2016-03-25
Hearing focus of SF 2569 Autonomous vehicles task force establishment and demonstration project for people with disabilities
March 23 Hmmm... [Watch the video of the Committee Meeting](http://mnsenate.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=235). The testimony is Excellent
and very compelling! Also see [Self-Driving Minnesota](http://www.selfdrivingmn.org/) Alain
Self-Driving Vehicle Pilot Project Moves Forward in MN Senate
Mar 24, “A demonstration project to see if self-driving vehicles could be used on Minnesota roads by people with disabilities — that’s the focus of a bill that’s moving forward in the Minnesota Senate:
Joan Willshire with the Minnesota State Council on
Disability told lawmakers self-driving cars have
great potential to advance social inclusion for
Minnesotans with disabilities, including those
with visual impairment... [Read more](http://www.ktoe.com/2016/03/24/self-driving-vehicle-pilot-project-moves-forward-in-mn-senate/) Hmmm... [Watch the hearing linked above](http://mnsenate.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=235). Excellent
testimony. Alain
Daimler videos promote platooning
Mar 22,”Daimler Trucks has posted a series of new videos promoting its Highway Pilot Connect system, with three freight trucks platooning and running on the autobahn near Dusseldorf….”Read moreSee Video Hmmm… Progress
in Europe where truck Automated Emergency
Braking is Mandatory. See
also [Peloton's Platooning video](http://www.peloton-tech.com/). Alain
Driverless Bus System Showcases Future of Public Transit
P. Sisson, Mar 17, "...After two months of test runs
down a 200-meter stretch of public road, the system
will start transporting human passengers in May.
Designed, tested, approved, and road-ready in a
little less than two years, the WEpods system, which
cost the local government 3.4 million Euros ($3.8
million) for a pair of autonomous vehicles, seems
like a deal. According to Bakker, the
government-funded technology will be designed as an
open-source project, meaning it will be available
for other companies and municipalities to adapt and
utilize (Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Brussels have
already expressed interest).... [Read mor](http://www.curbed.com/2016/3/17/11253500/driverless-car-autonomous-vehicle-wepod-bus)e Hmmm...
Many localities should be
looking at this near-term opportunity.
Alain
Domino’s Is Launching A Self-Driving Pizza Delivery Robot. No Really
C. Jager, Mar 18, "The future is pizza. Last night,
Domino's Australia unveiled DRU — the world's first
commercial autonomous delivery vehicle. This isn't a
fictional marketing campaign; it's a bona fide robot
that can do everything from navigate fences to talk
to customers. We were given a sneak peak of the
first prototype in Brisbane, which will be the
testing ground for this cutting-edge delivery
system. Here's everything you need to know!... [Read more](http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2016/03/dominos-is-launching-an-autonomous-pizza-delivery-robot/) Hmmm... I
didn't put this in Half-Baked because, while
it might it might not be real, it could be
real, especially in a gated community
operating along side of the above driverless
bus system. There is a lot to be said about
rolling out Level 4 for local goods movement
prior, or certainly in conjunction with,
Level 4 moving people. See
also: [The end of the courier? Self-driving 'ground drones' are heading to London to make deliveries across the capital](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3459854/The-end-courier-Self-driving-ground-drone-takes-streets-London-make-drops-capital.html). Alain
Review of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards(FMVSS) for Automated Vehicles
A. Kim, March '16, "The purpose of this work is to
identify instances where the existing Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards may pose challenges to the
introduction of automated vehicles. It identifies
standards requiring further review - both to ensure
that existing regulations do not unduly stifle
innovation and to help ensure that automated
vehicles perform their functions safely. The Volpe
team conducted two reviews of the FMVSS: a driver
reference scan to identify which standards include
an explicit or implicit reference to a human driver
and an automated vehicle concepts scan to identify
which standards could pose a challenge for a wide
range of automated vehicle capabilities and
concepts. In summary, the review revealed that there
are few barriers for automated vehicles to comply
with FMVSS, as long as the vehicle does not
significantly diverge from a conventional vehicle
design. Yet, automated vehicles that begin to push
the boundaries of conventional design (e.g.,
alternative cabin layouts, omission of manual
controls) would be constrained by the current FMVSS
or may not fully meet the objectives of the
FMVSS..." [Read more](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/Volpe_Review_FMVSS_AV_March2016.pdf) Hmmm... Well
worth reading and quite appropriate when dealing
with NHTSA Levels 1 through 3; however, Maybe we
should start thinking of Level 4 to be an
entirely new mode. Bicycles, motorcycles,
horse-drawn carriages and even pedestrians
currently share (some) of our roadway
infrastructure with conventional motor vehicles
yet are not held to FMVSS such as "having a
steering wheel" (although they do each have
"manual controls", which in Level 4 could could
be a "game pad" that is stored away in the
"glove compartment" or behind a "break the glass
in emergency" compartment. I can't imagine
anyone designing an automated vehicle that
doesn't allow it to be human controlled in
repair/maintenance situations. Alain
U.S. DOT to host public meetings on safe operation of automated vehicles
G. Trowbridge, Mar 11, “The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will hold a pair of public meetings this spring to gather input as it develops guidelines for the safe deployment of automated safety technology. The meetings, to be held in Washington, D.C., and California, will gather information on a series of issues related to safe operation of automated vehicles as part of NHTSA’s efforts to provide manufacturers with operational guidance….NHTSA will hold its first public meeting on April 8 at USDOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Details on date and location of the second meeting in California, as well as how members of the public can participate, will be published soon. Read more Hmmm… Save the Date: April 8. Alain
Willow Run driverless car test site names CEO, board
M. Martinez , Mar 18, "The site where Rosie the
Riveters once assembled B-24 Liberators for the
Allies during World War II will soon become a test
site for the future of transportation.
State leaders on Friday announced the appointment of
a CEO and board of directors for The American Center
for Mobility, a proposed 335-acre driverless car
proving grounds at the former Willow Run bomber
plant in Ypsilanti. John Maddox, who serves as
assistant director of a group that runs the state's
other driverless car test site, MCity, was named
CEO..."[Read more](http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2016/03/18/willow-run-driverless-cars/81967990/) Hmmm...
Congratulations John!! Alain
Some other
thoughts that deserve your attention
FBI warns automakers, owners about vehicle hacking risks
Reuters, Mar 17,”The FBI and U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a bulletin Thursday warning that motor vehicles are “increasingly vulnerable” to hacking.
"The FBI and NHTSA are warning the general public
and manufacturers – of vehicles, vehicle
components, and aftermarket devices – to maintain
awareness of potential issues and cybersecurity
threats related to connected vehicle technologies
in modern vehicles," the agencies said in the
bulletin. In July 2015, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
NV recalled 1.4 million U.S. vehicles to install
software after a magazine report raised concerns
about hacking, the first action of its kind for
the auto industry...." [Read mor](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-fbi-autos-cyber-idUSKCN0WK0BB)e Hmmm...
This is a problem. Alain
After a year, Carnegie Mellon and Uber research initiative is stalled
Reuters, Mar 21,"More than a year after Uber
announced a research pact with Carnegie Mellon
University - and then hired away four of the
institution's faculty and 36 researchers and
technicians - the ride-hailing company and
university have not collaborated on a single
project, according to CMU faculty and
administrators....." [Read mor](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-tech-research-idUSKCN0WN0WR)e Hmmm...
Hmmm???. 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:
###
C’mon Man!
(These folks didn't get/read the memo)
Calendar
of Upcoming Events:
###
Public Meeting on Safe Operation of Automated Vehicles
April 8
Washington DC
http://www.autonomoustrucksevent.com/agenda-mc
Workshop on Automated Vehicle Policy and Regulation:
The National Transportation Center, University of Maryland
May 18, 2016
Recent
Highlights of:
#
###
Uber seeking to buy self-driving cars: source
Reuters, Mar 19,
"Ride-hailing
service Uber
[UBER.UL] has
sounded out car
companies about
placing a large
order for
self-driving cars,
an auto industry
source said on
Friday. "They
wanted autonomous
cars," the source,
who declined to be
named, said. "It
seemed like they
were shopping
around."
Loss-making Uber
would make drastic
savings on its
biggest cost --
drivers -- if it
were able to
incorporate
self-driving cars
into its
fleet....Earlier
on Friday,
Germany's Manager
Magazin reported
that Uber had
placed an order
for at least
100,000 Mercedes
S-Class cars,
citing sources at
both companies....
The top-flight
limousine, around
100,000 of which
Mercedes-Benz sold
last year, does
not yet have fully
autonomous driving
functionality.."
[Read more](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-daimler-uber-idUSKCN0WK1C8) Hmmmm...Uber
has the
current
valuation to
place the
order;
however, they
aren't the
only ones that
will want to
place an
advance order
for such a
fleet. Lyft
will want to,
Enterprise-Rent
-A-Car
(remember,
they "pick you
up" (while
incurring an
enormous labor
expense) and
all of the
AlainkAutonomousTaxi
companies that
see the
economic
opportunity of
providing
on-demand
mobility
without
incurring
labor cost.
It will be
interesting to
watch the
bidding war
for these
driverless
vehicles.
All of this
will be going
on while
Alphabet
gobbles up the
market with
its own
vehicle that
it keeps for
itself.
Advertisers
are already in
the back seat
of
conventional
cabs. While
that revenue
isn't enough
to pay for the
driver, it is
likely to
substantially
offset aTaxi's
operating and
capitalization
costs. What's
Alphabet's
other
business??
:-) Alain
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
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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