2021-01-24
January 22, 2021
blue;
text-decoration:
blue;
text-decoration:
none;">3rd
edition of the
9th year of
SmartDrivingCars
eLetter
U-M’s Robert Hampshire joins Biden administration to work in transportation research and technology
J. Karoub, Jan. 21, “Robert Hampshire, associate professor at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy whose research and policy engagement focuses on understanding the societal, climate and equity implications of autonomous and connected vehicles and other innovative mobility services, has joined the Biden administration to work in the U.S. Transportation Department. Robert Hampshire, associate professor at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy whose research and policy engagement focuses on understanding the societal, climate and equity implications of autonomous and connected vehicles and other innovative mobility services, has joined the Biden administration to work in the U.S. Transportation Department.” Read more Hmmmm… What a fantastic appointment. Congratulations Robert! Alain
SmartDrivingCars
[Pod-Cast Episode 195](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-195) [Zoom-Cast Episode 195](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp2cUTElFmo)
w/Diana Furchtgott-Roth, G. Washington U.
###
F. Fishkin,
Jan. 24, "."
Alexa, play the
Smart Driving
Cars podcast!".
Ditto with Siri,
and GooglePlay
...
Alain
4th Annual Princeton SmartDrivingCar Summit
5th Live Episode: Live on Zoom
How demographics, COVID-19 and the new U.S. administration will change the equation for safely-driven and driverless cars
noon ET, Thursday, Georgia, serif;”>
Georgia,
serif;"> [Video Summary of 1st Session: Setting the Stage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCc9N8o1dys&feature=youtu.be)
The
SmartDrivingCars
eLetter,
Pod-Casts,
Zoom-Casts and
Zoom-inars are
made possible
in part by
support from
the Smart
Transportation
and Technology
ETF, symbol
MOTO. For
more
information: [www.motoetf.com](https://www.smartetfs.com/). Most funding is
supplied by
Princeton
University's
Department of
Operations
Research &
Financial
Engineering
and Princeton
Autonomous
Vehicle
Engineering
(PAVE)
research
laboratory as
part of its
research
dissemination
initiatives.
Buttigieg Pledges to Support Biden’s $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
T. Mann, Jan 21, “Former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg pledged Thursday his support forPresident Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure-rebuilding planduring a confirmation hearing before a Senate panel.
The $2
trillion
target is tied
to Mr. Biden's
goal to use
climate change
as a wedge for
economic
development,
focused on
rebuilding
roads and
bridges and
expanding
zero-emission
mass transit
and
electric-car
infrastructure.
In all, the
administration
seeks to spend
$7 trillion
over a decade
to combat
climate
change, his
campaign and
third-party
experts have
said.
Mr. Buttigieg,
Mr. Biden's
nominee to
lead the
Transportation
Department,
told the
Senate
Commerce
Committee that
he would
pursue the
administration's
goals to drive
federal
spending on
roads, rails
and
bridges...."
[Read more](https://www.wsj.com/articles/buttigieg-pledges-to-support-bidens-2-trillion-infrastructure-plan-11611259580?mod=politics_lead_pos7) Hmmmm... A really good choice
here Plus.. [Biden-Harris Administration Announces USDOT Appointees](https://aashtojournal.org/2021/01/22/biden-harris-administration-announces-slate-of-usdot-appointees/)
"The
Biden-Harris
administration
has nominated
a broad slate
of appointees
to take over
crucial
positions
within the
U.S.
Department of Transportation..." including
Dr./Prof.
Robert
Hampshire and
Vinn White.
Fantastic!
Alain
Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First 9 Months (Jan–Sep) of 2020
NHTSA, Dec
202, "A
statistical
projection of
traffic
fatalities for
the first 9
months of 2020
shows that an
estimated
28,190 people
died in motor
vehicle
traffic
crashes. This
represents an
increase of
about 4.6
percent as
compared to
26,941
fatalities
reported to
have occurred
in the first 9
months of
2019, as shown
in Table 1.
Preliminary
data reported
by the Federal
Highway
Administration
(FHWA) shows
that vehicle
miles traveled
(VMT) in the
first 9 months
of 2020
decreased by
about 355.5
billion miles,
or about a
14.5-percent
decrease. Also
shown in Table
1 are the
fatality rates
per 100
million VMT,
by quarter.
The fatality
rate for the
first 9 months
of 2020
increased to
1.35
fatalities per
100 million
VMT, up from
the 1.10
fatalities per
100 million
VMT in the
first 9 months
of 2019 " [Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/d5b62jeldlpdxi6/Early%20Estimate%20of%20Motor%20Vehicle%20Traffic%20Fatalities%20for%20the%20First%209%20Months%20%28Jan%E2%80%93Sep%29%20of%202020.pdf?dl=0) Hmmmm... Yipes! That's almost a
25% increase
in fatalities/
VMT !!! That
reflects an
enormous
increase in
Driver misbehavior
and/or, As
Diana
Furchtgott-Roth
points in the
[SDC Podcast #195](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp2cUTElFmo),
it may well be
that drivers
that tend to
not misbehave
while driving
may well be
staying home
and driving
much less than
those that
tend to
misbehave. A
change in the
mix of who is
actually
driving the
VMT could
actually
result in
higher death
per VMT
without any
change in the
distribution
of the
propensity to
misbehave
across those
that drive.
Parsimoniously,
it could
simply be:
those that
tend to
misbehave are
driving more
of the miles
that are being
driven and
those that
tend to not
misbehaving
are staying
home more than
they did
pre-Covid.
Alain
Microsoft invests in $30 billion driverless car company Cruise
FT, Jan. 19, “Microsoft has invested in Cruise, the General Motors driverless car unit, in a $2 billion funding round that gives the autonomous driving company a $30 billion valuation.
Cruise, which
was bought by
GM for "more
than $1
billion" in
2016, when it
had just 40
employees, now
has almost
2,000 staff
and accounts
for more than
40 percent of
GM's $71.5
billion market capitalisation...." [Read more](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/anthony-levandowski-pardoned-after-stealing-trade-secrets-from-google.html) Hmmmm...Since the opportunity
still remains
for Cruise to
be #1 in
Driverless
Cars, the
valuation is
not
unreasonable.
Heck, "[Goldmine Sax" values Uber @ $120B](https://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-proposals-value-company-at-120-billion-in-a-possible-ipo-1539690343)
at one point
prior to [Elaine Herzberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Elaine_Herzberg)
tragic death.
Alain
How Volkswagen’s $50 Billion Plan to Beat Tesla Short-Circuited
W. Boston, Jan 19, “Five years and nearly $50 billion into the auto industry’s biggest bet on electric vehicles, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess and his guest, Chancellor Angela Merkel, stood in anticipation as the first ID.3, Germany’s long-awaited answer to Tesla, rolled off the assembly line.
The event at
the company's
flagship EV
plant just
over a year
ago marked a
"systemic
shift from the
combustion
engine to the
electric
vehicle," said
Thomas
Ulbrich,
leader of the
ID.3 effort.
The car,
however,
didn't work as
advertised.
It could
drive, turn
corners and
stop on a
dime. But the
fancy
technology
features VW
had promised
were either
absent or
broken. The
company's
programmers
hadn't yet
figured out
how to update
the car's
software
remotely. Its
futuristic
head-up
display that
was supposed
to flash
speed,
directions and
other data
onto the
windshield
didn't
function.
Early owners
began
reporting
hundreds of
other software
bugs...." [Read more](https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-volkswagens-50-billion-plan-to-beat-tesla-short-circuited-11611073974) Hmmmm.. Whew!! Alain
‘Notorious’ Port Authority Bus Terminal May Get a $10 Billion Overhaul
P. McGeehan,
Jan 21, "Few
public spaces
in the country
have been
derided so
thoroughly and
so often as
the Port
Authority Bus
Terminal in
the heart of
Manhattan.
The dreary
70-year-old
station, with
its leaky
ceilings and
dingy
vestibules,
has become
synonymous
with the
overburdened,
crumbling
infrastructure
that has made
commuting in
New York City
a slog.
Now, the Port
Authority of
New York and
New Jersey,
which operates
the busiest
bus terminal
in the
country, has
settled on a
final proposal
for
transforming
it into a
21st-century
transit hub
capable of
handling many
more buses.
The project's
announcement
on Thursday
follows the
opening on
Jan. 1 of the
Moynihan Train
Hall, a
majestic,
light-filled
terminus meant
to alleviate
overcrowding
at
Pennsylvania
Station.... The
Port Authority
wants the new
terminal to be
able to handle
1,000 buses
during the
peak evening
rush hour, up
from about 850
today. It also
would be
designed to
provide
charging
equipment for
electric
buses,
according to
the
plan...." [Read more](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/arts/design/moynihan-train-hall-review.html) Hmmmm...Actually, the opportunity exists for more than 1,200 buses/hour
using the new
terminal if
those buses
are equipped
with
intelligent
cruise control
that is
available in
many car
dealerships
today. This
is the same
technology
that today
comes as [standard equipment on many, if not essentially all, new Subarus](https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/what-is-subaru-eyesight).
At some time
during, if not
at the ribbon
cutting of,
the operation
of this new
terminal, this
technology
will be on
many, if not
all, buses
using this new
terminal. The
justification
for it to be
on those buses
will have come
from a mandate
promoting
technology
that
substantially
reduces the
probability of
rear-end
crashes,
reduces
top-line
expenses to
cover
un-insured
claims/liabilities,
and to
substantially
improve the
the workplace
of drivers by
making driving
much less
stressful.
These benefits
provide
sufficient
incentives to
make the RoI
for
intelligent
cruise control
on buses a
total
no-brainer.
As the late Prof. Lou Pignataro and I proposed 25 years ago, this technology, which is readily available today in cars, if applied to the buses from/to New Jersey would readily and safely enable 1,100 buses/hr. to use the XBL, the main feeder artery linking New Jersey to the Mid-town bus terminal. The XBL is capacity-constrained today because it relies on human bus drivers to maintain safe separation of buses. Normal vagaries associated with human operation (a large variation in bus headway) ends up limiting the current bus through-put to a maximum of about 750 buses per hour. As Prof. Pignataro and I pointed out 25 years ago, this technology could substantially reduce the variance in headway to readily overachieve a 50% increase in bus throughput, and consequently a 50% increase in high-quality, affordable mobility from New Jersey to Mid-town Manhattan. It is fundamentally important that the new bus terminal be designed from the beginning to be in tune with the improved performance opportunity of the XBL resulting from intelligent cruise control in the buses that will be using the XBL, and necessarily, the new bus terminal. It must be able to readily serve the XBL’s 1,100 buses/hr. as well as the other buses that don’t need to use the XBL to reach the terminal. It would be a real shame if after spending all of that money to modernize the terminal it was explicitly designed to remain THE CONSTRAINT to mobility from/to mobility.
One might also ask if the bus terminal is really the best place to recharge bus batteries. We can agree that it needs emergency battery recharge capability; however, given bus duty cycles and the location availability of renewable energy sources, the bus terminal may well not even be a good location for this activity, let alone the best. During peak periods the brief time that each bus is in the terminal is largely consumed by the time needed to safely and pleasantly alight and board passengers. That time may be so scarce that batteries can’t even be “topped-off’ in any meaningful way. Seems to me that the ability to accommodate the increase demand that intelligent cruise control may well deliver is a substantially better design objective (this doesn’t even seem to be “on the table”), than being able to “top-off” batteries. (which is being explicitly touted). Alain
Keep the Trains and Buses Running
Opinion, Jan. 21, “The coronavirus pandemic is jeopardizing the long-term health of the public transit systems that provide a crucial circulatory system for major American cities — particularly for lower-income residents who depend on trains and buses to get to work, the market or the doctor.
Transit
authorities
have tried to
ride out the
pandemic,
which has
sharply
reduced
ridership and
farebox
revenues, by
curtailing
service. In
New York,
where the
subway
famously runs
through the
night, the
subway no
longer runs
through the
night. Metra,
the Chicago
area's primary
commuter rail
service, has
suspended
roughly half
of its daily
schedule.
Atlanta's
regional
transportation
agency has
stopped
running buses
on more than
60 of its 110
bus routes.
These transit
cuts are yet
another area
in which
affluence has
shaped the
experience of
the pandemic.
Many
well-to-do
commuters are
able to work
from home, or
to drive to
the office.
The changes
amount to an
inconvenience.
Millions of
lower-income
Americans,
meanwhile,
work in jobs
that require
their
presence, and
they cannot
afford to get
to work in
other ways.
They must
leave home
earlier, wait
longer, walk
farther and
return later.
What once took
half an hour
may now take
two hours. A
direct commute
may now
require two
transfers...."
[Read more](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/opinion/public-transit-funding.html) Hmmmm... The unfortunate aspect
of this
opinion is
that it
doesn't even
hint that
Driverless
technology
might actually
be an
opportunity to
provide
desirable,
high-quality,
affordable
transit 24/7
to the
mobility
disadvantaged...
those that for
whatever
reason can't
drive a car to
many outside
Manhattan.
What a shame
that an
enormous
amount of
money is about
to be spent
restoring bus
services that
is so
unattractive
that it is
used only by
those who have
no other
alternative.
Alain
Trump pardons Anthony Levandowski, the engineer who stole self-driving car secrets from Google
A. Kharpal, Jan 20, “President Donald Trump has pardoned Anthony Levandowski, the former Google engineer sentenced to prison for stealing trade secrets relating to driverless cars from the search giant.
On Wednesday,
Levandowksi
was among
dozens of
individuals
who received a
full pardon
from Trump on
his last night
in the White
House.
The White
House listed
tech
billionaire
Peter Thiel
and Oculus
founder Palmer
Luckey as
supporters of
Levandowski's
pardon. Thiel
was a major
supporter and
advisor for
the 2016
campaign, but
did not back
Trump's
reelection
effort. Luckey
hosted a
fundraiser for
Trump just
weeks before
the 2020
election...."
[Read more](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/anthony-levandowski-pardoned-after-stealing-trade-secrets-from-google.html) Hmmmm...See also.. R. Mitchell: [Trump pardons ex-Google engineer who stole trade secrets](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-01-20/pardon-for-former-google-engineer-who-stole-trade-secrets) Some, like [Belichick](https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/11/politics/bill-belichick-presidential-medal-of-freedom-spt-trnd/index.html)[,](https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/11/politics/bill-belichick-presidential-medal-of-freedom-spt-trnd/index.html)
found the
long-term
strings likely
to be attached
to completely
negate the
short-term
personal gain
of a gift from
this
President. See
also [Timothy Lee's take](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/01/trump-pardons-anthony-levandowski-for-google-trade-secret-theft/),
[Kirsten Korosec's take](https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/19/former-google-engineer-anthony-levandowski-among-list-of-last-minute-trump-pardons/)
and [Russ Mitchell's take](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-01-20/pardon-for-former-google-engineer-who-stole-trade-secrets).
Alain
Robotaxis and Self-Driving Cars Are Coming. This Company Will Be the Brains Behind Them.
A. Fox, Jan
11, "The time
for consumer
autonomous
cars is fast
approaching,
and investors
can already
kick the
tires. Auto
supplier Aptiv
showed off its
improving
self-driving
abilities at a
virtual
Consumer
Electronic
Show on
Monday,
indicating
that some
autonomous
services, such
as robotaxis,
are just
around the
corner.
Aptiv (ticker:
APTV)
announced a
new brain, or
system
architecture,
for
intelligent
vehicles as
well as its
next-generation
ADAS, or
advanced
driver
assistance
systems,
products.
ADAS,
pronounced
"eh-das," is
industry
jargon for
autonomous
driving. At
its most
sophisticated
level, the
cars drive
themselves.
The details in
the news
releases
appear arcane,
but they
demonstrate
how close the
world is to
fully
autonomous
driving—as
well as what
challenges
remain..." [Read more](https://www.barrons.com/articles/robotaxis-self-driving-cars-are-coming-this-company-makes-the-brains-51610382228) Hmmmm... I'm happy that my
father-in-law
convinced me
to buy some
last year. I
need to
continue to
take his
advice on all
matters. 😁
Alain
###
The Challenges of Selling at Retail and Competing with Behemoths – Part 4 of a Conversation with Alain Kornhauser
K. Pyle, Dec. 21, “By relying on internally generated cash-flow and never receiving outside investment, Dr. Alain Kornhauser explains how he was able to keep a firewall between his interests in ALK Technologies and his teaching at Princeton. From humble beginnings in 1979, ALK grew to approximately 200 people and in January 2013, it was sold to Trimble Navigation…….” Read more Hmmmm… We had a nice conversation. Thank you Ken. Alain
Where Are We on the Road to Safe Driving?
K. Pyle, Jan. 16, “The road to safe-driving is one with a destination that is always just out of reach. That is, paraphrasing Princeton Professor Dr. Alain Kornhauser, 100% risk-free transportation is unachievable. With that in mind, Kornhauser did an excellent job of organizing a panel of experts from Europe and America to discuss existing and future solutions to make human-driven vehicles safer.
Moderated by
Consumer
Reports' Head
of Connected
and Automated
Vehicles,
Kelly
Funkhouser,
the panel
consisted of
human factors
experts
representatives
from European
and U.S.
safety rating
institutes.
The most
important
message from
these esteemed
experts, that
regardless of
the safety
features of
any new car,
it is
imperative
that the
driver remain
fully engaged
in the driving
experience.
..." [Read more](https://viodi.com/2021/01/16/where-are-we-on-the-road-to-safe-driving/) Hmmmm...Ken, nice summary. Thank
you. Alain
BMW becomes the latest automaker to shut down its subscription service
A. Hawkins, Jan. 14, “BMW is suspending its two-year-old car subscription service, The Verge has learned.
Access by BMW
was launched
in 2018 in
Nashville as a
pilot project
to test out
whether
customers
would want to
have access to
a fleet of
fancy cars but
not
necessarily
own one. But
recent
requests to
sign up have
been met with
a disclaimer
that the
service is in
the process of
shutting down.
A Nashville
resident who
was interested
in applying
for the
subscription
service was
told that it
was going to
be defunct by
the end of
January.
"Unfortunately
the Access by
BMW
subscription
program is
ending on
January 31st
and we are no
longer taking
new members,"
a sales
representative
said in an
email...." [Read more](https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/14/22231451/bmw-access-subscription-shut-down-nashville-cancel) Hmmmm... Not a surprising call
by BMW. Alain
What we know about the Apple car
I. Fried, Jan
22, "Apple's
moves toward
breaking into
the market for
self-driving
cars have come
in fits and
starts, but it
has big
ambitions for
the space and
is moving
forward both
with its own
efforts and
with potential
partnerships
with
automakers.
Why it
matters: Apple
has great
businesses in
phones and
computers, but
its long-term
growth
potential will
depend on
conquering an
entirely new
market.
Improving
health care
and playing a
role in
autonomous
vehicles
appear to be
its two
biggest bets
on that front.
What's
happening:...
The bottom
line: Whatever
Apple is doing
will take
time. Given
how much work
still needs to
be done on
automated
driving,
Abuelsamid
said that
probably puts
an Apple car,
or even a
service,
"likely in the
second half of
the 2020s.""
[Read more](https://www.axios.com/apple-car-what-we-know-421ac809-2560-4609-8f66-809dd5f80d71.html) Hmmmm... Yup!. Alain
TikTok star criminally uses Tesla Autopilot and posts video evidence
F. Lambert, Jan 21., “TikTok star criminally uses Tesla Autopilot and posts video evidence…” Read more Hmmmm… Not at all cute. Both must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Elon MUST introduce driver monitoring systems that will disable these systems if they are used outside their Operational Design Domain AND Elon should be held personally liable for any damages occurring during the use of these vehicles.Alain
Uber planning to spin out Postmates’ delivery robot arm
K. Korosec, Jan. 15, “ Another Uber spinout is in the works. Postmates X, the robotics division of the on-demand delivery startup that Uber acquired last year for $2.65 billion, is seeking investors in its bid to become a separate company, according to several people familiar with the plans.
The startup is
being referred
to as Serve
Robotics, a
nod to the
yellow and
black-emblazoned
autonomous
sidewalk
delivery bot
that was
developed and
piloted by
Postmates X.
The Serve
robot, which
recently
partnered with
Pink Dot
Stores for
deliveries in
West
Hollywood,
will likely be
the
centerpiece of
the new
startup...." [Read more](https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/15/uber-planning-to-spin-out-postmates-delivery-robot-arm/) Hmmmm... Firesale. Alain
Survey shows EV owners will not go back to gas, brand loyalty is a bit ‘fickle,’ and Tesla leads
F. Lambert,
Jan 22, "A new
Electric
Vehicle
Experience
(EVX)
Ownership
Study by JD
Power shows
that electric
car owners
will not go
back to gas,
but brand
loyalty is a
bit more
"fickle."..."
[Read more](https://electrek.co/2021/01/22/survey-shows-ev-owners-not-go-back-to-gas-brand-loyalty-bit-fickle-tesla-leads/) Hmmmm... Very interesting.
Alain
Foxconn, Geely team up to build electric, autonomous and shared vehicles for automakers
K. Korosec, Jan. 13, “ The electric, autonomous vehicles of the future might be manufactured by Apple’s main supplier Foxconn and Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
The two
companies have
agreed to form
a joint
venture
focused on
contract
manufacturing
for
automakers,
with a
specific focus
on
electrification,
connectivity
and autonomous
driving
technology as
well as
vehicles
designed for
sharing. Each
party will
hold an equal
50% stake in
the new joint
venture. The
board of
directors will
consist of
five members,
with Foxconn
appointing
three,
including the
chairman, and
Geely Holding
appointing
two, according
to a statement
issued by the
two
companies....." [Read more](https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/13/foxconn-geely-team-up-to-build-electric-autonomous-and-shared-vehicles-for-automakers-startups/) Hmmmm... Tough to successfully compete with
an existing
automaker in
making cars
unless you
have superior
automated car
software and
sensor stack.
Alain
Microsoft teams up with Cruise on self-driving cars, chips in for $2 billion investment
A. Hawkins,
Jan 19,
"Microsoft is
joining forces
with Cruise,
the
self-driving
subsidiary of
General
Motors, to
help speed up
the
commercialization
of autonomous
vehicles. The
software giant
is also
chipping in on
a new equity
investment of
$2 billion for
Cruise, along
with previous
investors
Honda and GM,
bringing the
AV company's
valuation up
to a whopping
$30 billion.
Microsoft and
Cruise are
entering "a
long-term
strategic
relationship"
— though the
partnership
won't be
exclusive. It
is one of
Microsoft's
first
partnerships
with an
autonomous
vehicle
company. (The
company also
struck a deal
with UK-based
startup Wayve
last October.)
As part of the
deal, Cruise
will use
Azure,
Microsoft's
cloud
computing
platform, to
help speed up
the process of
making money
off its fleet
of autonomous
vehicles. For
its part,
Microsoft will
leverage its
relationship
with Cruise to
expand more
into the
transportation
sector.... "
[Read more](https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226098/gm-chevy-bolt-electric-car-tease-super-cruise-release-date) Hmmmm... Not a bad call by
Msft. Alain
0, 0);">[Annual Princeton](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/session/20210128)SmartDrivingCar
Summit 5th Episode at noon on Jan. 28, 2021
TO BE followed by
11 more weekly
episodes
through to
April15,
2021. Each
episode
starting Live
on Zoom @ noon
Eastern
(Princeton
Time) and
lasting for
1.5 hours or
until
Discussion
with audience
ends. A.
Kornhauser,
Feb 6, "The
focus of the
Summit this
year will be
moving beyond
the AI and the
Sensors to
addressing the
challenges of Commercialization and the delivery of tangible value to communities.
We've made
enormous
progress with
the
technology.
We're doing
the
investment;
however, this
investment
delivers value
only if is
commercialized:
made available
and is used by
consumers in
large
numbers.
Demos and
one-offs are
"great", but
to deliver
value that is
anywhere near
commensurate
with the
magnitude of
the investment
made to date,
initial
deployments
need to
scale. We
can't just
have
"Morgantown
PRT Systems"
whose initial
deployment has
been nothing
but enormously
successful for
45 years (an
essentially
perfect safety
record, an
excellent
availability
record and
customer
valued
mobility).
Unfortunately,
the system was
never expanded
or duplicated
anywhere. It
didn't scale.
It is a
one-off.
Tests, demos and one-offs are nice niche deployments; however, what one really needs are initial deployments that have the opportunity to grow, be replicated and scale. In 1888, Frank Sprague, successfully deployed a small electric street railway system in Richmond, Va. which became the reference for many other cites. “… By 1889 110 electric railways incorporating Sprague’s equipment had been begun or planned on several continents…” Substantial scaled societal benefits emerged virally from this technology. It was eventually supplanted by the conventional automobile but for more than 30 years it delivered substantial improvements to the quality-of-life for many.
In part, the
4th Summit
will focus on
defining the
"Richmond" of
Affordable
Shared-ride
On-demand
Mobility-as-a-Service.
The initial
Operational
Design Domain
(ODD) that
safely
accommodates
Driverless
Mobility
Machines that
people
actually
choose to use
and becomes
the envy of
communities
throughout the
country. " [Read more](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/) Hmmmm... [Draft Program](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/) is
in flux.
Consider all
named
individuals as
"Invited yet
to be
confirmed".
Alain
C’mon Man!(These folks didn’t get/read the memo)
Sunday Supplement
Half-Baked
Click-Bait
Calendar of Upcoming
Events:s
4th Annual Princeton SmartDrivingCar Summit
5th Live Episode: Live on Zoom
How demographics, COVID-19 and the new U.S. administration will change the equation for safely-driven and driverless cars
noon ET, Thursday, Georgia, serif;”>
Georgia,
serif;"> [Video Summary of 1st Session: Setting the Stage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCc9N8o1dys&feature=youtu.be)
Georgia,
serif;">
On the More Technical Side
http://orfe.princeton.edu/~alaink/SmartDrivingCars/Papers/
###
These editions are sponsored by the SmartETFs Smart Transportation and Technology ETF, symbol MOTO. For more information head to www.motoetf.com
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 194 Zoom-Cast Episode 194 w/Anuj Pradhan, UMass
###
F. Fishkin,
Jan. 15,
""When it
comes to
vehicle safety technology...should manufacturers be sharing instead of competing?
Should there
be
standardization?
Anuj Pradhan,
co-director of
the Human
Performance
Lab at UMASS
Amherst joins
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin for
that...plus
the latest
from GM,
Tesla,
Mobileye, Nio
and more." SmartDrivingCars
[Pod-Cast Episode 193](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-193) [Zoom-Cast Episode 193](https://youtu.be/OETxB_wzkDw)
w/Bobby
Hambrick,
AutonomousStuff
###
F. Fishkin,
Jan. 8, "Bobby
Hambrick
started
AutuonomouStuff
in a barn in
Morton,
Illinois....and
has pioneered
much of the
technology
moving the
autonomous
industry
forward, now
as part of
Hexagon. Bobby
joins
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin to
look back and
look ahead.
Plus...Apple,
Hyundai,
Waymo, Tesla
and more! "
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 192 Zoom-Cast Episode 192 w/Danny Shapiro, nVIDIA
###
F. Fishkin,
Dec. 30,
"NVIDIA
continues on a
roll powering
the Zoox robo
taxi unveiled
this month by
Amazon.
NVIDIA senior
director of
automotive
Danny Shapiro
outlines the
progress and
looks ahead to
2021 in the
latest Smart
Driving Cars
with
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin. "
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 191 Zoom-Cast Episode 191 w/ Louis Aaron’23 and Joel Johnson
F. Fishkin, Dec. 20, “College student Joel Johnson has been keeping a log of dozens of trips in Waymo’s self driving service in Chandler, Arizona, and posting videos on YouTube. Louis Aaron’23, another student, has been working with Elon Musk’s Boring Company in Las Vegas. The two share their experiences with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin in the latest Smart Driving Cars.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 190 Zoom-Cast Episode 190 w/Chris Urmson, Aurora
###
F. Fishkin,
Dec. 15, "With
Aurora taking
over Uber's
self driving
efforts, what
is on the
horizon for
the start up
whose leaders
have roots at
Waymo, Tesla
and Uber?
Co-founder and
CEO Chris
Urmson joins
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin in
this special
edition of
Smart Driving
Cars." SmartDrivingCars
[Pod-Cast Episode 189](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-189)
[Zoom-Cast Episode 189](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9ZtgZkjaLo&feature=youtu.be)
###
F. Fishkin,
Dec. 11, "With
the 4th Annual
Princeton
Smart Driving
Cars Summit
about to get
underway...a
preview of
what's to
come.
Plus..Aurora
takes over
Uber's
self-driving
car project,
Cruise tests
fully
driverless
behind the
wheel, is
Apple planning
a self-driving
surprise and
more. Join
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser
& co-host
Fred Fishkin
...and
subscribe!"
SmartDrivingCars
[Pod-Cast Episode 188](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-188)
[Zoom-Cast Episode 188](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVWz6F5CHH4&feature=youtu.be)
F. Fishkin, Dec. 6, “The Nikola saga continues, AutoX goes fully driverless with robotaxis in China…plus Luminar, Tesla, TuSimple and more. Join Princeton University’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for Episode 188 of Smart Driving Cars.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 187 Zoom-Cast Episode 187 w/Michael Sena, The Dispatcher
F. Fishkin, Nov 25, “What you should know about electric cars, climate change and more. The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin in an eye opening edition of Smart Driving Cars..”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 186 Zoom-Cast Episode 186 w/Kelly Funkhouser, Consumer Report
F. Fishkin, Nov 24, “When it comes to active driver assistance systems, what works and what needs improvement? Some answers from Kelly Funkhouser… program manager for vehicle interface, head of connected and automated vehicles at Consumer Reports. She joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 186 of Smart Driving Cars.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 185 Zoom-Cast Episode 185 w/Dan Smith, Waymo F. Fishkin, Nov 20, “Only Waymo has been transporting customers in driverless vehicles without a safety monitor on board. What goes into that kind of decision? Waymo Assistant General Counsel Dan Smith joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin in this special edition of Smart Driving Cars.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 184 Zoom-Cast Episode 184 w/Marjory Blumenthal, Rand F. Fishkin, Nov 20, “So when are driverless vehicles safe enough to be deployed? Senior Rand Corporation policy researcher Marjory Blumenthal joins Princeton University’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to examine her latest report and more.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 183 Zoom-Cast Episode 183 w/Kirsten Korosec F. Fishkin, Nov 13, “Rivian’s hands free driver assistance will be standard equipment…while Ford unveils the E-Transit. TechCrunch Senior Transportation reporter and editor Kirsten Korosec joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Nuro, Tesla, Uber, Lyft, Cruise and more. Plus the coming changes for mobility under a new administration!”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 182 Zoom-Cast Episode 182 F. Fishkin, Nov 6, “What will a new administration mean for autonomous mobility? And what about the passage of Proposition 22 in California after Uber’s big campaign? That plus luxury EVs coming from Bentley….and cheap EVs from China. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 181 Zoom-Cast Episode 181 w/Sheldon b & Glenn Mercer F. Fishkin, Oct. 30, “Waymo releases self driving data…while traditional car dealers enjoy surprisingly strong profits during the pandemic. Why? What about the coming autonomous mobility? Bell Air Partners’ Sheldon Sandler and researcher-consultant Glenn Mercer explain in Episode 181 of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. “
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 180 Zoom-Cast Episode 180 w/John Rich, Ford/Argo, part 2 F. Fishkin, Oct. 15, “Ford and Argo AI have unveiled their next generation self-driving test vehicle. Once again, Ford’s Director of Autonomous Vehicle and Technology Development John Rich joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to unveil the technology and the company’s self driving business plans.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 179 Zoom-Cast Episode 179 w/John Rich, Ford/Argo F. Fishkin, Oct. 15, “Which autonomous vehicle platforms will survive? The director of Ford’s Autonomous Vehicle and Technology Development says there may only be two…and Ford /Argo AI will be one of them. John Rich joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 178 Zoom-Cast Episode 178 w/Andrew Hawkins, Verge F. Fishkin, Oct. 9, “Here we go! Waymo going fully driverless in Phoenix suburb service. The Verge senior transportation reporter Andrew Hawkins joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Tesla… Amazon… Rivian and more. Subscribe!
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 177 Zoom-Cast Episode 177
F. Fishkin,
Oct. 2, "New
grades for
assisted
driving
systems from
Euro NCAP.
But Princeton
Professor
Alain
Kornhauser
says the devil
is in the
details in
this edition
with co-host
Fred Fishkin.
And there's
Amazon's
success
against Covid
plusTesla,
Uber, GM,
Nikola and
more. SmartDrivingCars [Pod-Cast Episode 176](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-176) [Zoom-Cast Episode 176](https://youtu.be/lHjSTXH-GGchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHvG6Aqt6fk&feature=youtu.be)
w/Marc
Scribner
F. Fishkin, Sept. 25, “A new government entity to oversee autonomous vehicles? Marc Scribner, Sr. Transportation Policy Analyst at the Reason Foundation on regulation and more with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus…Tesla, Nikola, GM and the California move to ban new gasoline vehicles.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 175 Zoom-Cast Episode 175 w/Michael Sena F. Fishkin, Sept. 18, “Automobility and the future of car dealers… “The Dispatcher” publisher Michael Sena offers a different take on how car dealers may battle automakers pushing for direct to consumer subscriptions. That and more in this edition of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 174 Zoom-Cast Episode 174 w/Kelly Funkhouser, Consumer Reports
F. Fishkin, Sept. 4, “Moving forward with autonomous vehicle testing, the head of safety at Uber’s Advanced Technology Group is pledging safety data transparency. Nat Beuse joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co host Fred Fishkin for that and more on the latest mobility headlines.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 173 Zoom-Cast Episode 173 w/Nathanial Beuse F. Fishkin, Sept. 4, “Moving forward with autonomous vehicle testing, the head of safety at Uber’s Advanced Technology Group is pledging safety data transparency. Nat Beuse joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co host Fred Fishkin for that and more on the latest mobility headlines.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 172Zoom-Cast Episode 172 Special Edition w/Danny Shapiro
F. Fishkin ,Sept. 2, “Mercedes unveils the latest S Class with more computing power than 60 average cars…with NVIDIA playing a big role. NVIDIA’s Director of Automotive Danny Shapiro joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 171Zoom-Cast Episode 171 w/Henry Greenidge
SmartDrivingCars PodCast 170 ZoomCast Episode170 w/Michael Sena SmartDrivingCars PodCast Episode 169 ZoomCast Episode 169 w/Anthony Townsend SmartDrivingCars PodCast Episode 168 ZoomCast Episode 168 w/Olaf Sakkers SmartDrivingCars PodCast 167 ZoomCast Episode167 w/Robin Chase, Carlos Pardo & Daniel Sperling SmartDrivingCars PodCast Episode 166ZoomCast Episode 166 w/Jay Rodgers’95, CEO Local Motors
Zoom-inar
Episode 005
AmaZooks
F. Fishkin, July 20, “Is Driverless home delivery the fastest route to Affordable Mobility for the Mobility Disadvantaged? … “
SmartDrivingCars PodCast Episode 165,ZoomCast Episode165 w/Michael Sena
F. Fishkin 16, “Is the option to buy a car at a dealership going to vanish? The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena has a provocative perspective in this edition with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser & co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus..an update on the Amazon Zoox deal, autonomous vehicles and how they can help battle discrimination in transportation, TuSimple, Mobileye, Uber, Tesla and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast 164 Episode 164, Zoom-Cast Episode 163 w/Robbie Diamond
F. Fishkin, July 9, “Fostering economic opportunity through autonomous technology is the focus of an upcoming report from Security America’s Future Energy. Founder and CEO Robbie Diamond shares details and more in this edition with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus ..are armed police officers really needed for traffic enforcement? And the latest from Tesla, Waymo and more. …” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 163, Zoom-Cast Episode 163 w/Henry Greenidge F. Fishkin, July 2, “Transportation, racial injustices and changing the thinking around the future of mobility. NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy & Research fellow Henry Greenidge joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin in an eye and mind opening episode of Smart Driving Cars. Plus Amazon, Zoox, Waymo, Tesla & more. .”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 162, Zoom-Cast Episode 162 w/Cliff Winston
F. Fishkin, June 25, “From the Brookings Institution, Cliff Winston, co-author of Autonomous Vehicles…The Road to Economic Growth? joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus..why are fatal crash rates rising in the midst of a pandemic…plus NVIDIA, Didi, Tesla and more.”
Episode 004 [Insurance: For or Against SmartDrivingCars?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHlPaNmjeag&feature=youtu.be)
F. Fishkin,
June 23, "But
the debate is
not really
about
technology nor
is it about
who delivers
the best value
for the money
or the most
privacy. It is
about ..."
-
Zoom-inar (Video replay) Insurance: For or Against SmartDrivingCars?
-
PodCast (Audio Only) Insurance: For or Against SmartDrivingCars?
Listen/Watch more Hmmm… We only scratched the surface. Alain SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 161,Zoom-Cast Episode 161 w/Alberto Stochino F. Fishkin, June 17, “Is less data sometimes more when it comes to driverless vehicle technology? Perceptive Founder and CEO Alberto Stochino joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus the DOT’s new plan for sharing autonomous safety information, the latest from Tesla, EVs from China and more.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 160, Zoom-Cast Episode 160 w/Jessica Cicchino F. Fishkin, June 12, “Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Research VP Jessica Cicchino co-authored a new study saying self driving vehicles could struggle to eliminate most crashes. She joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to discuss the study. Plus the latest on Tesla, Ford & VW, Covid-19 and more. ”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 159, Zoom-Cast Episode 159 w/Kara Kockelman F. Fishkin, June 4, “Prof. Kara Kockelman’s focus on smart transportation to save lives, money and the environment has made her a sought after global expert. The U. of Texas Transportation Engineering Professor joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin on the impact of Covid-19 and much more. Plus Tesla, Uber, Argo AI and the top smart driving headlines. For more on Dr. Kockelman’s work….please visit… http://www.caee.utexas.edu/prof/kockelman.”
DrivingTheDebate
Episode 003 [Everyone's for Connectivity; but...](https://youtu.be/DMNLH_fkcI4) F. Fishkin,
June 2, "But
the debate is
not really
about
technology nor
is it about
who delivers
the best value
for the money
or the most
privacy. It is
about ..."
Listen/Watch more Hmmm… We only scratched the surface. Alain
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 158, Zoom-Cast Episode 158 w/Chunka Mui
F. Fishkin, May 28, “In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, what are the smartest ways to re-build and plan for the future? Futurist and author Chunka Mui joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Amazon, Zoox, Intel Mobileye, Tesla, Uber and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 157, Zoom-Cast Episode 157 w/Grayson Brulte
F. Fishkin, May 21, “Global auto makers must completely re-think their autonomous mobility strategy as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. So says innovation strategist Grayson Brulte of Brulte & Company….who joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus…Waymo, Tesla, Uber and more.”
DrivingTheDebate Episode 002 The Future of Public Roadway Transit F. Fishkin, May 14, ”Will the Bus be Thrown Under the Bus?…
-
Zoom-inar Video (Video replay)Smart Driving Cars: The Future of Public Roadway Transit
-
PodCast (Audio Only) Smart Driving Cars: The Future of Public Roadway Transit
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 156, Cars Zoom-Cast Episode 156 w/Danny Shapiro2 F. Fishkin, May 14, “With new hardware and software capabilities NVIDIA is expanding into new areas of driver assistance technology. Sr. Director of Automotive Danny Shapiro joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that…plus the latest on Waymo, Voyage, Ford and more. listen and subscribe!”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 155,Zoom-Cast Episode 155 w/Alex Roy2 F. Fishkin, April 29, “The continuing impact of Covid-19 on autonomous vehicle progress. But it may not be all bad news. Alex Roy…host of the No Parking Podcast and Director of Special Operations at Argo AI joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Tesla, Intel, Lyft, Uber and more. Listen and subscribe!
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 154, Zoom-Cast Episode 154 w/Dan Sperling F. Fishkin, April 29, “Can ride sharing rebound after the pandemic? Daniel Sperling, founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Tesla, Waymo, Ford and more.”
DrivingTheDebate Episode 001 The Driverless “New Normal” Debate F. Fishkin, April 27,
-
SmartDrivingCar PodCast (Audio Only) Smart Driving Cars: The Driverless New Normal Debate
-
Zoom Audience Questions (Only a few were addressed in Zoom-inar)
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 153, Zoom-Cast Episode 153 w/Dick Mudge2
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 152,Zoom-Cast Episode 152 w/Brad Templeton
SmartDrivingCars Podcast Episode 148 w/Richard Bishop
SmartDrivingCars Zoom-Cast Episode 148 w/Richard Bishop
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 147 - Michael Sena
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 142 - J. Hughes
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 141- A. Roy
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 139- Randal O’Toole
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 138-Nick Zart
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 136
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 135 - with Jim Atkinson
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 130 with Dick Mudge & Michael Sena
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 112 - J. Hardiman NJM
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 110 - Lance Elliot
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 108 3rd Summit Wrapup
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 106 3rd Summit David Kidd & Cecillia Feeley
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 104 3rd Summit Anil Lewis & Katherine Freund
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 97 - Michael Sena’69
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 71-Nader’55
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 69 - Chunka Mui
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 65 - Bernard Soriano, CA DMV
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 58-Keith Code,Motorcycles
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 55-Larry Burns, Autonomy
Recent Highlights of:
blue;
text-decoration:
none;">
[AUTOMATED VEHICLES: Comprehensive Plan](https://www.dropbox.com/s/35vtszzmvv90ohx/USDOT_AVCP.pdf?dl=0) E.
Chao, Jan.
2021, "The
Automated
Vehicles
Comprehensive
Plan
(Comprehensive
Plan)
describes how
the United
States
Department of
Transportation
(U.S. DOT) is
supporting the
safe
integration of
Automated
Driving
Systems (ADS)2
into the
surface
transportation
system. It
explains
Departmental
goals related
to ADS,
identifies
actions being
taken to meet
those goals,
and provides
real-world
examples of
how these
Departmental
actions relate
to emerging
ADS
applications...
" [Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/35vtszzmvv90ohx/USDOT_AVCP.pdf?dl=0) Hmmmm... I guess this is a good
plan. Of
course, Safety
is #1, as it
should be.
DoT's #1
public
responsibility
is Safety.
Whether Cyber
Security and
Privacy are #
2 and 3 and
ahead of
Enhanced
Mobility and
Accessibility
is certainly
debatable.
And if the Enhanced
Mobility and
Accessibility
of the
"mobility
disadvantaged
that have been
left behind by
our current
favored
transport
system" were
to be a
category, then
that one
should be
right behind
Safety at #2
if not ahead
of Safety and
a solid #1.
The rest. as
they should,
are
appropriately
details. What
is most
disconcerting
about the
report are the
images. To me,
those images
depict the
current
"haves", not
"have-nots"
and thus don't
really address
the mobility
needs and
desires of
those whose
quality-of-life
could be most
enhanced by
automation
technology.
These images
seem to focus
the Plan on
giving those
that already
have pretty
good ways to
get around,
yet another
way to get
around, where,
when you
finally get
right down to
it, may at
best be only
slightly
better than
what they
already have.
This
Comprehensive
Plan should
first be
focused on
providing
high-quality
affordable
mobility to
those whose
quality-of-life
could be most
improved by
such new
technologies
and
subsequently
serve those
that already
enjoy and can
afford other
high-quality
forms of
mobility.
Also, Elaine, thank you for a really good 4 years. You (and USDoT) were really the star of what was otherwise a most embarrassing Presidency. Also, thanks to Diana Furchtgott-Roth and many others in US DoT. Alain
January 08,
2021
Automatic braking is now on most new cars. But not GM or Fiat Chrysler vehicles C. Isidore, Dec 17, “Automatic braking, once a feature available exclusively to high-end cars, is becoming common across the industry, according to analysis from Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
But the
industry has
some notable
exceptions,
including
General Motors
(GM) and Fiat
Chrysler
(FCAU), which
badly trail
rivals in
offering
automatic
braking as
standard
equipment,
according to
the safety
groups.
Automatic
braking uses
sensors to
apply brakes
when a vehicle
ahead is
stopped, and
the car's
onboard
computer can
avoid or
lessen the
impact of an
accident. It's
an
increasingly
popular
feature with
car buyers.
Many
automakers are
emphasizing
the feature in
their
advertising
and sales
pitches.
Four
higher-end
brands already
had the
feature on 99%
or better of
their vehicles
before this
past year:
Audi,
Mercedes-Benz,
Volvo and
Tesla (TSLA).
Six more have
the feature on
at least 96%
of the
vehicles they
sold in the
United States
between
September 2019
and September
2020: BMW,
Hyundai,
Mazda, Subaru,
Toyota (TM)
and Volkswagen
(VLKAF). Three
more
automakers —
Ford (F),
Honda (HMC)
and Nissan
(NSANF), had
automatic
braking on
more than 90%
of their US
vehicles....
" [Read more](https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/17/business/automatic-braking/) Hmmmm... Set up for the [3rd session of the SDC Summit](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/session/20210114).
Alain
December 31,
2020 [Sustainable and Attainable: Zoox Unveils Autonomous Robotaxi Powered by NVIDIA](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2020/12/17/zoox-autonomous-robotaxi-powered-by-nvidia/) D. Shapiro,
Dec. 17, "When
it comes to
future
mobility, you
may not have
to pave as
many paradises
for personal
car parking
lots.
This week,
autonomous
mobility
company Zoox
unveiled its
much-anticipated
purpose-built
robotaxi.
Designed for
everyday urban
mobility, the
vehicle is
powered by
NVIDIA and is
one of the
first level 5
robotaxis
featuring
bi-directional
capabilities,
providing a
concrete view
into the next
generation of
intelligent
transportation...."
[Read more](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2020/12/17/zoox-autonomous-robotaxi-powered-by-nvidia/) Hmmmm... Watch Zoom-Cast 192.
Alain
December 11,
2020
[Uber, After Years of Trying, Is Handing Off Its Self-Driving Car Project](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/technology/uber-self-driving-car-project.html)
C. Metz & K. Conger, Dec 7, “Uber, which spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a self-driving car project that executives once believed was a key to becoming profitable, is handing the autonomous vehicle effort over to a Silicon Valley start-up, the companies said on Monday.
Uber will also
invest $400
million in the
start-up,
called Aurora,
so it is
essentially
paying the
company to
take over the
autonomous car
operation,
which had
become a
financial and
legal
headache. Uber
is likely to
license
whatever
technology
Aurora manages
to create.
The deal
amounts to a
fire-sale end
to a
high-profile
but
star-crossed
effort to
replace Uber's
human drivers
with machines
that could
drive on their
own. It is
also
indicative of
the challenges
facing other
autonomous
vehicle
projects,
which have
received
billions in
investments
from Silicon
Valley and
automakers but
have not
produced the
fleets of
robotic
vehicles some
thought would
be on the
streets by
now...." [Read more](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/technology/uber-self-driving-car-project.html) Hmmmm... Actually a good
article.
Alain
December 04,
2020
Nikola Teaches GM a Lesson S. Wilmot, Nov 30, “Nikola Corp. NKLA 0.76% isn’t turning out to be the next Tesla that investors and were hoping for.
The
electric-vehicle
startup put
its
eye-catching
“Badgerâ€
pickup-truck
project on ice
Monday as part
of a radically
shrunken
version of its
deal with GM.
All that is
left of the
original
agreement
signed in
September is a
plan for GM to
supply Nikola
with fuel-cell
technology for
U.S. big rigs.
Detroit’s biggest auto maker had planned to take an equity stake in Nikola in exchange for building the Badger under contract. But the deal has been in doubt almost from the start after a hedge-fund report detailed the limitations of Nikola’s technology, leading to the resignation of founder Trevor Milton.
GM won't sell
Nikola fuel
cells soon.
For all its
fanfare about
hydrogen, the
startup is
currently
focused on
battery-powered
versions of
its first
electric
truck, theTre,
It hopes to
start
full-scale
production in
the fourth
quarter of
next year in
Germany and in
early 2022 in
Coolidge,
Ariz. Hydrogen
trucks won't
come before
2023, and in
Europe Nikola
is using Bosch
as its
fuel-cell
supplier.
..." [Read more](https://www.wsj.com/articles/nikola-teaches-gm-a-lesson-11606760549) Hmmmm... Lessons for many in this
endeavor. See
also[Andrew Hawkin's take](https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/30/21726594/gm-nikola-deal-equity-badger-truck-hydrogen)
as well as [David Morris'](https://fortune.com/2020/11/30/nikola-gm-deal-collapses-devastating-news/).
Alain
November 26,
The Vehicle Fuel Debate Has Been Hijacked
M. Sena, Nov. 19, “The lead article this month was inspired by a diagram I received showing how much of the energy that we generate to heat our homes, light up our rooms, make the concrete and steel to build our infrastructure and power our transportation is wasted. It’s over two-thirds. Wasted! Half of it is from producing electricity.
There are a
spate of
battery and
hybrid
electric cars
(and some
others) on
their way from
China to
Europe and
North America.
Some of the
ones I
describe in
the Dispatch
Central
section will
be familiar to
readers since
I wrote about
them earlier.
I could not
help writing
again about
Volvo's slow
but steady
exit from
Sweden. In the
self-driving
and data
sharing
section there
is some
interesting
news out of
the UK and
Massachusetts,
a state
(actually a
Commonwealth
just like
Pennsylvania,
my home state)
where I
registered
most of the
cars I have
owned during
the eighteen
years I lived
there.
Waymo has
delivered
quite a bit of
news to the
press during
the past few
months. It
seemed like
everyone was
putting the
same spin on
what they were
saying.
Naturally, I
decided to
spin in the
other
direction. In
Musings of a
Dispatcher I
have mused
about who is
going to be
sitting in all
of those
driverless
vehicles. Will
they be from
Mars or from
Venus?..." [Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/lw27g9qlolrjkpb/The%20Dispatcher_December%202020.pdf?dl=0)Hmmmm... What can I say?? Another great
edition of the
Dispatcher. Be
sure to read
all the way
through
including "[Musings of a Dispatcher: Cars are from Mars](https://www.dropbox.com/s/lw27g9qlolrjkpb/The%20Dispatcher_December%202020.pdf?dl=0)". Enjoy and listen/watch the
following [Pod](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-187)/[Zoom](https://youtu.be/eyGCKObQ4e0)-casts. Alain
November 20,
2020
Active Driving Assistance Systems: Test Results and Design Recommendations
Staff, Nov. 2020, “In line with Consumer Reports’ mission to create a fair, safe, and consumer-driven marketplace, this report has been written for the industry to provide more explanation and guidance on the state of Active Driving Assistance systems based on our recent evaluation. While the systems are not equally capable, and may be designed with different usage intentions, CR’s evaluation focused on real-world driving experience of consumers, keeping safety at the forefront. Our goals:
Support the creation of government policies and company practices to ensure that innovation and safety go hand-in-hand
Use consumer
data to inform
the industry
of
best-practices
to aid in
development
Advocate for
transparency
and clarity in
marketing and
consumer
education of
systems
In October
2020, Consumer
Reports
published
ratings of
Active Driving
Assistance
Systems,
defined as
systems that
allow the
driver to use
Adaptive
Cruise Control
(ACC) and Lane
Keeping
Assistance
(LKA) to
simultaneously
control both
the speed and
steering of
the vehicle.
An industry
webinar was
also
held...." [Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/8wpnt54t1t8xpfg/consumer-reports-active-driving-assistance-systems-november-16-2020.pdf?dl=0) Hmmmm.... A MUST read
along with "[Cadillac's Super Cruise Outperforms Other Driving Assistance Systems](https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/cadillac-super-cruise-outperforms-other-active-driving-assistance-systems/)". Most unfortunately, CR has not
picked up on
my main
complaint
about ACC:
Tapping of the
brakes by the
driver turns
off the ACC!
This is
BAD!!! Even
the hardest,
let alone the
slightest,
engagement of
the brakes
should NOTturn
off the ACC.
It should ONLYdisengage
the
acceleration/throttle
function of
the ACC!
Tapping of the brakes by the driver is an indication that the driver no longer wishes to accelerate, NOT that the driver no longer wishes to slow down or stop. So why do these systems turn off ACC (which disengage both the acceleration and deceleration functions, rather than just turning off the acceleration/throttle function. (I think that I actually know why… it is an SAE “recommendation”. Just another reason why I don’t like the November 13, 2020
Road Charge Projects: California Four Phase Demonstration K. Pyle, Nov 12, “A key recommendation from the 2017 pilot was to explore whether paying at the pump could work for a road charge just like it does for the gas tax. How could the user experience be as easy as possible? With support from a federal Surface Transportation Funding Alternative grant, California will test how road charge can work with four technologies: usage-based insurance, ridesharing, electric vehicle charging stations/pay-at-the-pump systems, and autonomous vehicles.
Interested in
participating?
The
demonstration
will begin in
January 2021
and run for
six months.
Complete the [Contact Us](http://caroadcharge.com/engage/contact-us/) data
form to
express your
interest in
volunteering
for one or
more
demonstration
phases.... " [Read more](http://www.caroadcharge.com/projects/california-four-phase-demonstration/?utm_source=California+Road+Charge+Education+Program+Interest+List&utm_campaign=e9c783daa5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_10_29_05_41&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_25691fa868-e9c783daa5-104440609)Hmmmm... New Jersey is seeking
volunteers for
its version of
this. Participation is easy. You will
enroll via a
quick, online
enrollment
process, plug
a mileage
reporting
device into
your vehicle
and drive.
During the
pilot, you
will receive
monthly
simulated
statements
that compare
what you pay
in current
state fuel
taxes to what
you could pay
in an MBUF
system. It is
okay if you
are not
driving as
much as you
typically
would because
of the
COVID-19
Pandemic.
Your driving
data and
feedback
provided
through
anonymous
online surveys
will help us
understand key
issues such as
privacy,
equity and
administrative
costs with an
MBUF
system.
Please contact zenobia.fields@dot.nj.gov to participate and help n the New Jersey version. Use Subject: Please send, Body:Mileage-Base User Fee (MBUF) Demonstration registration information . We need volunteers. Thank you for helping. Alain
November 6,
2020
Edmunds: Where are our self-driving cars?
W. Kaufman, Nov. 4, “Tesla recently made headlines with the beta launch of its Full Self-Driving system. That system comes with a disclaimer saying, “It may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the wheel and pay extra attention to the road.â€ÂÂ
Tesla's system
has impressive
capabilities,
but it's
definitely not
hands-free
driving. A few
years ago,
news stories
seemed to say
that
autonomous
vehicles were
just a few
years away.
Well, it's
been a few
years and
autonomous
vehicles are,
alas, still in
the future.
Right now,
there is no
car on sale
that can drive
itself without
requiring the
driver to pay
attention to
the road and
be prepared to
take control
of the
vehicle. In
fact, some
automakers
have slowed
down their
timelines.
Here are three
reasons why
you can't buy
a self-driving
car today and
one place
you're likely
to find them
first....
EDMUNDS SAYS: You probably won’t be able to buy an autonomous car any time soon. But expect autonomous fleet services to begin expanding in the near future.” Read moreHmmmm… An now a change in Washington… Alain October 30,
Sharing our safety framework for fully autonomous operations Waymo Team, Oct. 30, “On October 8th, Waymo opened its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the general public in Phoenix. Right now members of the public are hailing vehicles with no human driver controlling the car â€â€Ŕ either in the vehicle or remotely â€â€Ŕ to help them get to where they’re going as part of their everyday lives….” Read more Hmmmm…
Waymo’s Safety Methodologies and Safety Readiness Determinations N, Webb, Oct. 30, “As the world’s most experienced developer of automated driving systems, Waymo has extensive experience in developing and applying state-of-the-art safety methodologies. Waymo’s methodologies help implement Waymo’s forward-looking safety philosophy: Waymo will reduce traffic injuries and fatalities by driving safely and responsibly, and will carefully manage risk as we scale our operations. Waymo’s safety methodologies, which draw on well established engineering processes and address new safety challenges specific to Automated Vehicle technology, provide a firm foundation for safe deployment of our Level 4 ADS, which we also refer to as the Waymo Driver. Waymo’s determination of its readiness to deploy its AVs safely in different settings rests on that firm foundation and on a thorough analysis of risks specific to a particular Operational Design Domain )….” Read more Hmmmm… The process. Must read! Alain
Waymo Public Road Safety Performance Data M. Schwall, Oct. 30, “Waymo’s mission to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities and improve mobility for all has led us to expand deployment of automated vehicles (AVs) on public roads without a human driver behind the wheel. As part of this process, Waymo is committed to providing the public with informative and relevant data regarding the demonstrated safety of Waymo’s automated driving system (ADS), which we call the Waymo Driver….” Read more Hmmmm… The substance. Must read! …
I had the priveledge of reviewing Waymo’s most recent Safety Reports 1 , 2 (above)
In the past, safety reports by the AV community have largely been a response to NHTSA’¢s Voluntary Safety Self-Assessments and have, in my opinion, been largely public relations documents. While generally descriptive about the testing processes they contain very little, if any, substantive information about their safety related experience to-date focused exclusively on driverless operation.
Safe driverless operation is absolutely necessary for AVs to evolve from extremely expensive chauffeured rides to affordable mobility available to essentially anyone throughout an Operational Design Domain (ODD). Affordability requires that the mobility be delivered without a driver or attendant on-board the vehicle. Only passengers.
The decision to remove the driver/attendant rests in part on the shoulders of public safety regulators who need to allow such operation, but more importantly, on the shoulders of the real decision makers at the AV company. In the end, it is those AV company decision makers who will be held fully responsible for any lapse in the safety of the driverless operation. These decision makers are inside the AV companies and are, of course, privy to all the details and substance about their own safety related driverless operation, which, in the past, has not been shared in their Voluntary Safety Self-assessments.
My impression is that these just released Waymo Safety Reports contain the substantive information that clearly depicts Waymo’s safety-related driverless operational experience. To me, they read like internal documents meant to guide and inform internal decision makers to objectively decide if a sufficiently safe operational experience has been achieved in order to vote to fully accept the safety responsibility of driverless operation in their Operational Design Domain.
Given the information that is contained in these documents, it does not surprise me that Waymo decision makers have decided to proceed with driverless operation in the Phoenix Operational Design Domain. Had I had the responsibility of being one of the decision makers reviewing these documents, I would have also voted yes.
Alain
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Friday,
October 23,
2020 [How Ford's Next-Gen Test Vehicle Lays the Foundation for Our Self-Driving Business](https://medium.com/self-driven/how-fords-next-gen-test-vehicle-lays-the-foundation-for-our-self-driving-business-aadbf247b6ce) J. Davis,
Oct 20,
"Launching a
self-driving
service is
complex. Many
different
pieces need to
come together
to create a
trusted and
scalable
self-driving
service that
provides value
to customers
and the cities
they operate
in. At Ford,
we are taking
a thoughtful
approach to
how we bring
together all
these pieces
to help shape
the future of
self-driving
vehicles. One
important part
of this
service is the
vehicle, which
will allow us
to stand up
our
self-driving
business.
Meet the
Fourth
Generation
Self-Driving
Test Vehicle:
Beginning to
roll out this
month, Ford
and Argo's fourth-generation self-driving test vehicles are built on the Escape
Hybrid
platform and
feature the
latest
advancements
in sensing and
computing
technology.
The Escape
Hybrid is also
the
architecture
and platform
we have chosen
to use to
bring our
autonomous
vehicle
service
online....." [Read more](https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2020/10/ford-expands-stake-in-newly-public-velodyne-lidar/#:~:text=Ford%20has%20a%207.6%25%20stake,Lidar%20worth%20about%20%24227.2%20million.&text=The%20automaker%20revealed%20it%20owns,is%20worth%20approximately%20%24227.2%20million.) Hmmmm.... [See video](https://youtu.be/fZ102xfmH-Y).
Imprssive.
Listen/watch SmartDrivingCars [PodCast](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-180) / [ZoomCast](https://youtu.be/ngpKFmQNsxs) with John Rich. [CNBC's take](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/20/ford-unveils-new-self-driving-test-vehicle-for-2022-launch.html) as
well as [THe Detroit News](https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2020/10/20/ford-argo-ai-chooses-hybrid-escape-self-driving-service/5993329002/).
Alain
rgb(51, 51,
October 16,
Ford Reveals Stake in Newly Public Velodyne Lidar J. Szczesny, Oct 7, “Ford Motor Co’s push to broaden its self-driving vehicle technology portfolio, led to it taking a stake in a Silicon Valley company developing lidar systems needed to help guide autonomous vehicles.
The automaker
revealed it
owns a 7.6%
stake, or
13.06 million
shares, in
Velodyne
Lidar,
according to a
report filed
with the
Securities
Exchange
Commission.
With the
shares trading
at $17.40 per
share, the
stake is worth
approximately
$227.2
million. Ford
filed the
report to
remain
compliant with
the SEC...." [Read more](https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2020/10/ford-expands-stake-in-newly-public-velodyne-lidar/#:~:text=Ford%20has%20a%207.6%25%20stake,Lidar%20worth%20about%20%24227.2%20million.&text=The%20automaker%20revealed%20it%20owns,is%20worth%20approximately%20%24227.2%20million.) Hmmmm.... Interesting, but even
more
interesting is
the
SmartDrivingCars[PodCast](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-179) / [ZoomCast](https://youtu.be/ngpKFmQNsxs) with John Rich. Alain
rgb(51, 51,
October 09,
2020 [Waymo starts to open driverless ride-hailing service to the public](https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/08/waymo-starts-to-open-driverless-ride-hailing-service-to-the-public/)
K. Korosec, Oct. 8, “Waymo, the Google self-driving-project-turned-Alphabet unit, is beginning to open up its driverless ride-hailing service to the public.
The company
said that
starting
today, members
of its Waymo
One service
will be able
to take family
and friends
along on their
fully
driverless
rides in the
Phoenix area.
Existing Waymo
One members
will have the
first access
to the
driverless
terminology
that means no
human behind
the wheel.
However, the
company said
that in the
next several
weeks more
people will be
welcomed
directly into
the service
through its
app, which is
available on
Google Play
and the App
Store.
Waymo said
that 100% of
its rides will
be fully
driverless
which it has
deemed its
rider only
mode. That
100% claim
requires a bit
of unpacking.
The public
shouldn't
expect
hundreds of
Waymo-branded
Chrysler
Pacifica no
human behind
the to
suddenly
inundate the
entire
600-plus
square miles
of the greater
Phoenix area..
..." [Read more](https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/08/waymo-starts-to-open-driverless-ride-hailing-service-to-the-public/) Hmmmm... "...fully Driverless...".
That means
that Krafcik,
the Waymo
"Board",
Alphabet's
Board and all
the lawyers
have signed
off and
said... We are
safe enough to
basically bet
the ranch that
the expected
value of the
mobility that
we'll be
putting out on
the streets
of our Operational Design Domain, which is under our control,
is worth
whatever
expected risk
still exists
that some bad
things may
happen. That
is an enormous
hurdle that
has been
achieved by an
entity that
has an
enormous
ranch. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
It hasn't come
easy, nor has
it come
without intese
diligence and
effort. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Alain
rgb(51, 51,
October 09,
2020
ASSISTED DRIVING GRADINGS Staff, Oct. 2020 “On this page you will find the gradings of cars tested by Euro NCAP on automated driving technologies.
For its 2020
assessment of
Highway Assist
systems, Euro
NCAP has
developed
dedicated test
and assessment
protocols,
divided into
two main
areas:
Assistance
Competence,
based on the
balance
between Driver
Engagement and
Vehicle
Assistance,
and Safety
Backup...." [Read more](https://www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-rewards/assisted-driving-gradings/) Hmmmm....Look carefully at each
component of
the rating
system. NCAP
has chosen one
algorithmic
way of "adding
apples and
oranges" to
get their
rating.
Unfortunately
they don't
divulge the
secret
formula. To
me, it doesn't
seem to be
sufficiently
iweighted on
what I
consider to be
the most
important
element...
"Collision
Avoidance".
If the system
doesn't do
that well,
then why
bother being
good at
Consumer
Information
(unless that
information
says clearly
that the
system doesn't
work well".
If NCAP itself did a good job of Consumer Information then it would divulge its algorithm and allow the consumer to edit its weights to trade-off what the consumer believes is more or less important.
In all fairness, NCAP does divulge the individual performance values. With work, this is really valuable information. This is a must read! Alain September 25, 2020
UN Economic & Social Council, April 6, “The intention of the Regulation is to establish uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS).
ALKS
controls the
lateral and
longitudinal
movement of
the vehicle
for extended
periods
without
further driver
command. ALKS
is a system
whereby the
activated
system is in
primary
control of the
vehicle.
This
Regulation is
the first
regulatory
step for an
automated
driving system
(as defined in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1140) in traffic and it therefore provides innovative
provisions
aimed at
addressing the
complexity
related to the
evaluation of
the system
safety. It
contains
administrative
provisions
suitable for
type approval,
technical
requirements,
audit and
reporting
provisions and
testing
provisions.
ALKS
can be
activated
under certain
conditions on
roads where
pedestrians
and cyclists
are prohibited
and which, by
design, are
equipped with
a physical
separation
that divides
the traffic
moving in
opposite
directions and
prevent
traffic from
cutting across
the path of
the vehicle.
In a first
step, the
original text
of this
Regulation
limits the
operational
speed to 60
km/h maximum
and passenger
cars (M1
vehicles).
This
Regulation
includes
general
requirements
regarding the
system safety
and the
failsafe
response. When
the ALKS is
activated, it
shall perform
the driving
task instead
of the driver,
i.e. manage
all situations
including
failures, and
shall not
endanger the
safety of the
vehicle
occupants or
any other road
users. There
is however
always the
possibility
for the driver
to override
the system, at
any time.
The Regulation
also lays down
requirements
on how the
driving task
shall be
safely handed
over from the
ALKS to the
driver
including the
capability for
the system to
come to a stop
in case the
driver does
not reply
appropriately.
Finally, the
Regulation
includes
requirements
on the
Human-Machine
Interface
(HMI) to
prevent
misunderstanding
or misuse by
the driver.
The Regulation
for instance
requires that
on-board
displays used
by the driver
for other
activities
than driving
when the ALKS
is activated,
shall be
automatically
suspended as
soon as the
system issues
a transition
demand. These
measures are
without
prejudice to
driver
behaviour
rules on how
to use these
systems in the
Contracting
Parties as
currently
being
discussed by
the Global
Forum for Road
Traffic Safety
(WP.1) at the
time of
drafting this
document (See
e.g. Informal
Document 4
Revision 1 of
the
seventy-eight
session of
WP.1)...."[Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/k9aa8x6p4rqjaxd/Level3RegulatonECE-TRANS-WP29-2020-081e.docx?dl=0)Hmmmm.... A very important read with many very important
details and
this is just
for Automated
Lane Keeping
Systems (ALKS)
which is just
the 2nd (baby)
step, after
adaptive
cruise control
on the way of
"finishing"
Level 2 and
tip toeing
into Level 3
and beyond.
Thank you Russ
for bringing
this to my
attention.
Alain
rgb(51, 51,
September 11,
2020 [Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving Capability' Falls Short of Its Name](https://www.consumerreports.org/autonomous-driving/tesla-full-self-driving-capability-review-falls-short-of-its-name/) M.
Monticello.
Sept. 8, The
features might
be cutting
edge, even
cool, but we
think buyers
should be wary
of shelling
out $8,000 for
what electric
car company
Tesla calls
its Full
Self-Driving
Capability
option. Tesla
claims every
new vehicle it
builds
includes all
the hardware
necessary to
be fully
autonomous,
and the
company says
that through
future
over-the-air
software
updates, its
cars should
eventually be
capable of
driving
themselves. .... Anytime anyone uses words
such as "Full"
the one thing
that you know
that they are
"Full" of is
.... "Full"
is about a
perception,
not a fact.
Even the
definition of
"autonomous"
has caveats
(or should I
say Full of
caveats?).
What I
interpret Elon
to be selling
is: sufficient
hardware
(sensors,
memory,
compute power
and
communications
bandwidth)
that, with
more elegant
software, may
be able to do
a way better
job in safely
driving a
car. What he
has never said
is that this
hardware plus
future
software is
going to be
good enough
for him to be
held
responsible if
something bad
happens when
the car is
being driven
by that
hardware and
software
combination.
That said,
lets move
on...
But for now,
Full
Self-Driving
Capability,
which includes
features that
can assist the
driver with
parking,
changing lanes
on the
highway, and
even coming to
a complete
halt at
traffic lights
and stop
signs, remains
a misnomer ...Yes!... Below, we explain each feature in
the suite, its
intended use,
and how each
performed in
our tests....
" [Read more](https://www.consumerreports.org/autonomous-driving/tesla-full-self-driving-capability-review-falls-short-of-its-name/) Hmmmm.... [See Video](https://www.consumerreports.org/autonomous-driving/tesla-full-self-driving-capability-review-falls-short-of-its-name/), [Watch Zoom-Cast](https://youtu.be/AfRb9B-9boc). Help with
parking....
no one parks
a good car
into a tight
parking place;
else, that
car's life as
a god car
rapidly
disappears.
Stupid Summon
is just
stupid... your
car is not
your dog and
certainly not
in the WalMart
parking lot.
(or should I
have said
WholePaycheck
parking lot)
Here puppy,
here puppy!
I really like what Consumer Reports has been doing on this front. Trying to help consumers understant what is what. Alain rgb(51, 51, September 11, 2020
Autonomous vehicles could improve policing, public safety, and much more
rgb(51, 51,
August 20,
2020 [Creating Standards in an Environment of Mistrust](https://www.dropbox.com/s/6jm74a94rtyd4c0/The-Dispatcher_September-2020.pdf?dl=0)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Saturday,
[The Biggest Self-Driving Truck Startup Stumbles in Hitting High Goals](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-biggest-self-driving-truck-startup-stumbles-in-hitting-high-goals)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
[Car OEMs Driving Toward Relevance or Perdition](https://www.dropbox.com/s/ltmk5s3hdpwf6nr/The-Dispatcher_August-2020.pdf?dl=0)
###
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
[Fostering Economic Opportunity through Autonomous Vehicle Technology](https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bUHzsV9BSm-tJkKQ6QVNqg)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
Announcing 2020-2021 Fellow-in-Residence Henry L. Greenidge, Esq. Press release, June 24, “The McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University has announced transportation policy expert Henry L. Greenidge, Esq. as a 2020-2021 Fellow-in-Residence. ..” Read more Hmmm…. In no uncertain terms, we must make sure that inequities and racism are not explicitly nor even implicitly baked intothe SmartDrivingCar r/evolution. We are still at the very beginning, so it shouldn’t be hard nor expensive but so far it doesn’t look good. The emphasis has been on giving those that already have fantastic ways to get around one more way. The focus hasn’t been on the mobility disadvantaged and certainly not on the Black community. Just look where the testing has been taking place and the folks that take part in the focus groups and those that are given rides. Look at who designs and writes the software and the investors. Sure, one can and should serve them, but if public policy is going to play a role, then it can’t bake in more inequities. Moreover, the private sector can also step up and realize that these systems can readily serve everyone. The technology that makes SmartDrivingCars possible is not inherently racists. It can respect and serve everyone. Henry and others can help make sure that the designers and deployers of SmartDrivingCars don’t explicitly nor implicitly bake in racism and bias. Alain rgb(51, 51, 255);”>Thursday, Motor Vehicle Fatality Rates Jump 36.6% in April Despite Quarantines, Says National Safety Council rgb(51, 51, 255);”>Friday,
Society of Actuaries Research Brief Impact of COVID-19, June 12, 2020
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
[Two-way Vehicle Connectivity is a Three-sided Coin That Everyone Wants to Own](https://www.dropbox.com/s/eyomgyelgm4q6fl/Sena_Two-way%20Vehicle%20Connectivity_2-3.pdf?dl=0)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
[Luminaries Battle In Lincoln-Douglas Style Debate About The Future Of Self-Driving Cars](https://www.forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/2020/04/28/luminaries-battle-in-lincoln-douglas-style-debate-about-the-future-of-self-driving-cars/#35c0455028b6)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Friday,
What Negative Oil Prices Mean and How the Impact Could Last rgb(51, 51, 255);”>Friday,
Starsky Robotics Failed. Does That Mean Automated Trucking Is Dead?
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Friday,
January 31,
2020
2020 Hyundai Sonata stars in Super Bowl ad all about ‘Smaht Pahk’
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Sunday,
January 12,
Hmmmm… Reflections
A. Kornhauser, Jan 12, Hmmmm… Self-driving cars are hot and the OEMs are responding. I’m about to buy a new Subaru Outback and EyeSightis standard. It is no longer just AutoPilot or expensive options that car salesmen don’t sell. Car companies, as reflected in what is in showrooms and what was promoted at CES, have realized the comfort and convenience of Self-driving technology (cars that have a lot of the Safe-driving car features but also enable you to take your feet off the pedals and hands off the wheel at least for short periods of time. These technologies are really becoming the ‘chrome and fins’ that sell cars to individuals in the 2020s. The momentum is all behind that happening and there is little Washington or Trenton or Princeton Council can do about it. Hopefully part of that momentum will be to make these systems actually work well, especially the Automated Emergency Braking Systems (MUST quit assuming that all stationary objects in the lane ahead can be passed under and consequently each is disregarded. As Tesla is finding out, sometimes those objects are parked firetrucks.) and begin to put hard limits on over-speeding, tailgating and use while driver is impaired. Self-driving cars are unfortunately going to lead to substantial urban sprawl, increased VMT, increased congestion and do nothing to help the energy and pollution challenges of our addiction to the personal automobile. Only ‘Waymo-style Driverless’ (autonomousTaxis, (aTaxis)) tuned to entice ride-sharing can potentially stem the tide of ever more personal car ownership and ever expanding urban sprawl. Alain
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Monday,
January 6,
2020
A. Kornhauser, Jan. 6, Hmmmm… I’m in rehab and hope to go home on Wednesday morning. Thank you to so many of you for all the good wishes and prayers. They each helped. I’m looking to making a full recovery. Remember, if you don’t feel well, get evaluated by a doctor. I was totally clueless about what hit me from out of nowhere. Alain
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Saturday,
November 23,
2019 [Self-driving car capital? One senator thinks it can be Florida](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article237625484.html)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Saturday,
September 28,
2019 [Public forum will explore possibility of transit on demand in Princeton](https://planetprinceton.com/2019/09/22/public-forum-will-explore-possibility-of-transit-on-demand-in-princeton/)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Saturday,
August 17,
2019 [Autonomous Vehicles: A View from Seniors](https://www.dropbox.com/s/wi7t4ec5h30i54e/AutonomousVehiclesAViewFromSeniorsFINALDRAFT20190815.docx?dl=0)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
November 22,
Market Framework and Outlook for Automated Vehicle Systems
October 24,
New Jersey Pending Legislation re: Autonomous Vehicles
Oct 16, Establishes fully autonomous vehicle pilot program A4573 Sponsors: Zwicker (D16); Benson (D14)
Oct 16, EstablishesNew Jersey Advanced Autonomous Vehicle Task Force AJR164Sponsors: Benson (D14); Zwicker (D16); Lampitt (D6)
Oct 16, [Directs MVC to establish driver's license endorsement for autonomous vehicles A4541](https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A5000/4541_I1.PDF) Sponsors:
Zwicker (D16);
Benson (D14);
Lampitt
(D6)..." [Read more](https://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/NVIDIA-Self-Driving-Safety-Report-2018.pdf)Hmmmm.... Things are beginning to move in New
Jersey. Alain
Audio Recording of Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology - Monday, October 22, 2018 - 10:00:00 AM
PRELIMINARY REPORT: HIGHWAY: HWY18MH010 (Uber/Herzberg Crash) May 24, “About 9:58 p.m., on Sunday, March 18, 2018, an Uber Technologies, Inc. test vehicle, based on a modified 2017 Volvo XC90 and operating with a self-driving system in computer control mode, struck a pedestrian on northbound Mill Avenue, in Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona.
…The vehicle was factory equipped with several advanced driver assistance functions by Volvo Cars, the original manufacturer. The systems included a collision avoidance function with automatic emergency
braking, known
as City
Safety, as
well as
functions for
detecting
driver
alertness and
road sign
information.
All these
Volvo
functions are
disabled when
the test
vehicle is
operated in
computer
control..."[Read more](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/NTSBuberPreliminaryMay2018.pdf) Hmmmm.... Uber must believe
that its
systems are
better at
avoiding
Collisions and
Automated
Emergency
Braking than
Volvo's. At least this gets Volvo
"off the
hook".
“…According to data obtained from the self-driving system, the system first registered radar and LIDAR observations of the pedestrian about 6 seconds before impact, when the vehicle was traveling at 43 mph…“ (= 63 feet/second) So the system started “seeing an obstacle when it was 63 x 6 = 378 feet away… more than a football field, including end zones!
“…As the vehicle and pedestrian paths converged, the self-driving system software classified the pedestrian as an unknown object, as a vehicle, and then as a bicycle with varying expectations of future travel path…“ (NTSB: Please tell us precisely when it classified this “object’ as a vehicle and be explicit about the expected ”future travel paths.” Forget the path, please just tell us the precise velocity vector that Uber’s system attached to the “object”, then the “vehicle”. Why didn’t the the Uber system instruct the Volvo to begin to slow down (or speed up) to avoid a collision? If these paths (or velocity vectors) were not accurate, then why weren’t they accurate? Why was the object classified as a “Vehicle” ?? When did it finally classify the object as a ”bicycle”? Why did it change classifications? How often was the classification of this object done. Please divulge the time and the outcome of each classification of this object. In the tests that Uber has done, how often has the system mis-classified an object as a”pedestrian”when the object was actually an overpass, or an overhead sign or overhead branches/leaves that the car could safely pass under, or was nothing at all?? (Basically, what are the false alarm characteristics of Uber’s Self-driving sensor/software system as a function of vehicle speed and time-of-day?)
“…At 1.3 seconds before impact, (impact speed was 39mph = 57.2 ft/sec) the self-driving system determined that an emergency braking maneuver was needed to mitigate a collision” (1.3 x 57.2 = 74.4 ft. which is about equal to the braking distance. So it still could have stopped short.
“…According to Uber, emergency braking maneuvers are not enabled while the vehicle is under computer control, to reduce (eradicate??) the potential for erratic vehicle behavior. …“ NTSB: Please describe/define potential and erratic vehicle behavior Also please uncover and divulge the design & decision process that Uber went through to decide that this risk (disabling the AEB) was worth the reward of eradicating “ ”erratic vehicle behavior”. This is fundamentally BAD design. If the Uber system’s false alarm rate is so large that the best way to deal with false alarms is to turn off the AEB, then the system should never have been permitted on public roadways.
“…The vehicle operator is relied on to intervene and take action. ” Wow! If Uber’s system fundamentally relies on a human to intervene, then Uber is nowhere near creating a Driverless vehicle. Without its own Driverless vehicle Uber is past “Peak valuation”.
“…The system is not designed to alert the operator. “ That may be the only good part of Uber’s design. In a Driverless vehicle, there is no one to warn, so don’t waste your time. If it is important enough to warn, then it is important enough for the automated system to start initiating things to do something about it. Plus, the Driver may not know what to do anyway. This is pretty much as I stated in PodCast of SmartDrivingCar, 10, 2018 Don’t Worry, Driverless Cars Are Learning From Grand Theft Auto
Extracting Cognition out of Images for the Purpose of Autonomous Driving
Sunday, December 19, 2015 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 especially at the 13:12 mark. Compelling; especially after the 60 Minutes segment above! Also see his TipRanks. Alain
–
Alain L. Kornhauser, PhD
Professor, Operations Research & Financial
Engineering
Director, Transportation Program
Faculty Chair, Princeton Autonomous Vehicle
Engineering
229 Sherrerd Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
(o)
(c)
Alain L. Kornhauser, PhD
Professor, Operations Research & Financial
Engineering
Director, Transportation Program
Faculty Chair, Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering
229 Sherrerd Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
609-258-4657 (o)
609-980-1427 (c)
This list is maintained by Alain Kornhauser and hosted by the Princeton University LISTSERV.