s, we're
talking about
whether
self-driving
vehicles could
spell the end of
private cars...."[Read more](THE%20ROAD%20NOT%20TAKEN:%20How%20we%20found%20%28and%20lost%29%20the%20dream%20of%20Personal%20Rapid%20Transit)Hmmmm...A
must read.
Pretty much as
I remember
it. I lived
much of it,
including
designing
10,000
station,
10,000 mile
PRT networks
that could
serve all of
New Jersey's
needs for
personal
mobility. The
good news was
that the
area-wide
systems would
provide great
mobility for
all. The bad
news: No
viable way to
start. The
best starting
places could
each be
readily served
by
conventional
systems with
no technology
risk. Without
a place to
start, PRT
never got a
chance to
flourish in
the vast areas
that are
un-servable by
conventional
technology.
Moreover, PRT
needed the
diversion of
public sector
capital funds
that weres already in the back pocket of those pedaling the
conventional
technologies.
Consequently,
the personal
auto has
reigned on.
Today
is different.
With PRT, even
the first
vehicle needed
a couple of
stations and
interconnecting
guideway (and
all of the
discussion and
heartache was
about the
location and
cost of those
initial
stations and
guideway).
With
autonomous
taxis sharing
existing
roads, one can
begin with a
single vehicle
capable of
serving many
existing
places without
needing to
pay-for/justify
any
infrastructure.
That is today's fundamental
opportunity,
in contrast to
PRT's
monumental
infrastructure
burden even
for one
vehicle.
That's why
aTaxis are
destined to
finally
deliver PRT's
utopian
mobility to
all and
substantially
transform our
cities and
suburbs. Alain
Vancouver councillor wants city to prepare for driverless cars T. Fletcher, Feb 18 “Driverless cars might seem like a futuristic dream, but a city councillor doesn’t want Vancouver to take a hands-off approach to the emerging technology. Coun. Geoff Meggs is steering a motion slated for next Tuesday’s council meeting asking city staff to look into the impact of self-driving vehicles and how to maximize the benefits of the technology for Vancouver and the city’s economy.
Although the
city's
transportation
2040 plan, which
outlines a
strategy for how
people and goods
will move in and
around Vancouver
for the next 30
years, was adopted
only four years
ago, Meggs said it
fails to address
driverless
technology....
"It may be a
powerful tool or
there may be
problems with it,
but at the moment,
it's an empty
category in a lot
of our thinking,"
Meggs told Metro.
"We don't want our
(transportation)
plan, which we
just did, to
be obsolete
before it even
starts."..." [Read more](http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2016/mv-fatality-report-1215.pdf)Hmmmm...Yup!
Obviously,
"obsolescence
before ribbon
cutting" is
something all
cities should
try to avoid.
Alain
Motor Vehicle Deaths Increase by Largest Percent in 50 Years
Press Release Feb
16 "With continued
lower gasoline
prices and an
improving economy
resulting in an
estimated 3.5%
increase in
motor-vehicle
mileage, the
number of
motor-vehicle
deaths in 2015
totaled 38,300,
up 8% from 2014.
The 2015 estimate
is provisional and
may be revised
when more data are
available. The
total for 2015 was
up 8% from the
2013 figure. The
annual total for
2014 was 35,398, a
less than 0.5%
increase from
2013. The 2013
figure was 3%
lower than 2012.
The estimated
annual population
death rate is
11.87 deaths per
100,000
population, an
increase of 7%
from the 2014
rate. The
estimated annual
mileage death rate
is 1.22 deaths per
100 million
vehicle miles
traveled, an
increase of 5%
from the 2014
rate. [Read more](http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2016/mv-fatality-report-1215.pdf)Hmmmm...This
is REALLY BAD
news. Come on
insurance.
This is
costing you
money!
Accident rates
going up means
that your
actuarials are
behind, your
regulated
pricing lags
and you are
losing money.
To get ahead
of your
actuarials,
you MUST
incentivize
the adoption
of automated
collision
avoidance
systems.
You'll then do
very well,
thank you AND
help society.
Alain
Budget of the U.S. Government, FY 2017
Feb. 9, “…(3) Accelerate the integration of autonomous vehicles, low-carbon technologies, and intelligent transportation systems into our infrastructure….
- Providing almost $400 million on average per year in funding over the next 10 years for the deployment of self-driving vehicles. Investments would help develop connected infrastructure and smart sensors that can communicate with autonomous vehicles, support R&D to ensure these vehicles are safe and road ready, and expand at-scale deployment projects to provide “proving grounds” for autonomous self-driving and connected vehicles in urban and highway settings.
Read moreHmmmm…major
victory...not
only: "...for
autonomous
self-driving...",
bit also
stated before:
"... and connected...".
Alain
London’s first driverless cars revealed
The consortium
behind the trial
has decided to
adapt electric
passenger shuttles
that are currently
in service at
Heathrow Airport
for use in
Greenwich. Unlike
the Heathrow pods,
they will not need
dedicated tracks.
The Greenwich
trial is one of
four in the UK to
test driverless
technology and
public reaction to
it..."This vehicle
has millions of
miles under its
belt and now we
have to take it
outside of the
track and modify
it for use on
pavements," he
added. The
so-called
UltraPODs
currently in
service at
Heathrow carry
passengers between
the car park and
Terminal 5. In the
five years they
have been in use,
they have carried
1.5 million
passengers and
traveled three
million kilometers
(1.8 million
miles)...." [Read more](http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35432687) Hmmm...Wow!! ... PRT
evolving to be
autonomousTaxis!
Wow!!! :-) Alain
###
Obama’s $4 Billion Plan for Self-Driving Cars Will Make Google Very Happy
M. Bergen, Jan 14
"The Obama
Administration has
seen the
self-driving
future, and it's
jumping aboard.
At the Detroit
auto show on
Thursday morning,
U.S.
Transportation
Secretary Anthony
Foxx will unveil a
plan to develop a
national blueprint
for autonomous
driving technology
within the next
six months. He
will also announce
that President
Obama is planning
to insert $4
billion into the
2017 budget for a
10-year plan to
support and
"accelerate"
vehicle automation
projects.
"We are on the
cusp of a new era
in automotive
technology with
enormous potential
to save lives,
reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, and
transform mobility
for the American
people," Secretary
Foxx said in a
statement. ...But
here's the part
of Foxx's talk
that really
matters for
Google: These
national rules
will allow fully
driverless cars..."
[Read More](http://recode.net/2016/01/14/obamas-4-billion-plan-for-self-driving-cars-will-make-google-very-happy/) Hmmm... A [few months ago](http://www.its.dot.gov/press/2015/ngv_tech_announcement.htm)
it was $42M
for Connected
Vehicles.
Today it is
100x for
automated
vehicles!
Finally
Secretary
Foxx.."[YES! YES! JESUS H. TAP-DANCING CHRIST... I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX5tfRdkoY0)"
(Blue
Brothers)
Yea!!!!! :-)
Alain
Google Pairs With Ford To Build Self-Driving Cars
J. Hyde & S.
Carty, Dec. 21
"Google and Ford
will create a
joint venture to
build self-driving
vehicles with
Google's
technology, a huge
step by both
companies toward a
new business of
automated ride
sharing,
...According to
three sources
familiar with the
plans, the
partnership is set
to be announced by
Ford at the
Consumer
Electronics Show
in January. By
pairing with
Google, Ford gets
a massive boost in
self-driving
software
development; while
the automaker has
been experimenting
with its own
systems for years,
it only revealed
plans this month
to begin testing
on public streets
in California....
Google already has
several links to
Ford; the head of
the self-driving
car project, John
Krafcik, worked
for 14 years at
Ford, including a
stint as head of
truck engineering,
and several other
ex-Ford employees
work in the unit
as well. Former
Ford chief
executive Alan
Mulally joined
Google's board
last year.
And Ford
executives have
been clear for
years that the
company was ready
to embrace a
future where cars
were sold as
on-demand
services. Ford CEO
Mark Fields has
repeatedly said
Ford was thinking
of itself "as a
mobility company,"
and what that
would mean for its
business" [Read more](https://www.yahoo.com/autos/google-pairs-with-ford-to-1326344237400118.html) Hmmm...Not surprising
and not
exclusive.
:-) Alain
Adam Jonas’ View on Autonomous Cars
Video similar to
part of Adam's
Luncheon talk @
2015 Florida
Automated Vehicle
Symposium on Dec
1. [Hmmm ... Watch Video](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/Videos/AdamJonas10T_MorganStanley.mp4) especially
at the 13:12
mark.
Compelling;
especially
after the 60
Minutes
segment
above! Also
see his [TipRanks](https://www.tipranks.com/analysts/adam-jonas).
Alain
[Mailto:alaink@princeton.edu](Mailto:alaink@princeton.edu)
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maintained by
[Alain Kornhauser](mailto:alaink@princeton.edu) and hosted by the [Princeton University LISTSERV](http://lists.princeton.edu).
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