2016-05-15
May 15, 2016
Extracting Cognition out of Images for the Purpose of Autonomous Driving
Chenyi Chen PhD Dissertation , “…the key part of the thesis, a direct perception approach is proposed to drive a car in a highway environment. In this approach, an input image is mapped to a small number of key perception indicators that directly relate to the affordance of a road/traffic state for driving…..” Read more Hmmm..FPO 10:00am, May 16 , 120 Sherrerd Hall, Establishing a foundation for image-based autonomous driving using DeepLearning Neural Networks trained in virtual environments. Very promising. Alain
Tesla Drivers Claim Autopilot Caused Crashes
D. Morris, May 14 “In a preview of a type of dispute that is certain to become much more common, two drivers of Tesla’s Model S this week blamed the car’s self-driving features for accidents. In both cases, the company refuted those claims, pointing out onboard data that conflicted with the drivers’ stories, and citing clear warnings about how self-driving features should be used…
But again, Tesla responded with data showing Simpson had tapped her brake pedal before the crash, deactivating autopilot features.” Read more Hmmm…A couple of points here: 1. Tesla is capturing the data, so good luck on some of these claims. 2. I have complained to NHTSA, MB, BMW, Volvo and anyone who would listen (none have) about the terrible logic associated with “intelligent” cruise control (which must be a hold over from “stupid” cruise control.) In “stupid” CC: touch the brakes and the system is turned off. Fine, since the system only controls the throttle, then turning off the throttle is accomplished by turning off the CC system. In “Intelligent” CC, touching the brake SHOULD turn off the automated throttle. I’ve signaled to the system that I wish to slow down! So why isn’t just the automated throttle turned off??? Why in the world would you also turn off the automated brake??? I’ve signaled that I want to slow down! If the car thinks that I need help slowing down even more, why has it turned off the automated braking system (without even saying: “your on your own now”)??? Oh, I see, this is the legacy of stupid CC that just turned the whole CC off because I touched the brakes. Really??? Tell me this isn’t true! Please!! Alain
Apple’s Latest $1 Billion Bet Is on the Future of Cars
D. Wakabayashi, May 14, “Apple Inc.’s $1 billion investment in Chinese ride-sharing company Didi Chuxing Technology Co. reflects an intensifying battle over the future of driving and highlights emerging alliances among auto makers, technology firms and ride-sharing companies. The competition to build and provide autonomous vehicles promises to pit the world’s two most valuable companies, Apple and Google parent Alphabet Inc., among others, against one another and against the world’s most valuable private venture-capital-backed company, Didi rival Uber Technologies Inc…” Read more Hmmm…Seems a little strange to attach driverless cars to this investment made in a country in which the labor component of mobility is so small because of an enormous labor pool and extremely low wages for many. The biggest advantage of driverless is in regions of high cost of labor. For years, manufacturing moved to China because the labor was an infinitesimal element of Cost of Manufacturing. So… Hmmm… Alain
HERE maps London for autonomous vehicles
May 4, “HERE has mapped London for autonomous cars, … have used LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to provide comprehensive data that can be used by driverless cars to understand the world around them….Using its fleet of “HERE True” collection vehicles, the company is able to record 700,000 3D data sections per second, allowing it to pinpoint curbs, trees and road furniture to a 10cm accuracy….driverless vehicles … will need to have a full understanding of the world around them… vehicles must have access to extremely precise, continuously updated maps, such as HD Live Map. This information is also crucial to the success of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), such as traffic jam assist and lane keeping…” Read more Hmmm…Or the driverless vehicles could, every 20th of a second or so, simply image and interpret the nearby driving environment using DeepLearning Neural Networks. That way they also capture the most important information: what all the other cars, pedestrians, bicycles, etc. are doing near them that is completely absent from the HERE layers. Alain
Mobileye to Provide Car Companies With Autonomous Systems
M Ramsey, May 12, “… Mobileye NV, has secured agreements with two auto makers to provide systems for fully autonomous cars in 2019, deals that give a clearer timetable for when auto makers believe they can start producing vehicles entirely capable of driving themselves…” Read more Hmmm…OK. Alain
GM, Lyft to Test Self-Driving Electrinc Taxis
M Ramsey, May 5, “General Motors Co. and Lyft Inc. within a year will begin testing a fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolt electric taxis on public roads, a move central to the companies’ joint efforts to challenge Silicon Valley giants in the battle to reshape the auto industry…” Hmmm…Isn’t Tesla already doing this en mass? “…In addition to driverless cars, GM aims to use Lyft and its growing army of drivers as a primary customer for the Bolt, an electric car that launches later this year amid soft demand for electric vehicles. Hmmm…I see, it is really about finding customers for the Volt. …” Read more Hmmm…OK Alain
Tesla Drivers Claim Autopilot Caused Crashes
D. Morris, May 14 “In a preview of a type of dispute that is certain to become much more common, two drivers of Tesla’s Model S this week blamed the car’s self-driving features for accidents. In both cases, the company refuted those claims, pointing out onboard data that conflicted with the drivers’ stories, and citing clear warnings about how self-driving features should be used…
But again, Tesla responded with data showing Simpson had tapped her brake pedal before the crash, deactivating autopilot features.” Read more Hmmm…Bravo! They could/should do it, else they could lose it all. Alain
Deutsche Bahn looking at adding autonomous cars to its mass transit network
J. Golson, May 6 “German railway giant Deutsche Bahn is working on adding autonomous cars to its transport network as a way of getting riders to and from the train station — the last mile, so to speak. It’s even looking at competing with companies like Uber in getting travelers around urban areas where a train might not be practical. Speaking in an interview with German newspaper Wirtshafts Woche, Deutsche Bahn chief Rüdiger Grube said the railway “will, with certainty, operate driverless cars in the future.”…
And the company is working on more than just self-driving cars. It also plans to automate the operation of the trains themselves…” Read more Hmmm…Bravo! They could/should do it, else they could lose it all. Alain
New Florida Town Designed With Autonomous Cars In Mind
S. Hanley, May 4, "Babcock Ranch
is a new community near the
shores of the Coloosahatchie
River east of Fort Meyers,
Florida. It is being designed to
be as sustainable as possible
and to accommodate autonomous
cars. In fact, the developer
expects self driving cars to
serve as the town's public
transportation system. "We're
really looking closely at
parking, the size of the
streets, what ultimately that's
going to look like when you have
driverless cars within the
community,"..." [Read more](http://gas2.org/2016/05/04/new-florida-town-designed-autonomous-cars-mind/)Hmmm...Bravo
again! Alain
Microsoft’s first self-driving car hits the road with Cortana riding shotgun
M. Dean, May 12 " April 25,
"...Microsoft has also joined
their ranks and showed off its
first smart car...." [Read more](http://windowsreport.com/microsoft-first-self-driving-car/)
Hmmm...never
too late. Alain
Some other
thoughts that deserve your
attention
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:
Inquiry into driverless car radiation risk
G. Paton, May 16 “An investigation has been launched into the health effects of driverless cars amid concerns that magnetic fields generated by the vehicles may pose risks to motorists.
The United Nations has set
up a task force to assess
electromagnetic radiation
levels in the cars, which
are packed with hi-tech
equipment. Sources said that
it could lead to new
regulations to limit the
strength of gadgets such as
radar, lane sensors,
sat-navs and entertainment
systems..." [Read more](http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/inquiry-into-driverless-car-radiation-risk-wkjp0r6kv) Hmmm...You
can't make this stuff
up, or another strike
against Lidar? Alain
Volvo’s self-driving trucks are going underground
S Roberts, May 9, “…The truck is fitted with GPS technology and LiDAR sensors, which continuously scan its surroundings. ….” Read more Hmmm…I keep missing something… GPS doesn’t work underground. OK that’s why you need the Lidar. But GPS cost but pennies, so what’s the big deal??? Alain
Can the ‘internet of moving things’ end traffic jams?
M Wall, May 10, “…The better we know where everything is, the better we can manage traffic flows and optimize routes, avoiding congestion, accidents and natural hazards, the argument goes….” Read more Hmmm…Not really… Unless the vehicles are automated, good luck on getting humans to follow the “cloud’s” directives. Plus who is the “we” overseeing “the cloud”. Very 1984ish! I’m not a fan! Best way to eliminate congestion is to provide mobility that allows individuals that now drive alone (which is essentially everyone today) to ride along in small groups (casual ride-sharing), especially in “the peak direction” at “peak times”. Congestion gone without “1984”! Alain
Ford patents drone that acts as autonomous car lookout
M. Martinez, May 10 “…The United States Patent and Trademark Office published a Ford patent application for a drone deployment system that would work with autonomous vehicles to serve as the car’s “eyes” by flying ahead and mapping its surroundings. Passengers would use the car’s infotainment or navigation systems to control the drone as an aerial sensor…The drone device is introduced to the vehicle system in order to extend the range at which the vehicle is about to obtain information on its surroundings beyond the range of any one or more sensors, visual systems and/or communications interfaces that may be onboard the vehicle,” the patent says.”…“ Read more Hmmm…This one probably deserves a C’mon Man! Really??? Maybe for a high speed railroad because it can’t see far enough ahead (but then it needs a high speed drone). This one doesn’t come close to passing the “sniff test”. Ford paid lawyers to file this??? Things must be slow. Alain
USDOT updates its Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation Architecture
May 11, “..The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) has announced that the Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation Architecture (CVRIA) and the Systems Engineering Tool for Intelligent Transportation (SET-IT) have been updated to Version 2.2 and are now available at the CVRIA website…The SET-IT software provides a single software tool that integrates drawing and database tools with the CVRIA, so that users can develop project architectures for pilots, test beds, and early deployments….Read more Hmmm…We were all anxiously waiting for this update! Alain
###
C’mon Man!
(These folks didn't get/read
the memo)
Calendar
of Upcoming Events:
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:
#
###
###
Beverly Hills to Develop Autonomous Vehicles
M. Walker
April 15, "The
Beverly Hills
City Council
voted
unanimously
this week to
adopt a
resolution to
develop
driverless
vehicles that
will provide
public
transportation
throughout the
city.
The program is
part of
Beverly Hills
mayor John
Mirisch's plan
for a
municipally
owned fleet of
autonomous
vehicles that
would function
as an
on-demand car
shuttle
service to and
from any
address in the
city. .." [Read more](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/beverly-hills-develop-autonomous-vehicles-884316) Hmmm...Communities
all around the
nation should
follow what
BH, Austin and
a few other
communities
are doing.
There is an
opportunity to
begin
on-demand
shared-ride
"21st Century
Public
Transit"
mobility using
volunteer
drivers to
initiate and
thoroughly
demonstrate
this low-cost
mobility in
preparation
for a massive
roll-out that
can take place
once
driverless
cars can
extend/replace
the volunteer
drivers. [Staff report](http://www.beverlyhills.org/cbhfiles/storage/files/148071911817855902/StaffReportAVs3-22-16.pdf) on
the matter; [another article](http://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/beverly-hills-votes-to-create-autonomous-vehicle-program/?_escaped_fragment_=#); [landing page for the program](http://www.beverlyhills.org/living/autonomousvehicles/#CNTSTN_2296).
Alain
###
N.J. superintendent killed while jogging was struck by student late for trip
K. Shea, April 19, “…The Robbinsville High School student who was driving the car that struck and killed the district’s superintendent Tuesday morning was late for a school trip when the crash occurred, according to two sources involved in the investigation….” Read more Hmmm…Most tragic in so many dimensions!!! HOWEVER, it was NOT the student that STRUCK the Superintendent, it was the CAR. AND the CAR needs to start being held responsible for ALLOWING such tragedies to ruin so many lives. It is very likely that this tragedy could have been averted had the car been equipped with an automated collision avoidance system and/or lane-keeping system. Given the availability of these “tragedy avoidance systems”, we should all be asking why this CAR wasn’t equipped with such a system and why all cars aren’t so equipped. Certainly innocent runners and dogs need to be asking such questions. So too, that young lady’s car insurance company; it must be muttering: “shouda bought her that upgrade”. What about the car companies themselves who are largely just sitting on the technology or the dealerships that don’t feel compelled to espouse the benefits of such technology while pushing more “horsepower” and “Corinthian Leather” (and worse yet: “AooleCarXYZ” that distracts drivers). We all know that Washington is broken. Them staying out of the way is probably best (although aggressively applying better human-visible paint/laneMarkings and human-readable signs would go a long way to helping both attentive drivers and automated lane-keeping systems). Everyone else has fundamental self-interest at stake and each needs to stop pointing the finger to the frail human driver. We have the technology and the the self-interest to make mobility substantially safer. Let’s really get on with it. It’s time! Alain
Automated Vehicle Operational Guidance Public Meeting
April 8,"At
this meeting,
NHTSA sought
input on
planned
operational
guidelines for
the safe
deployment of
automated
vehicles (AV).
Of high
importance to
the agency is
information on
the roadway
scenarios and
operational
environments
that highly
automated
vehicles will
need to
address, and
the associated
design and
evaluation
processes and
methods needed
to ensure that
AV systems are
able to detect
and
appropriately
react to these
scenarios" [Read more](http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/nhtsa-meetings-automated-vehicles-03112016) Hmmm...[Watch testimony](https://youtu.be/J_RvYZR_HLA)
, especially:
[testimony of Dr. Jerome Lutin](https://youtu.be/J_RvYZR_HLA?t=17014). Alain
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
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](file:///C:/Users/alaink/Desktop/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
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