imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.2&filename=hejedgabmgkdglfj.png" class="" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="169" height="100" border="0">

Friday, February 12, 2021

SmartDrivingCar.com/9.06-TrafficMess-021221
6th edition of the 9th year of SmartDrivingCars eLetter

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="156" height="24">   Biden inherits big traffic safety mess

R. Mitchell, Feb. 4, "Maybe you’ve seen the viral TikTok video of a young man lying in the back seat of his Tesla, covered in blankets, as the car cruises down the highway. The driver’s seat is empty.

If you haven’t, perhaps you’ve seen another like it. Videos of Tesla owners gleefully abusing the Autopilot system, a set of driver-assist technologies including adaptive cruise control, have become something of a genre across social media over the last few years, even as drivers have been killed while trusting it to operate their vehicles for them.

Officially, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration discourages such behavior, running a public awareness campaign last fall with the hashtag #YourCarNeedsYou. But its messaging competes with marketing of Tesla itself, which recently said it will begin selling a software package for Full Self Driving — a term it has used since 2016 despite objections from critics and the caveats in the company’s own fine print — on a subscription basis starting this quarter... "  Read more  Hmmmm... If the driver/owner is expected to be prepared to intervene to maintain safety, then it is NOT full anything, period.  Moreover, if the owner/driver is NOT prepared, nor permitted to intervene to maintain safety, then the fleet operator is required to accept the responsibility and "make whole" any and all liabilities arising from any  and all "at fault" crashes.  Until Elon is willing to step up and take on that responsibility/liability or sell his cars exclusively to operating entities that assume that responsibility his Teslas are NOT full anything, period! Alain

 [log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="41" height="42">  SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 198, Zoom-Cast Episode 198 w/Dick Mudge, CEO, Compass Transportation & Technology

F. Fishkin, Feb. 13, ""Which autonomous vehicle companies will be the last standing?   And does private ownership of self driving cars make sense?    Compass Transportation and Technology President Dick Mudge joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that...plus the latest on Tesla, GM, Toyota and more.  Alexa, play the Smart Driving Cars podcast!".  Ditto with Siri, and GooglePlay ...  Alain
imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.5&filename=lmjdiniodjkflpia.png" class="" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="46" height="52" border="0"> 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="44" height="44" border="0">   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.  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.

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="126" height="36">  Memories of the Past Reflect the Future of Driverless

K. Pyle, Feb. 13, "Although the title. Finally Doing It, sounds like a 1970s B-movie, the latest session of the Smart Driving Car Summit featured superstars of the autonomous vehicle world and blockbuster content on that topic. And hearkening back to the decade of stagflation, when another nascent technology was on the verge of hitting the mainstream, the fight to bring autonomous vehicles to market will most likely occur on a city-by-city basis, similar to how cable television rolled out on a market-by-market basis.

The focus of the session was on the rollout of driverless, shared vehicles (for this article, simply driverless). Featuring a mix of different size manufacturers/integrators (Ford, Local Motors) and service providers (May Mobility, Waymo). With Princeton’s Dr. Alain Kornhauser driving the panel as moderator, it was a fast-paced overview of the challenges and opportunities of bringing autonomous mobility as a service to market.

As Kornhauser often points out, the goal should go beyond merely providing another way to get from A to B, but it should be to improve the quality of life while providing safe and affordable mobility...." Read more  Hmmmm...Ken, extremely nice summary. Thank you. Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class=""> Waymo and Cruise dominated autonomous testing in California in the first year of the pandemic

A. Hawkins, Feb. 11, "Unsurprisingly, there was much less autonomous vehicle testing in California in 2020 compared to years prior. The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns forced many AVs off the road in the early part of the year. But companies licensed to operate AVs on public roads in California still logged nearly 2 million miles of testing, with two of the top operators, Waymo and Cruise, comprising the bulk of those miles thanks to what some safety drivers allege was a lax attitude toward safety.

Autonomous vehicles registered in California traveled approximately 1.99 million miles in autonomous mode on public roads in 2020, a decrease of about 800,000 miles from the previous year, according to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. These mileage figures were reported as part of the state’s annual “disengagement reports,” which all licensed operators are required to submit. In addition to the miles driven, the reports list the frequency at which human safety drivers were forced to take control of their autonomous vehicles (also known as a “disengagement”).

The disengagement reports are widely disparaged as being, at best, meaningless and, at worse, misleading. ..."  Read more  Hmmmm... My position.. these disengagement reports should NOT be disparaged!  They reflect the seriousness of the testing effort by each company.  The objective of testing is to "learn the unknowns", find the limits of the technology, learn and improve.  No disengagements implies that one has stopped learning.  Anyone that's in the business will always have many disengagements because they are working to get better.  Those with few or no disengagements, are likely to be "putting lipstick on a pig" and looking to flip; so be aware!!  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="62" height="23">  DISENGAGEMENT REPORTS

CA DMV, Feb 2021, "The following permit holders, who were required to report on January 1, 2021, reported autonomous testing in California (listed in alphabetical order): ..." Read more  Hmmmm...   Look for yourself... who is learning and improving and who is preparing to flip.  What is also interesting is the list of the CA DMV AV testing permit owners that reported no autonomous testing on California’s public roads during the reporting period.   Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="77" height="23">  To own or not to own – That is the question: The value of owning a (fully automated) vehicle

Z. Wadud, Feb. 2020, "One of the largest uncertainties in modelling the impacts of autonomous vehicles in future is whether they will be owned or used as automated ride (hailing) services. This paper addresses this issue by modelling the inherent attractiveness or convenience value of ownership of an automated vehicle, beyond the regular convenience parameters such as journey time, waiting or access time and reliability. Using mixed logit model on a choice experimentation data, we find that ownership is inherently valued more compared to the ride services by women...."  Read more  Hmmmm...  See also video summary.   No doubt there is a value in owning an AV, the deeper question:  Is there net positive value in owning when you consider owning requires responsibility in the maintenance  and use of the AV which in turn requires the owner to accept the liability of any damages done to society by the AV?

When I ponder that deeper question, my conclusion has invariably been that there is no viable business case /market.  I can’t imagine any public need or benefit that would provide sufficient financial backstop to make this concept anything but DoA. Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="136" height="19">  JRC, ENISA report examines cybersecurity challenges in uptake of AI in autonomous driving

Staff, Feb. 12, "A new report by the EC’s Joint Research Center (JRC) and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) examines cybersecurity risks connected to artificial intelligence (AI) in autonomous vehicles and provides recommendations for mitigating them.

By removing the most common cause of traffic accidents—the human driver—autonomous vehicles are expected to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities. However, they may pose a completely different type of risk to drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

The uptake of AI in autonomous driving brings about important cybersecurity concerns. The increased digitalization of vehicles and the inclusion of AI functionalities result in a larger attack surface and might significantly increase the incentives for attackers to target AVs. Cyberattacks against AVs do not only concern the particularities related to AI, but also include the security of the underlying digital infrastructure and related digital systems. It is thus crucial to evolve existing security processes and practices to consider this increased uptake of AI technologies and digitalization in vehicles, particularly in the context of autonomous driving...." Read more  Hmmmm...Especially read the original report (cybersecurity challenges in uptake of AI in autonomous driving).  Moreover... to me the cyber threat is overblown (Note: "Level 3", which is depicted on the cover of the report to be the target of Cyber Security, won't, for a host of other reasons, even emerge as a viable market.  There won't even be anything for Cyber Security to kill.)

Sure, there are bad actors out there trying to do bad in every market. (I lock my front door because someone may came in and take my stuff.  So I have to not only buy a door, but also a lock.  The first line of defense against those who may want to do bad is education... make it known that if you do, it will cost you.  That is why we have fencing lining walkways above roadways so that "kids" don't drop bowling balls on the cars traveling below.  Hopefully we also have teachers in grade school also  telling them "that's not a good thing to do".  

Problem with Cyber may well be that not enough "teachers and parents" are tell kids not to hack from their parent's basement.

Now if some member of the "Proud Boys" is really intent on invading the ... .  Hopefully, there aren't any "Proud Boys" focused on AVs; else, we have a very serious problem and we won't have AVs.  We certainly won't have "Connected Vehicles".  At least AVs try as much as possible to rely on themselves to do the right thing, rather than await information/instructions from some external entity that the "Proud Boys" are prepared to disrupt. Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="">  Planning 500,000 charging points for EVs by 2025, Shell becomes the latest company swept up in EV charging boom

J. Shieber, Feb 11, "Shell’s plan to roll out 500,000 electric charging stations in just four years is the latest sign of an EV charging infrastructure boom that has prompted investors to pour cash into the industry and inspired a few companies to become public companies in search of the capital needed to meet demand.

Since the beginning of the year, three companies have been acquired by special purpose acquisition vehicles and are on a path to go public, while a third has raised tens of millions from some of the biggest names in private equity investing for its own path to commercial viability.

The SPAC attack began in September when an electric vehicle charging network ChargePoint struck a deal to merge with special purpose acquisition company Switchback Energy Acquisition Corporation, with a market valuation of $2.4 billion. The company’s public listing will debut February 16 on the New York Stock Exchange..."  Read more  Hmmmm... Look also at EV charging stations, biofuels, the hydrogen transition and chemicals are pillars of Shell’s climate plan.  Are the oil giants morphing into the Climate giants?  Why not?  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class=""> Uber and Lyft are getting less unprofitable, but COVID-19 is still a drag on their business

A. Hawkins, Feb. 11, "Uber and Lyft reported their quarterly earnings this week, and while both companies are showing signs of improvement, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cast a long shadow over the overall ride-hailing business.

It raises the question of how both companies, neither of which have ever turned a profit, can hope to claw their way out of the deeper financial pit in which they’ve been cast by COVID...." Read more  Hmmmm... It begs the question... It is easy for them to get even less "unprofitable" by going out of business entirely.  Getting "less unprofitable" is not the objective.  Getting sufficiently profitable to support their current valuation, let alone a higher valuation is the proper question for which they may have little "hope or prayer" and only the "GameStop" phenomenon remains.  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="">  GM Pushes Ahead With Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology For Long Haul Trucks

S. Harley, Jan. 31, "Hydrogen. In theory, it’s the perfect fuel. Run it through a fuel cell and you get electricity, water vapor, and heat. Doesn’t get any more Earth friendly than that, does it? There is theory and then there is reality, starting with where one gets the hydrogen in the first place....

General Motors, in partnership with Navistar, says it will focus on fuel cell powertrains for such long haul trucks, while in Europe, Scania, which is part of the Volkswagen group, has announced it is abandoning its fuel cell truck program to concentrate on battery power. One of these companies has correctly assessed the future of zero emission truck transportation but which one?... "  Read more  Hmmmm...Yup!   Which one will win?  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="">  Daimler will create stand-alone truck business

A. Adler, Feb 3, "Daimler AG (OTC: DDAIF) plans to create a separate company for its Daimler Truck business that would focus on zero-emissions vehicles and software that could lead to autonomous trucking.

The decision by Daimler’s supervisory board to move forward follows several years of discussion. The German newspaper Handelsblatt reported in December that Daimler was considering acting before the end of 2021. Shareholders will vote on the spinoff at a special meeting in the third quarter.

The Daimler Group paved the way for Wednesday’s action when it separated the car and van and the truck and bus businesses into two subsidiaries in November 2019...."  Read more  Hmmmm... Trucking is different, but AV companies such as Waymo and Aurora seem to think that there is a lot of synergy when it comes to automation of driving as is likely the case with "zero emission" objectives.  They are focused on both markets.  So I'm confused.  What is really going on here? Why is Daimler walking away from synergies???  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class=""> Toyota teams up with Aurora and Denso on robotaxi development

A. Hawkins, Feb. 9, "It’s 2021 and we’re still finding unique ways to pair up to develop self-driving cars. The latest is between Toyota, AV startup Aurora, and auto part supplier Denso. The three companies will join forces to develop a fleet of robotaxis, with the first hitting the road by the end of this year.

It’s a big get for Aurora, the scrappy AV startup founded by Chris Urmson, the former head engineer of Google’s self-driving car project, among others. Toyota, which outsold Volkswagen in 2020 to reclaim its status as the biggest automaker in the world, is one of the few car companies that has yet to pair up with an autonomous vehicle startup. Denso, which spun out of Toyota in the mid-20th century, is one of the largest auto suppliers on the planet. So Aurora is now officially rolling with the big dogs.

The companies plan to develop and test driverless vehicles equipped with Aurora’s self-driving hardware and software stack, starting with the Toyota Sienna minivan. “By the end of 2021, we expect to have designed, built, and begun testing an initial fleet of these Siennas near our areas of development,” the companies said...."  Read more  Hmmmm... This is non-trivial.  Before the Elaine Herzberg crash, Toyota was a substantial player in the AV field.  That crash caused them to "temporarily" suspend testing.  Toyota has sheepishly returned to testing.  In 2020, Toyota Research Institute logged in California only  2,875 miles of testing using 7 vehicles that logged 214 disengagements.  Looks like a lot was learned, but Toyota must have realized that they have a long way to go and could really use Chris' help to be viable.  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="">  Recent AV Related papers by Prof. Kara Kockelman's Research Group at U. of Texas

K. Kockelman, Feb. 2021, "

Read more  Hmmmm... Above is a listing of 11 recent papers on Self-driving, Automated & Connected Vehicles by Prof. Kara Kockelman and her students at the University of Texas.  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="156" height="24">   Elon Musk’s Bitcoin embrace is a bit of a head-scratcher

R. Mitchell, Feb. 8, "The Tesla CEO says climate change is a threat to humanity, but his endorsement is driving demand for a cryptocurrency with a massive carbon footprint...."  Read more  Hmmmm... Very weird.  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="144" height="22">  LOCOMATION TAPS FORMER USDOT DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF POLICY AS VICE PRESIDENT OF POLICY AND STRATEGY

Press release, Feb 3, " Locomation, the world’s first trucking technology platform to offer human-guided autonomous convoying, announced today the hiring of Finch Fulton, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Policy at the US Department of Transportation as the Vice President of Policy and Strategy...."  Read more  Hmmmm...Congratulations Finch.  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="110" height="23">  Tesla to get access to $7,000 tax credit on 400,000 more electric cars in the US with new incentive reform

F. Lambert, Feb. 11, "The Democrats have now officially introduced the bill, the Growing Renewable Energy and Efficiency Now (GREEN) Act, to reform the federal EV tax incentives, among other tax programs to help renewable energy.

Here’s the relevant part of the bill for electric cars:

The provision expands the qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle credit under Section 30D to apply a new transition period for vehicle sales of a manufacturer between 200,000 and 600,000 electric vehicles (EVs), under which the credit is reduced by $500. The provision replaces the current phaseout period (which begins at 200,000 vehicles) with a phaseout period that instead begins during the second calendar quarter after the 600,000-vehicle threshold is reached. At the start of the new phaseout period, the credit is reduced by 50% for one quarter and terminates thereafter. For manufacturers that pass the 200,000-vehicle threshold before the enactment of this bill, the number of vehicles sold in between 200,000 and those sold on the date of enactment are excluded to determine when the 600,000-vehicle threshold is reached.

In short, automakers that have met the threshold already would have access to a new $7,000 tax credit for 400,000 additional electric vehicles until a new phase-out period starts again.

While the bill needs to go through the legislative process, it is likely to be adopted since the Democrats now hold the House, the Senate, and the White House....." Read more  Hmmmm...  Maybe I will wait and finally use that $1,000. that I put down for a Model 3. ???  Alain

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="110" height="23">  Tesla looks to hire data labelers to feed Autopilot neural nets with images at Gigafactory New York

F. Lambert, Feb. 8. "Tesla is often said to have a massive lead in self-driving data thanks to having equipped all its cars with sensors early on and collecting real-world data from a fleet that now includes over a million vehicles.

The automaker is able to use the extensive data set to improve its neural nets powering its suite of Autopilot features, and it ultimately believes it will lead to full self-driving capability.

However, that data is a lot more valuable when it is “labeled” – meaning that the information in the images collected by the fleet is being tagged with information, such as vehicles, lanes, street signs, etc... " Read more   Hmmmm...  What should be said here is that image data are essentially worthless unless they are "correctly  labeled" and correctly labeling is a non-trivial endeavor.  Also while more may well be better, it may only be better if the labeling is really good.  Finally, it requires good people to make the labeling good.  Alain

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.5&filename=lmjdiniodjkflpia.png" class="" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="38" height="42" border="0">   4th Annual Princeton SmartDrivingCar Summit  8th Episode at noon on Feb. 18, 2021 TO BE followed by 8 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 Hmmmm... Draft Program 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

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="">  Bridging The Gap Between Smart Cities And Autonomous Vehicles

A.  Mutschhler, Feb 4.  "..." Read more Hmmmm... Don't bother.  Totally Sunday Supplement.  Alain

Half-Baked

Click-Bait

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="47" height="30">  Here's the Tech That Could Be on Your Next Car

K.  Barry, Feb 3, "The beginning of the year is traditionally when automotive journalists can predict the future—not with tarot cards or crystal balls, but with notes and recordings taken during a flurry of events where automakers, suppliers, and industry insiders show off their latest wares, take the wraps off new technology, and make announcements about upcoming model years....

Augmented Reality:  ... Augmented reality at work, showing navigation and hazards  PHOTO: PANASONIC....  " Read more Hmmmm... Take a look at the heads-up display.  Who would ever want that in their face all the time as they drive????  The information, if known, should be keeping the car from speeding, hitting the bicyclist, stopping you from advancing if you can't clear 12'6", etc.! instead of putting all of that distraction in your face.  So bad!!!!!  Alain

Calendar of Upcoming Events:s

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.5&filename=lmjdiniodjkflpia.png" class="" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="46" height="52" border="0"> 

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="62" height="63">

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 197, Zoom-Cast Episode 197 w/Michel Parent, Founding Member of SuburVan

F. Fishkin, Feb. 5, "Smart mobility innovation in France.    Dr. Michel Parent founding member of SuburVan is aiming to provide fully autonomous mobility on the outskirts of Paris and more.    He joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that...plus the latest on Ford, GM, Tesla, VW and more...."

SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 196, Zoom-Cast Episode 196 w/Steve Polzin, Recently US DoT

F. Fishkin, Jan. 24, "Will more safe vehicle technology dampen the push for driverless mobility? Measuring the progress and challenges ahead with Dr. Steven Polzin..former Sr. Advisor, Office of the Ass't. Secretary for Research and Technology in the DOT. He joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser & co-host Fred Fishkin ... plus GM going zero emission, Tesla, Waymo and more.."

SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 195 Zoom-Cast Episode 195 w/Diana Furchtgott-Roth, G. Washington U.

F. Fishkin, Jan. 24, "What progress has been made towards smarter, safer mobility? The push for a back-up to GPS. Why the jump in vehicle fatalities last year? Those issues and more as former deputy assistant U.S. Transportation Secretary for research and technology Diana Furchtgott Roth joins us. Plus...Microsoft, Cruise, Tesla and more on Smart Driving Cars with Princeton's Alain Kornhauser & co-host Fred Fishkin.

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 Zoom-Cast Episode 193  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  Zoom-Cast Episode 189

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  Zoom-Cast Episode 188

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  Zoom-Cast Episode 176  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

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.5&filename=lmjdiniodjkflpia.png" class="" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="38" height="42" border="0">  SmartDrivingCar 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."

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.5&filename=lmjdiniodjkflpia.png" class="" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="38" height="42" border="0"> DrivingTheDebate Episode 004  Insurance: For or Against SmartDrivingCars?

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 ..." 
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."  

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.5&filename=lmjdiniodjkflpia.png" class="" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="38" height="42" border="0">  DrivingTheDebate Episode 003  Everyone's for Connectivity; but...

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."  

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.5&filename=lmjdiniodjkflpia.png" class="" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="38" height="42" border="0">  DrivingTheDebate Episode 002  The Future of Public Roadway Transit

F. Fishkin, May 14, "Will the Bus be Thrown Under the Bus?...

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." 

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.5&filename=lmjdiniodjkflpia.png" class="" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="38" height="42" border="0">   DrivingTheDebate Episode 001 The Driverless "New Normal" Debate

F. Fishkin, April 27,
SmartDrivingCars  Pod-Cast Episode 153, Zoom-Cast Episode 153   w/Dick Mudge2
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 152, Zoom-Cast Episode 152  w/Brad Templeton
[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="79" height="18"> 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 107 3rd Summit Leilei Shinohara & Staff Sergeant Terence McDonnell
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:

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.2&filename=hejedgabmgkdglfj.png" class="" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="115" height="69" border="0">

Friday, February 05, 2021

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.5&filename=lmjdiniodjkflpia.png" class="" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="39" height="43" border="0"> Analyzing Ride-Share Potential and Empty Repositioning Requirements of a Nationwide aTaxi System

G. Laniewki, Jan 26. "Ride-hailing apps (Uber and Lyft) have long been criticized for their inability to generate profit— especially now, since they have been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic1. It seems that the viability of their businesses relies heavily on automation, eliminating drivers to cut their largest cost and hopefully generating profit.2 This hail-mary strategy rests on that idea that autonomous driving will become a valuable industry—where some have estimated to be worth as much as $1.5 trillion3—and any pioneering company would have a non-nominal market penetration in it.
With that being said, there is a need for research that analyzes the viability of autonomous ridesharing while it’s in its infancy. Our approach is simulation-based and is built from a foundation of work from previous courses:..."  Read more  Hmmmm... Very nice Nation-wide investigation by my students this past Fall. Alain

Friday, January 29, 2021

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="50" height="39">G.M. Will Sell Only Zero-Emission Vehicles by 2035

N. Boudette, Jan. 28, "The days of the internal combustion engine are numbered.

General Motors said Thursday that it would phase out petroleum-powered cars and trucks and sell only vehicles that have zero tailpipe emissions by 2035, a seismic shift by one of the world’s largest automakers that makes billions of dollars today from gas-guzzling pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.

The announcement is likely to put pressure on automakers around the world to make similar commitments. It could also embolden President Biden and other elected officials to push for even more aggressive policies to fight climate change. Leaders could point to G.M.’s decision as evidence that even big businesses have decided that it is time for the world to begin to transition away from fossil fuels that have powered the global economy for more than a century...."  Read more Hmmmm...   Great! (maybe???):   Good News:  Zero emission vehicles; Bad News: From where cometh the marginal electricity that enables that Zero-Emission Vehicle to move and what carries that electricity to the point on the road where that electricity is used to power that Zero-Emission Vehicle?  Until we have a "Zero Emission Battery" and all electricity is created using Zero Emission, GM cannot produce, nor sell, Zero Emission Vehicles that actually move (other than downhill a la Nikola).  So please tout the whole story!!  (Will these EVs be less polluting than an ICE that GM could build and sell "by 2035"? is the real question.  The answer depends on where we will be with electricity production and distribution, the efficiency and makeup of batteries and the improvement of ICEs. (I didn't mean to imply that it was a simple question, but the NY Times should be more than click-bait.).   Alain

Friday, January 29, 2021

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="34" height="26">   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

Friday, January 15, 2021

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="34" height="35">  AUTOMATED VEHICLES:  Comprehensive Plan

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  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

Friday, January 08, 2021

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="">  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  Hmmmm... Set up for the 3rd session of the SDC Summit. Alain

Thursday December 31, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="">  Sustainable and Attainable: Zoox Unveils 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  Hmmmm... Watch Zoom-Cast 192.  Alain

Friday, December 11, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="50" height="39">  Uber, After Years of Trying, Is Handing Off Its Self-Driving Car Project

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 Hmmmm...  Actually a good article.  Alain

Friday, December 04, 2020

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" class="" width="39" height="26">  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 “Badger” 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 Hmmmm... Lessons for many in this endeavor.  See also Andrew Hawkin's take as well as David Morris'.  Alain

Thursday, November 26, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]"> 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 moreHmmmm... 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".  Enjoy and listen/watch the following Pod/Zoom-casts.  Alain 

Friday, November 20, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">  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 Hmmmm.... A MUST read along with "Cadillac's Super Cruise Outperforms Other 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 SAE!)  AlainFriday, November 13, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">  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 data form to express your interest in volunteering for one or more demonstration phases.... "  Read moreHmmmm...  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 [log in to unmask]   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  

Friday, November 6, 2020

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="68" height="23">  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.”

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

Friday, October 30, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">  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 – either in the vehicle or remotely – to help them get to where they're going as part of their everyday lives...."  Read more Hmmmm...  

[log in to unmask]" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">  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

[log in to unmask]" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">  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 

Friday, October 23, 2020

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">   How Ford's Next-Gen Test Vehicle Lays the Foundation for Our Self-Driving Business

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  Hmmmm....  See video.  Imprssive. Listen/watch  SmartDrivingCars PodCast / ZoomCast with John Rich. CNBC's take as well as THe Detroit News.  Alain

Friday, October 16, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="138" height="21">  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  Hmmmm....  Interesting, but even more interesting is the SmartDrivingCarsPodCast / ZoomCast with John Rich.  Alain

Friday, October 09, 2020

[log in to unmask]" src="cid:[log in to unmask]"> 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  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

Friday, October 09, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">  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 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

Friday, September 25, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="56" height="43">  Proposal for a new UN Regulation on uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regards to Automated Lane Keeping System 

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 moreHmmmm.... 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

Friday, September 11, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="76" height="18"> Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving Capability' 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 Hmmmm.... See Video, Watch Zoom-Cast.  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

Friday, September 11, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">  Autonomous vehicles could improve policing, public safety, and much more

Thursday, August 20, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="133" height="21">  Creating Standards in an Environment of Mistrust

Saturday, August 8, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">  The Biggest Self-Driving Truck Startup Stumbles in Hitting High Goals

Thursday, July 16, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="133" height="21">   Car OEMs Driving Toward Relevance or Perdition

Thursday, July 9, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="125" height="35"> Fostering Economic Opportunity through Autonomous Vehicle Technology 

Thursday, July 2, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]"> 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

Thursday, June 25, 2020  

  Motor Vehicle Fatality Rates Jump 36.6% in April Despite Quarantines, Says National Safety Council

Friday, June 12, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]">  Society of Actuaries Research Brief Impact of COVID-19, June 12, 2020

Thursday, June 4, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="134" height="21">  Two-way Vehicle Connectivity is a Three-sided Coin That Everyone Wants to Own

Thursday, April 30, 2020 

  Luminaries Battle In Lincoln-Douglas Style Debate About The Future Of Self-Driving Cars

Friday, April 24, 2020 

  What Negative Oil Prices Mean and How the Impact Could Last

Friday, March 27, 2020 

 2020 Hyundai Sonata stars in Super Bowl ad all about 'Smaht Pahk'

Sunday, January 12, 2020 

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="30" height="33">   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 EyeSight is 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

Monday, January 6, 2020 

Hmmmm...I'm Back

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

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Self-driving car capital? One senator thinks it can be Florida

Saturday, September 28, 2019

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="116" height="32">Public forum will explore possibility of transit on demand in Princeton

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="107" height="19">Autonomous Vehicles:  A View from Seniors

 [log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="94" height="29"> Market Framework and Outlook for Automated Vehicle Systems

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 

New Jersey Pending Legislation re: Autonomous Vehicles

Oct 16, Establishes fully autonomous vehicle pilot program A4573 Sponsors:  Zwicker (D16); Benson (D14)

Oct 16, Establishes New 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 Sponsors:  Zwicker (D16); Benson (D14); Lampitt (D6)..."  Read moreHmmmm.... Things are beginning to move in New Jersey.  Alain

[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="39" height="43"> Testimony of Alain Kornhauser, Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology - Monday, October 22, 2018 - 10:00:00 AM 

 Audio Recording of Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology - Monday, October 22, 2018 - 10:00:00 AM

Tuesday, June 12,  2018

 CPUC AUTHORIZES PASSENGER CARRIERS TO PROVIDE FREE TEST RIDES IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES WITH VALID CPUC AND DMV PERMITS

Friday, May 25,  2018

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 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 30 and theMarch 24 edition of SmartDrivingCar, See below.Thursday, May 10,  2018

Tuesday, April 17, 2017

  Don't Worry, Driverless Cars Are Learning From Grand Theft Auto

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.36&filename=ajafjpkfaclhelpc.png" class="" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="44" height="50" border="0">Extracting Cognition out of Images for the Purpose of Autonomous Driving

announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles 

Sunday, December 19, 2015 

imap:<a href=[log in to unmask]:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/INBOX%3E3022058?part=1.38&filename=ccalfjfhllohpdpa.png" class="" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="68" height="44" border="0">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

This list is maintained by Alain Kornhauserand hosted by the Princeton University

Leave |Re-enter

  [log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" width="66" height="90">

-- 
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
[log in to unmask]
609-258-4657 (o)
609-980-1427 (c) 		 Princeton Shield[log in to unmask]" id="[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" style="float: right; padding-left: 2em;" data-unique-identifier="" width="90" height="100" border="0">
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
[log in to unmask]
609-258-4657 (o)
609-980-1427 (c) 		Princeton Shield[log in to unmask]" class="" width="90" height="100" border="0">


***************************************************************************************************************
This list is maintained by Alain Kornhauser and hosted by the Princeton University LISTSERV.

Unsubscribe | Re-subscribe