2021-02-13
February 12, 2021
blue;
text-decoration:
blue;
text-decoration:
none;">6th
edition of the
9th year of
SmartDrivingCars
eLetter
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](https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=59e39325-8a38-42b3-af1d-6b62bdd0d6a0&v=sdk) 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
SmartDrivingCars
[Pod-Cast Episode 198](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-198), [Zoom-Cast Episode 198](https://youtu.be/G7wnT9StV5Q)
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
4th Annual Princeton SmartDrivingCar Summit
8th Live Episode: Live on Zoom
Who Will Build, Sell and Maintain Driverless Cars?
noon ET, Thursday, Georgia, serif;”>
Georgia,
serif;"> [Video Summary of 1st Session: Setting the Stage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCc9N8o1dys&feature=youtu.be)
The
SmartDrivingCars
eLetter,
Pod-Casts,
Zoom-Casts and
Zoom-inars are
made possible
in part by
support from
the Smart
Transportation
and Technology
ETF, symbol
MOTO. For
more
information: [www.motoetf.com](https://www.smartetfs.com/). Most funding is
supplied by
Princeton
University's
Department of
Operations
Research &
Financial
Engineering
and Princeton
Autonomous
Vehicle
Engineering
(PAVE)
research
laboratory as
part of its
research
dissemination
initiatives.
Memories of the Past Reflect the Future of Driverless
K. Pyle, Feb.
13, "Although
the title. [Finally Doing It](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/session/20210211),
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](https://viodi.com/2021/02/13/memories-of-the-past-reflect-the-future-of-driverless/)
Hmmmm...Ken,
extremely nice
summary. Thank
you. Alain
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
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](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/2020-autonomous-vehicle-disengagement-reports-csv/)
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
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
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
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](https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/11/planning-500000-charging-points-for-evs-by-2025-shell-becomes-the-latest-company-swept-up-in-ev-charging-boom/) Hmmmm... Look also at [EV charging stations, biofuels, the hydrogen transition and chemicals are pillars of Shell's climate plan](https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/11/ev-charging-stations-biofuels-the-hydrogen-transition-and-chemicals-are-pillars-of-shells-climate-plan/). Are the oil giants morphing
into the
Climate
giants? Why
not? Alain
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](https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/11/22277043/uber-lyft-earnings-q4-2020-profit-loss-covid) 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](https://www.google.com/search?q=gamestop+stock&oq=gameSt&aqs=chrome.4.0i355i433j46i199i291i433j69i57j0i433l2j0i433i457j0i433l4.9623j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)"
phenomenon
remains.
Alain
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
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](https://www.freightwaves.com/news/news-alert-daimler-will-create-stand-alone-truck-business) 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
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](https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/11/22277043/uber-lyft-earnings-q4-2020-profit-loss-covid) 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](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-43478158).
Toyota has
sheepishly
returned to
testing. In
2020, Toyota
Research
Institute [logged in California](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/2020-autonomous-vehicle-disengagement-reports-csv/) only 2,875 miles of
testing using
[7 vehicles that logged 214 disengagements](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/2020-autonomous-vehicle-disengagement-reports-csv/).
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
Recent AV Related papers by Prof. Kara Kockelman’s Research Group at U. of Texas
K. Kockelman, Feb. 2021, “
-
Spatial Variation in Shared Ride-Hail Trips & Factors Contributing To Sharing Journal of Transport Geography 91, 102944 (2021).
-
Shared Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Operations for First-Mile Last-Mile Transit Connections with Dynamic Ride-Sharing Presented at the 100th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (January 2021)
-
Strategic Charging of Shared Fully-Automated Electric Vehicle (SAEV) Fleets Presented at the 100th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (January 2021).
-
Shared Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Performance: Impacts of Parking Limitations and Trip Densities Presented at the 100th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (January 2021). Transportation Research Part D 89: 102577, 2020.
-
Strategic Evacuation for Regional Events: With and Without Autonomous Vehicles Presented at the 100th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board.
-
SAV Operations on A Bus Line Corridor: Travel Demand, Service Frequency and Vehicle Size Presented at the 100th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (January 2021).
-
How Much Does Greater Trip Demand and Aggregation at Stops Improve Dynamic Ride-Sharing in Shared Autonomous Vehicle Systems? Presented at the Bridging Transportation Researchers conference, August 2020.
-
Anticipating Land Use Impacts of Self-Driving Vehicles in the Austin, Texas Region Presented at the 100th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (January 2021) J of Transportation and Land Use 13 (1), 185-205 (2020).
-
A Repositioning Method for Shared Autonomous Vehicles Operation Procedia Computer Science 170: 791-798, 2020.
-
Use of Shared Automated Vehicles for First-Mile Last-Mile Service:Micro-Simulation of Rail-Transit Connections in Austin, Texas Transportation Research Record (2021).
-
A System of Shared Autonomous Vehicles for Chicago: Understanding the Effect of Geofencing the Service Presented at the 100th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (January 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
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](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-02-08/tesla-invests-in-bitcoin)
Hmmmm... Very
weird. Alain
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
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](https://electrek.co/2021/02/11/tesla-7000-tax-credit-electric-cars-us-incentive-reform/) Hmmmm... Maybe I will wait and
finally use
that $1,000.
that I put
down for a
Model 3. ???
Alain
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](https://electrek.co/2021/02/08/tesla-looks-hire-data-labelers-feed-autopilot-neural-nets-images-gigafactory-new-york/)
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
0, 0);">[Annual Princeton](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/session/20210128)SmartDrivingCar
Summit [8th Episode at noon on Feb. 18, 2021](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/session/20210211)
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](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/) Hmmmm... [Draft Program](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/) is
in flux.
Consider all
named
individuals as
"Invited yet
to be
confirmed".
Alain
C’mon Man!(These folks didn’t get/read the memo)
Sunday Supplement
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
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
4th Annual Princeton SmartDrivingCar Summit
8th Live Episode: Live on Zoom
Who Will Build, Sell and Maintain Driverless Cars?
noon ET, Thursday, Georgia, serif;”>
Georgia,
serif;"> [Video Summary of 1st Session: Setting the Stage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCc9N8o1dys&feature=youtu.be)
Georgia,
serif;">
On the More Technical Side
http://orfe.princeton.edu/~alaink/SmartDrivingCars/Papers/
K. Kockelman’s AV Research Group at U of Texas
###
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](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-194) [Zoom-Cast Episode 194](https://youtu.be/hK4Fj6erScY)
w/Anuj
Pradhan, UMass
###
F. Fishkin,
Jan. 15,
""When it
comes to
vehicle safety technology...should manufacturers be sharing instead of competing?
Should there
be
standardization?
Anuj Pradhan,
co-director of
the Human
Performance
Lab at UMASS
Amherst joins
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin for
that...plus
the latest
from GM,
Tesla,
Mobileye, Nio
and more." SmartDrivingCars
[Pod-Cast Episode 193](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-193) [Zoom-Cast Episode 193](https://youtu.be/OETxB_wzkDw)
w/Bobby
Hambrick,
AutonomousStuff
###
F. Fishkin,
Jan. 8, "Bobby
Hambrick
started
AutuonomouStuff
in a barn in
Morton,
Illinois....and
has pioneered
much of the
technology
moving the
autonomous
industry
forward, now
as part of
Hexagon. Bobby
joins
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin to
look back and
look ahead.
Plus...Apple,
Hyundai,
Waymo, Tesla
and more! "
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 192 Zoom-Cast Episode 192 w/Danny Shapiro, nVIDIA
###
F. Fishkin,
Dec. 30,
"NVIDIA
continues on a
roll powering
the Zoox robo
taxi unveiled
this month by
Amazon.
NVIDIA senior
director of
automotive
Danny Shapiro
outlines the
progress and
looks ahead to
2021 in the
latest Smart
Driving Cars
with
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin. "
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 191 Zoom-Cast Episode 191 w/ Louis Aaron’23 and Joel Johnson
F. Fishkin, Dec. 20, “College student Joel Johnson has been keeping a log of dozens of trips in Waymo’s self driving service in Chandler, Arizona, and posting videos on YouTube. Louis Aaron’23, another student, has been working with Elon Musk’s Boring Company in Las Vegas. The two share their experiences with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin in the latest Smart Driving Cars.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 190 Zoom-Cast Episode 190 w/Chris Urmson, Aurora
###
F. Fishkin,
Dec. 15, "With
Aurora taking
over Uber's
self driving
efforts, what
is on the
horizon for
the start up
whose leaders
have roots at
Waymo, Tesla
and Uber?
Co-founder and
CEO Chris
Urmson joins
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin in
this special
edition of
Smart Driving
Cars." SmartDrivingCars
[Pod-Cast Episode 189](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-189)
[Zoom-Cast Episode 189](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9ZtgZkjaLo&feature=youtu.be)
###
F. Fishkin,
Dec. 11, "With
the 4th Annual
Princeton
Smart Driving
Cars Summit
about to get
underway...a
preview of
what's to
come.
Plus..Aurora
takes over
Uber's
self-driving
car project,
Cruise tests
fully
driverless
behind the
wheel, is
Apple planning
a self-driving
surprise and
more. Join
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser
& co-host
Fred Fishkin
...and
subscribe!"
SmartDrivingCars
[Pod-Cast Episode 188](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-188)
[Zoom-Cast Episode 188](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVWz6F5CHH4&feature=youtu.be)
F. Fishkin, Dec. 6, “The Nikola saga continues, AutoX goes fully driverless with robotaxis in China…plus Luminar, Tesla, TuSimple and more. Join Princeton University’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for Episode 188 of Smart Driving Cars.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 187 Zoom-Cast Episode 187 w/Michael Sena, The Dispatcher
F. Fishkin, Nov 25, “What you should know about electric cars, climate change and more. The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin in an eye opening edition of Smart Driving Cars..”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 186 Zoom-Cast Episode 186 w/Kelly Funkhouser, Consumer Report
F. Fishkin, Nov 24, “When it comes to active driver assistance systems, what works and what needs improvement? Some answers from Kelly Funkhouser… program manager for vehicle interface, head of connected and automated vehicles at Consumer Reports. She joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 186 of Smart Driving Cars.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 185 Zoom-Cast Episode 185 w/Dan Smith, Waymo F. Fishkin, Nov 20, “Only Waymo has been transporting customers in driverless vehicles without a safety monitor on board. What goes into that kind of decision? Waymo Assistant General Counsel Dan Smith joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin in this special edition of Smart Driving Cars.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 184 Zoom-Cast Episode 184 w/Marjory Blumenthal, Rand F. Fishkin, Nov 20, “So when are driverless vehicles safe enough to be deployed? Senior Rand Corporation policy researcher Marjory Blumenthal joins Princeton University’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to examine her latest report and more.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 183 Zoom-Cast Episode 183 w/Kirsten Korosec F. Fishkin, Nov 13, “Rivian’s hands free driver assistance will be standard equipment…while Ford unveils the E-Transit. TechCrunch Senior Transportation reporter and editor Kirsten Korosec joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Nuro, Tesla, Uber, Lyft, Cruise and more. Plus the coming changes for mobility under a new administration!”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 182 Zoom-Cast Episode 182 F. Fishkin, Nov 6, “What will a new administration mean for autonomous mobility? And what about the passage of Proposition 22 in California after Uber’s big campaign? That plus luxury EVs coming from Bentley….and cheap EVs from China. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 181 Zoom-Cast Episode 181 w/Sheldon b & Glenn Mercer F. Fishkin, Oct. 30, “Waymo releases self driving data…while traditional car dealers enjoy surprisingly strong profits during the pandemic. Why? What about the coming autonomous mobility? Bell Air Partners’ Sheldon Sandler and researcher-consultant Glenn Mercer explain in Episode 181 of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. “
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 180 Zoom-Cast Episode 180 w/John Rich, Ford/Argo, part 2 F. Fishkin, Oct. 15, “Ford and Argo AI have unveiled their next generation self-driving test vehicle. Once again, Ford’s Director of Autonomous Vehicle and Technology Development John Rich joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to unveil the technology and the company’s self driving business plans.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 179 Zoom-Cast Episode 179 w/John Rich, Ford/Argo F. Fishkin, Oct. 15, “Which autonomous vehicle platforms will survive? The director of Ford’s Autonomous Vehicle and Technology Development says there may only be two…and Ford /Argo AI will be one of them. John Rich joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 178 Zoom-Cast Episode 178 w/Andrew Hawkins, Verge F. Fishkin, Oct. 9, “Here we go! Waymo going fully driverless in Phoenix suburb service. The Verge senior transportation reporter Andrew Hawkins joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Tesla… Amazon… Rivian and more. Subscribe!
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 177 Zoom-Cast Episode 177
F. Fishkin,
Oct. 2, "New
grades for
assisted
driving
systems from
Euro NCAP.
But Princeton
Professor
Alain
Kornhauser
says the devil
is in the
details in
this edition
with co-host
Fred Fishkin.
And there's
Amazon's
success
against Covid
plusTesla,
Uber, GM,
Nikola and
more. SmartDrivingCars [Pod-Cast Episode 176](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-176) [Zoom-Cast Episode 176](https://youtu.be/lHjSTXH-GGchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHvG6Aqt6fk&feature=youtu.be)
w/Marc
Scribner
F. Fishkin, Sept. 25, “A new government entity to oversee autonomous vehicles? Marc Scribner, Sr. Transportation Policy Analyst at the Reason Foundation on regulation and more with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus…Tesla, Nikola, GM and the California move to ban new gasoline vehicles.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 175 Zoom-Cast Episode 175 w/Michael Sena F. Fishkin, Sept. 18, “Automobility and the future of car dealers… “The Dispatcher” publisher Michael Sena offers a different take on how car dealers may battle automakers pushing for direct to consumer subscriptions. That and more in this edition of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 174 Zoom-Cast Episode 174 w/Kelly Funkhouser, Consumer Reports
F. Fishkin, Sept. 4, “Moving forward with autonomous vehicle testing, the head of safety at Uber’s Advanced Technology Group is pledging safety data transparency. Nat Beuse joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co host Fred Fishkin for that and more on the latest mobility headlines.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 173 Zoom-Cast Episode 173 w/Nathanial Beuse F. Fishkin, Sept. 4, “Moving forward with autonomous vehicle testing, the head of safety at Uber’s Advanced Technology Group is pledging safety data transparency. Nat Beuse joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co host Fred Fishkin for that and more on the latest mobility headlines.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 172Zoom-Cast Episode 172 Special Edition w/Danny Shapiro
F. Fishkin ,Sept. 2, “Mercedes unveils the latest S Class with more computing power than 60 average cars…with NVIDIA playing a big role. NVIDIA’s Director of Automotive Danny Shapiro joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 171Zoom-Cast Episode 171 w/Henry Greenidge
SmartDrivingCars PodCast 170 ZoomCast Episode170 w/Michael Sena SmartDrivingCars PodCast Episode 169 ZoomCast Episode 169 w/Anthony Townsend SmartDrivingCars PodCast Episode 168 ZoomCast Episode 168 w/Olaf Sakkers SmartDrivingCars PodCast 167 ZoomCast Episode167 w/Robin Chase, Carlos Pardo & Daniel Sperling SmartDrivingCars PodCast Episode 166ZoomCast Episode 166 w/Jay Rodgers’95, CEO Local Motors
Zoom-inar
Episode 005
AmaZooks
F. Fishkin, July 20, “Is Driverless home delivery the fastest route to Affordable Mobility for the Mobility Disadvantaged? … “
SmartDrivingCars PodCast Episode 165,ZoomCast Episode165 w/Michael Sena
F. Fishkin 16, “Is the option to buy a car at a dealership going to vanish? The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena has a provocative perspective in this edition with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser & co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus..an update on the Amazon Zoox deal, autonomous vehicles and how they can help battle discrimination in transportation, TuSimple, Mobileye, Uber, Tesla and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast 164 Episode 164, Zoom-Cast Episode 163 w/Robbie Diamond
F. Fishkin, July 9, “Fostering economic opportunity through autonomous technology is the focus of an upcoming report from Security America’s Future Energy. Founder and CEO Robbie Diamond shares details and more in this edition with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus ..are armed police officers really needed for traffic enforcement? And the latest from Tesla, Waymo and more. …” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 163, Zoom-Cast Episode 163 w/Henry Greenidge F. Fishkin, July 2, “Transportation, racial injustices and changing the thinking around the future of mobility. NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy & Research fellow Henry Greenidge joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin in an eye and mind opening episode of Smart Driving Cars. Plus Amazon, Zoox, Waymo, Tesla & more. .”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 162, Zoom-Cast Episode 162 w/Cliff Winston
F. Fishkin, June 25, “From the Brookings Institution, Cliff Winston, co-author of Autonomous Vehicles…The Road to Economic Growth? joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus..why are fatal crash rates rising in the midst of a pandemic…plus NVIDIA, Didi, Tesla and more.”
Episode 004 [Insurance: For or Against SmartDrivingCars?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHlPaNmjeag&feature=youtu.be)
F. Fishkin,
June 23, "But
the debate is
not really
about
technology nor
is it about
who delivers
the best value
for the money
or the most
privacy. It is
about ..."
-
Zoom-inar (Video replay) Insurance: For or Against SmartDrivingCars?
-
PodCast (Audio Only) Insurance: For or Against SmartDrivingCars?
Listen/Watch more Hmmm… We only scratched the surface. Alain SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 161,Zoom-Cast Episode 161 w/Alberto Stochino F. Fishkin, June 17, “Is less data sometimes more when it comes to driverless vehicle technology? Perceptive Founder and CEO Alberto Stochino joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus the DOT’s new plan for sharing autonomous safety information, the latest from Tesla, EVs from China and more.”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 160, Zoom-Cast Episode 160 w/Jessica Cicchino F. Fishkin, June 12, “Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Research VP Jessica Cicchino co-authored a new study saying self driving vehicles could struggle to eliminate most crashes. She joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to discuss the study. Plus the latest on Tesla, Ford & VW, Covid-19 and more. ”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 159, Zoom-Cast Episode 159 w/Kara Kockelman F. Fishkin, June 4, “Prof. Kara Kockelman’s focus on smart transportation to save lives, money and the environment has made her a sought after global expert. The U. of Texas Transportation Engineering Professor joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin on the impact of Covid-19 and much more. Plus Tesla, Uber, Argo AI and the top smart driving headlines. For more on Dr. Kockelman’s work….please visit… http://www.caee.utexas.edu/prof/kockelman.”
DrivingTheDebate
Episode 003 [Everyone's for Connectivity; but...](https://youtu.be/DMNLH_fkcI4) F. Fishkin,
June 2, "But
the debate is
not really
about
technology nor
is it about
who delivers
the best value
for the money
or the most
privacy. It is
about ..."
Listen/Watch more Hmmm… We only scratched the surface. Alain
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 158, Zoom-Cast Episode 158 w/Chunka Mui
F. Fishkin, May 28, “In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, what are the smartest ways to re-build and plan for the future? Futurist and author Chunka Mui joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Amazon, Zoox, Intel Mobileye, Tesla, Uber and more.” SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 157, Zoom-Cast Episode 157 w/Grayson Brulte
F. Fishkin, May 21, “Global auto makers must completely re-think their autonomous mobility strategy as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. So says innovation strategist Grayson Brulte of Brulte & Company….who joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus…Waymo, Tesla, Uber and more.”
DrivingTheDebate Episode 002 The Future of Public Roadway Transit F. Fishkin, May 14, ”Will the Bus be Thrown Under the Bus?…
-
Zoom-inar Video (Video replay)Smart Driving Cars: The Future of Public Roadway Transit
-
PodCast (Audio Only) Smart Driving Cars: The Future of Public Roadway Transit
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 156, Cars Zoom-Cast Episode 156 w/Danny Shapiro2 F. Fishkin, May 14, “With new hardware and software capabilities NVIDIA is expanding into new areas of driver assistance technology. Sr. Director of Automotive Danny Shapiro joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that…plus the latest on Waymo, Voyage, Ford and more. listen and subscribe!”
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 155,Zoom-Cast Episode 155 w/Alex Roy2 F. Fishkin, April 29, “The continuing impact of Covid-19 on autonomous vehicle progress. But it may not be all bad news. Alex Roy…host of the No Parking Podcast and Director of Special Operations at Argo AI joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Tesla, Intel, Lyft, Uber and more. Listen and subscribe!
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 154, Zoom-Cast Episode 154 w/Dan Sperling F. Fishkin, April 29, “Can ride sharing rebound after the pandemic? Daniel Sperling, founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Tesla, Waymo, Ford and more.”
DrivingTheDebate Episode 001 The Driverless “New Normal” Debate F. Fishkin, April 27,
-
SmartDrivingCar PodCast (Audio Only) Smart Driving Cars: The Driverless New Normal Debate
-
Zoom Audience Questions (Only a few were addressed in Zoom-inar)
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 153, Zoom-Cast Episode 153 w/Dick Mudge2
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 152,Zoom-Cast Episode 152 w/Brad Templeton
SmartDrivingCars Podcast Episode 148 w/Richard Bishop
SmartDrivingCars Zoom-Cast Episode 148 w/Richard Bishop
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 147 - Michael Sena
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 142 - J. Hughes
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 141- A. Roy
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 139- Randal O’Toole
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 138-Nick Zart
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 136
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 135 - with Jim Atkinson
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 130 with Dick Mudge & Michael Sena
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 112 - J. Hardiman NJM
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 110 - Lance Elliot
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 108 3rd Summit Wrapup
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 106 3rd Summit David Kidd & Cecillia Feeley
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 104 3rd Summit Anil Lewis & Katherine Freund
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 97 - Michael Sena’69
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 71-Nader’55
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 69 - Chunka Mui
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 65 - Bernard Soriano, CA DMV
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 58-Keith Code,Motorcycles
Smart Driving Cars Podcast Episode 55-Larry Burns, Autonomy
Recent Highlights of:
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](https://www.dropbox.com/s/custfytlu31kca7/Orf467F20Nationwide_aTaxiFinalReportCompilaation.pdf?dl=0) Hmmmm... Very nice Nation-wide
investigation
by my students
this past
Fall. Alain
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](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/business/gm-zero-emission-vehicles.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20210128&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=headline®i_id=89228009&segment_id=50516&user_id=bb3a3afb7a60246a936251b2f79cc1db)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](https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/09/nikola-admits-prototype-was-rolling-downhill-in-promotional-video/)).
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
January 29,
2021
blue;
text-decoration:
none;">
[U-M’s Robert Hampshire joins Biden administration to work in transportation research and technology](https://news.umich.edu/u-ms-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](https://news.umich.edu/u-ms-robert-hampshire-joins-biden-administration-to-work-in-transportation-research-and-technology/) Hmmmm... What a fantastic
appointment. Congratulations Robert! Alain
[AUTOMATED VEHICLES: Comprehensive Plan](https://www.dropbox.com/s/35vtszzmvv90ohx/USDOT_AVCP.pdf?dl=0) E.
Chao, Jan.
2021, "The
Automated
Vehicles
Comprehensive
Plan
(Comprehensive
Plan)
describes how
the United
States
Department of
Transportation
(U.S. DOT) is
supporting the
safe
integration of
Automated
Driving
Systems (ADS)2
into the
surface
transportation
system. It
explains
Departmental
goals related
to ADS,
identifies
actions being
taken to meet
those goals,
and provides
real-world
examples of
how these
Departmental
actions relate
to emerging
ADS
applications...
" [Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/35vtszzmvv90ohx/USDOT_AVCP.pdf?dl=0) Hmmmm... I guess this is a good
plan. Of
course, Safety
is #1, as it
should be.
DoT's #1
public
responsibility
is Safety.
Whether Cyber
Security and
Privacy are #
2 and 3 and
ahead of
Enhanced
Mobility and
Accessibility
is certainly
debatable.
And if the Enhanced
Mobility and
Accessibility
of the
"mobility
disadvantaged
that have been
left behind by
our current
favored
transport
system" were
to be a
category, then
that one
should be
right behind
Safety at #2
if not ahead
of Safety and
a solid #1.
The rest. as
they should,
are
appropriately
details. What
is most
disconcerting
about the
report are the
images. To me,
those images
depict the
current
"haves", not
"have-nots"
and thus don't
really address
the mobility
needs and
desires of
those whose
quality-of-life
could be most
enhanced by
automation
technology.
These images
seem to focus
the Plan on
giving those
that already
have pretty
good ways to
get around,
yet another
way to get
around, where,
when you
finally get
right down to
it, may at
best be only
slightly
better than
what they
already have.
This
Comprehensive
Plan should
first be
focused on
providing
high-quality
affordable
mobility to
those whose
quality-of-life
could be most
improved by
such new
technologies
and
subsequently
serve those
that already
enjoy and can
afford other
high-quality
forms of
mobility.
Also, Elaine, thank you for a really good 4 years. You (and USDoT) were really the star of what was otherwise a most embarrassing Presidency. Also, thanks to Diana Furchtgott-Roth and many others in US DoT. Alain
January 08,
2021
Automatic braking is now on most new cars. But not GM or Fiat Chrysler vehicles C. Isidore, Dec 17, “Automatic braking, once a feature available exclusively to high-end cars, is becoming common across the industry, according to analysis from Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
But the
industry has
some notable
exceptions,
including
General Motors
(GM) and Fiat
Chrysler
(FCAU), which
badly trail
rivals in
offering
automatic
braking as
standard
equipment,
according to
the safety
groups.
Automatic
braking uses
sensors to
apply brakes
when a vehicle
ahead is
stopped, and
the car's
onboard
computer can
avoid or
lessen the
impact of an
accident. It's
an
increasingly
popular
feature with
car buyers.
Many
automakers are
emphasizing
the feature in
their
advertising
and sales
pitches.
Four
higher-end
brands already
had the
feature on 99%
or better of
their vehicles
before this
past year:
Audi,
Mercedes-Benz,
Volvo and
Tesla (TSLA).
Six more have
the feature on
at least 96%
of the
vehicles they
sold in the
United States
between
September 2019
and September
2020: BMW,
Hyundai,
Mazda, Subaru,
Toyota (TM)
and Volkswagen
(VLKAF). Three
more
automakers â€"
Ford (F),
Honda (HMC)
and Nissan
(NSANF), had
automatic
braking on
more than 90%
of their US
vehicles....
" [Read more](https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/17/business/automatic-braking/) Hmmmm... Set up for the [3rd session of the SDC Summit](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/session/20210114).
Alain
December 31,
2020 [Sustainable and Attainable: Zoox Unveils Autonomous Robotaxi Powered by NVIDIA](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2020/12/17/zoox-autonomous-robotaxi-powered-by-nvidia/) D. Shapiro,
Dec. 17, "When
it comes to
future
mobility, you
may not have
to pave as
many paradises
for personal
car parking
lots.
This week,
autonomous
mobility
company Zoox
unveiled its
much-anticipated
purpose-built
robotaxi.
Designed for
everyday urban
mobility, the
vehicle is
powered by
NVIDIA and is
one of the
first level 5
robotaxis
featuring
bi-directional
capabilities,
providing a
concrete view
into the next
generation of
intelligent
transportation...."
[Read more](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2020/12/17/zoox-autonomous-robotaxi-powered-by-nvidia/) Hmmmm... Watch Zoom-Cast 192.
Alain
December 11,
2020
[Uber, After Years of Trying, Is Handing Off Its Self-Driving Car Project](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/technology/uber-self-driving-car-project.html)
C. Metz & K. Conger, Dec 7, “Uber, which spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a self-driving car project that executives once believed was a key to becoming profitable, is handing the autonomous vehicle effort over to a Silicon Valley start-up, the companies said on Monday.
Uber will also
invest $400
million in the
start-up,
called Aurora,
so it is
essentially
paying the
company to
take over the
autonomous car
operation,
which had
become a
financial and
legal
headache. Uber
is likely to
license
whatever
technology
Aurora manages
to create.
The deal
amounts to a
fire-sale end
to a
high-profile
but
star-crossed
effort to
replace
Uber’s human
drivers with
machines that
could drive on
their own. It
is also
indicative of
the challenges
facing other
autonomous
vehicle
projects,
which have
received
billions in
investments
from Silicon
Valley and
automakers but
have not
produced the
fleets of
robotic
vehicles some
thought would
be on the
streets by
now...." [Read more](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/technology/uber-self-driving-car-project.html) Hmmmm... Actually a good
article.
Alain
December 04,
2020
Nikola Teaches GM a Lesson S. Wilmot, Nov 30, “Nikola Corp. NKLA 0.76% isn’t turning out to be the next Tesla that investors and were hoping for.
The
electric-vehicle
startup put
its
eye-catching
â€Å"Badgerâ€Â
pickup-truck
project on ice
Monday as part
of a radically
shrunken
version of its
deal with GM.
All that is
left of the
original
agreement
signed in
September is a
plan for GM to
supply Nikola
with fuel-cell
technology for
U.S. big rigs.
Detroit’s biggest auto maker had planned to take an equity stake in Nikola in exchange for building the Badger under contract. But the deal has been in doubt almost from the start after a hedge-fund report detailed the limitations of Nikola’s technology, leading to the resignation of founder Trevor Milton.
GM won't sell
Nikola fuel
cells soon.
For all its
fanfare about
hydrogen, the
startup is
currently
focused on
battery-powered
versions of
its first
electric
truck, theTre,
It hopes to
start
full-scale
production in
the fourth
quarter of
next year in
Germany and in
early 2022 in
Coolidge,
Ariz. Hydrogen
trucks won't
come before
2023, and in
Europe Nikola
is using Bosch
as its
fuel-cell
supplier.
..." [Read more](https://www.wsj.com/articles/nikola-teaches-gm-a-lesson-11606760549) Hmmmm... Lessons for many in this
endeavor. See
also[Andrew Hawkin's take](https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/30/21726594/gm-nikola-deal-equity-badger-truck-hydrogen)
as well as [David Morris'](https://fortune.com/2020/11/30/nikola-gm-deal-collapses-devastating-news/).
Alain
November 26,
The Vehicle Fuel Debate Has Been Hijacked
M. Sena, Nov. 19, “The lead article this month was inspired by a diagram I received showing how much of the energy that we generate to heat our homes, light up our rooms, make the concrete and steel to build our infrastructure and power our transportation is wasted. It’s over two-thirds. Wasted! Half of it is from producing electricity.
There are a
spate of
battery and
hybrid
electric cars
(and some
others) on
their way from
China to
Europe and
North America.
Some of the
ones I
describe in
the Dispatch
Central
section will
be familiar to
readers since
I wrote about
them earlier.
I could not
help writing
again about
Volvo's slow
but steady
exit from
Sweden. In the
self-driving
and data
sharing
section there
is some
interesting
news out of
the UK and
Massachusetts,
a state
(actually a
Commonwealth
just like
Pennsylvania,
my home state)
where I
registered
most of the
cars I have
owned during
the eighteen
years I lived
there.
Waymo has
delivered
quite a bit of
news to the
press during
the past few
months. It
seemed like
everyone was
putting the
same spin on
what they were
saying.
Naturally, I
decided to
spin in the
other
direction. In
Musings of a
Dispatcher I
have mused
about who is
going to be
sitting in all
of those
driverless
vehicles. Will
they be from
Mars or from
Venus?..." [Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/lw27g9qlolrjkpb/The%20Dispatcher_December%202020.pdf?dl=0)Hmmmm... What can I say?? Another great
edition of the
Dispatcher. Be
sure to read
all the way
through
including "[Musings of a Dispatcher: Cars are from Mars](https://www.dropbox.com/s/lw27g9qlolrjkpb/The%20Dispatcher_December%202020.pdf?dl=0)". Enjoy and listen/watch the
following [Pod](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-187)/[Zoom](https://youtu.be/eyGCKObQ4e0)-casts. Alain
November 20,
2020
Active Driving Assistance Systems: Test Results and Design Recommendations
Staff, Nov. 2020, “In line with Consumer Reports’ mission to create a fair, safe, and consumer-driven marketplace, this report has been written for the industry to provide more explanation and guidance on the state of Active Driving Assistance systems based on our recent evaluation. While the systems are not equally capable, and may be designed with different usage intentions, CR’s evaluation focused on real-world driving experience of consumers, keeping safety at the forefront. Our goals:
Support the creation of government policies and company practices to ensure that innovation and safety go hand-in-hand
Use consumer
data to inform
the industry
of
best-practices
to aid in
development
Advocate for
transparency
and clarity in
marketing and
consumer
education of
systems
In October
2020, Consumer
Reports
published
ratings of
Active Driving
Assistance
Systems,
defined as
systems that
allow the
driver to use
Adaptive
Cruise Control
(ACC) and Lane
Keeping
Assistance
(LKA) to
simultaneously
control both
the speed and
steering of
the vehicle.
An industry
webinar was
also
held...." [Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/8wpnt54t1t8xpfg/consumer-reports-active-driving-assistance-systems-november-16-2020.pdf?dl=0) Hmmmm.... A MUST read
along with "[Cadillac's Super Cruise Outperforms Other Driving Assistance Systems](https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/cadillac-super-cruise-outperforms-other-active-driving-assistance-systems/)". Most unfortunately, CR has not
picked up on
my main
complaint
about ACC:
Tapping of the
brakes by the
driver turns
off the ACC!
This is
BAD!!! Even
the hardest,
let alone the
slightest,
engagement of
the brakes
should NOTturn
off the ACC.
It should ONLYdisengage
the
acceleration/throttle
function of
the ACC!
Tapping of the brakes by the driver is an indication that the driver no longer wishes to accelerate, NOT that the driver no longer wishes to slow down or stop. So why do these systems turn off ACC (which disengage both the acceleration and deceleration functions, rather than just turning off the acceleration/throttle function. (I think that I actually know why… it is an SAE “recommendation”. Just another reason why I don’t like the November 13, 2020
Road Charge Projects: California Four Phase Demonstration K. Pyle, Nov 12, “A key recommendation from the 2017 pilot was to explore whether paying at the pump could work for a road charge just like it does for the gas tax. How could the user experience be as easy as possible? With support from a federal Surface Transportation Funding Alternative grant, California will test how road charge can work with four technologies: usage-based insurance, ridesharing, electric vehicle charging stations/pay-at-the-pump systems, and autonomous vehicles.
Interested in
participating?
The
demonstration
will begin in
January 2021
and run for
six months.
Complete the [Contact Us](http://caroadcharge.com/engage/contact-us/) data
form to
express your
interest in
volunteering
for one or
more
demonstration
phases.... " [Read more](http://www.caroadcharge.com/projects/california-four-phase-demonstration/?utm_source=California+Road+Charge+Education+Program+Interest+List&utm_campaign=e9c783daa5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_10_29_05_41&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_25691fa868-e9c783daa5-104440609)Hmmmm... New Jersey is seeking
volunteers for
its version of
this. Participation is easy. You will
enroll via a
quick, online
enrollment
process, plug
a mileage
reporting
device into
your vehicle
and drive.
During the
pilot, you
will receive
monthly
simulated
statements
that compare
what you pay
in current
state fuel
taxes to what
you could pay
in an MBUF
system. It is
okay if you
are not
driving as
much as you
typically
would because
of the
COVID-19
Pandemic.
Your driving
data and
feedback
provided
through
anonymous
online surveys
will help us
understand key
issues such as
privacy,
equity and
administrative
costs with an
MBUF
system.
Please contact zenobia.fields@dot.nj.gov to participate and help n the New Jersey version. Use Subject: Please send, Body:Mileage-Base User Fee (MBUF) Demonstration registration information . We need volunteers. Thank you for helping. Alain
November 6,
2020
Edmunds: Where are our self-driving cars?
W. Kaufman, Nov. 4, “Tesla recently made headlines with the beta launch of its Full Self-Driving system. That system comes with a disclaimer saying, â€Åâ€ŔIt may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the wheel and pay extra attention to the road.â€ÂÂÂ
Tesla's system
has impressive
capabilities,
but it's
definitely not
hands-free
driving. A few
years ago,
news stories
seemed to say
that
autonomous
vehicles were
just a few
years away.
Well, it's
been a few
years and
autonomous
vehicles are,
alas, still in
the future.
Right now,
there is no
car on sale
that can drive
itself without
requiring the
driver to pay
attention to
the road and
be prepared to
take control
of the
vehicle. In
fact, some
automakers
have slowed
down their
timelines.
Here are three
reasons why
you can't buy
a self-driving
car today and
one place
you're likely
to find them
first....
EDMUNDS SAYS: You probably won’t be able to buy an autonomous car any time soon. But expect autonomous fleet services to begin expanding in the near future.” Read moreHmmmm… An now a change in Washington… Alain October 30,
Sharing our safety framework for fully autonomous operations Waymo Team, Oct. 30, “On October 8th, Waymo opened its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the general public in Phoenix. Right now members of the public are hailing vehicles with no human driver controlling the car – either in the vehicle or remotely – to help them get to where they’re going as part of their everyday lives….” Read more Hmmmm…
Waymo’s Safety Methodologies and Safety Readiness Determinations N, Webb, Oct. 30, “As the world’s most experienced developer of automated driving systems, Waymo has extensive experience in developing and applying state-of-the-art safety methodologies. Waymo’s methodologies help implement Waymo’s forward-looking safety philosophy: Waymo will reduce traffic injuries and fatalities by driving safely and responsibly, and will carefully manage risk as we scale our operations. Waymo’s safety methodologies, which draw on well established engineering processes and address new safety challenges specific to Automated Vehicle technology, provide a firm foundation for safe deployment of our Level 4 ADS, which we also refer to as the Waymo Driver. Waymo’s determination of its readiness to deploy its AVs safely in different settings rests on that firm foundation and on a thorough analysis of risks specific to a particular Operational Design Domain )….” Read more Hmmmm… The process. Must read! Alain
Waymo Public Road Safety Performance Data M. Schwall, Oct. 30, “Waymo’s mission to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities and improve mobility for all has led us to expand deployment of automated vehicles (AVs) on public roads without a human driver behind the wheel. As part of this process, Waymo is committed to providing the public with informative and relevant data regarding the demonstrated safety of Waymo’s automated driving system (ADS), which we call the Waymo Driver….” Read more Hmmmm… The substance. Must read! …
I had the priveledge of reviewing Waymo’s most recent Safety Reports 1 , 2 (above)
In the past, safety reports by the AV community have largely been a response to NHTSA’¢s Voluntary Safety Self-Assessments and have, in my opinion, been largely public relations documents. While generally descriptive about the testing processes they contain very little, if any, substantive information about their safety related experience to-date focused exclusively on driverless operation.
Safe driverless operation is absolutely necessary for AVs to evolve from extremely expensive chauffeured rides to affordable mobility available to essentially anyone throughout an Operational Design Domain (ODD). Affordability requires that the mobility be delivered without a driver or attendant on-board the vehicle. Only passengers.
The decision to remove the driver/attendant rests in part on the shoulders of public safety regulators who need to allow such operation, but more importantly, on the shoulders of the real decision makers at the AV company. In the end, it is those AV company decision makers who will be held fully responsible for any lapse in the safety of the driverless operation. These decision makers are inside the AV companies and are, of course, privy to all the details and substance about their own safety related driverless operation, which, in the past, has not been shared in their Voluntary Safety Self-assessments.
My impression is that these just released Waymo Safety Reports contain the substantive information that clearly depicts Waymo’s safety-related driverless operational experience. To me, they read like internal documents meant to guide and inform internal decision makers to objectively decide if a sufficiently safe operational experience has been achieved in order to vote to fully accept the safety responsibility of driverless operation in their Operational Design Domain.
Given the information that is contained in these documents, it does not surprise me that Waymo decision makers have decided to proceed with driverless operation in the Phoenix Operational Design Domain. Had I had the responsibility of being one of the decision makers reviewing these documents, I would have also voted yes.
Alain
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Friday,
October 23,
2020 [How Ford's Next-Gen Test Vehicle Lays the Foundation for Our Self-Driving Business](https://medium.com/self-driven/how-fords-next-gen-test-vehicle-lays-the-foundation-for-our-self-driving-business-aadbf247b6ce) J. Davis,
Oct 20,
"Launching a
self-driving
service is
complex. Many
different
pieces need to
come together
to create a
trusted and
scalable
self-driving
service that
provides value
to customers
and the cities
they operate
in. At Ford,
we are taking
a thoughtful
approach to
how we bring
together all
these pieces
to help shape
the future of
self-driving
vehicles. One
important part
of this
service is the
vehicle, which
will allow us
to stand up
our
self-driving
business.
Meet the
Fourth
Generation
Self-Driving
Test Vehicle:
Beginning to
roll out this
month, Ford
and Argo's fourth-generation self-driving test vehicles are built on the Escape
Hybrid
platform and
feature the
latest
advancements
in sensing and
computing
technology.
The Escape
Hybrid is also
the
architecture
and platform
we have chosen
to use to
bring our
autonomous
vehicle
service
online....." [Read more](https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2020/10/ford-expands-stake-in-newly-public-velodyne-lidar/#:~:text=Ford%20has%20a%207.6%25%20stake,Lidar%20worth%20about%20%24227.2%20million.&text=The%20automaker%20revealed%20it%20owns,is%20worth%20approximately%20%24227.2%20million.) Hmmmm.... [See video](https://youtu.be/fZ102xfmH-Y).
Imprssive.
Listen/watch SmartDrivingCars [PodCast](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-180) / [ZoomCast](https://youtu.be/ngpKFmQNsxs) with John Rich. [CNBC's take](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/20/ford-unveils-new-self-driving-test-vehicle-for-2022-launch.html) as
well as [THe Detroit News](https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2020/10/20/ford-argo-ai-chooses-hybrid-escape-self-driving-service/5993329002/).
Alain
rgb(51, 51,
October 16,
Ford Reveals Stake in Newly Public Velodyne Lidar J. Szczesny, Oct 7, “Ford Motor Co’s push to broaden its self-driving vehicle technology portfolio, led to it taking a stake in a Silicon Valley company developing lidar systems needed to help guide autonomous vehicles.
The automaker
revealed it
owns a 7.6%
stake, or
13.06 million
shares, in
Velodyne
Lidar,
according to a
report filed
with the
Securities
Exchange
Commission.
With the
shares trading
at $17.40 per
share, the
stake is worth
approximately
$227.2
million. Ford
filed the
report to
remain
compliant with
the SEC...." [Read more](https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2020/10/ford-expands-stake-in-newly-public-velodyne-lidar/#:~:text=Ford%20has%20a%207.6%25%20stake,Lidar%20worth%20about%20%24227.2%20million.&text=The%20automaker%20revealed%20it%20owns,is%20worth%20approximately%20%24227.2%20million.) Hmmmm.... Interesting, but even
more
interesting is
the
SmartDrivingCars[PodCast](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-179) / [ZoomCast](https://youtu.be/ngpKFmQNsxs) with John Rich. Alain
rgb(51, 51,
October 09,
2020 [Waymo starts to open driverless ride-hailing service to the public](https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/08/waymo-starts-to-open-driverless-ride-hailing-service-to-the-public/)
K. Korosec, Oct. 8, “Waymo, the Google self-driving-project-turned-Alphabet unit, is beginning to open up its driverless ride-hailing service to the public.
The company
said that
starting
today, members
of its Waymo
One service
will be able
to take family
and friends
along on their
fully
driverless
rides in the
Phoenix area.
Existing Waymo
One members
will have the
first access
to the
driverlessÂ
terminology
that means no
human behind
the wheel.
However, the
company said
that in the
next several
weeks more
people will be
welcomed
directly into
the service
through its
app, which is
available on
Google Play
and the App
Store.
Waymo said
that 100% of
its rides will
be fully
driverless
which it has
deemed its
rider only
mode. That
100% claim
requires a bit
of unpacking.
The public
shouldn't
expect
hundreds of
Waymo-branded
Chrysler
Pacifica  no
human behind
the  to
suddenly
inundate the
entire
600-plus
square miles
of the greater
Phoenix area..
..." [Read more](https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/08/waymo-starts-to-open-driverless-ride-hailing-service-to-the-public/) Hmmmm... "...fully Driverless...".
That means
that Krafcik,
the Waymo
"Board",
Alphabet's
Board and all
the lawyers
have signed
off and
said... We are
safe enough to
basically bet
the ranch that
the expected
value of the
mobility that
we'll be
putting out on
the streets
of our Operational Design Domain, which is under our control,
is worth
whatever
expected risk
still exists
that some bad
things may
happen. That
is an enormous
hurdle that
has been
achieved by an
entity that
has an
enormous
ranch. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
It hasn't come
easy, nor has
it come
without intese
diligence and
effort. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Alain
rgb(51, 51,
October 09,
2020
ASSISTED DRIVING GRADINGS Staff, Oct. 2020 “On this page you will find the gradings of cars tested by Euro NCAP on automated driving technologies.
For its 2020
assessment of
Highway Assist
systems, Euro
NCAP has
developed
dedicated test
and assessment
protocols,
divided into
two main
areas:
Assistance
Competence,
based on the
balance
between Driver
Engagement and
Vehicle
Assistance,
and Safety
Backup...." [Read more](https://www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-rewards/assisted-driving-gradings/) Hmmmm....Look carefully at each
component of
the rating
system. NCAP
has chosen one
algorithmic
way of "adding
apples and
oranges" to
get their
rating.
Unfortunately
they don't
divulge the
secret
formula. To
me, it doesn't
seem to be
sufficiently
iweighted on
what I
consider to be
the most
important
element...
"Collision
Avoidance".
If the system
doesn't do
that well,
then why
bother being
good at
Consumer
Information
(unless that
information
says clearly
that the
system doesn't
work well".
If NCAP itself did a good job of Consumer Information then it would divulge its algorithm and allow the consumer to edit its weights to trade-off what the consumer believes is more or less important.
In all fairness, NCAP does divulge the individual performance values. With work, this is really valuable information. This is a must read! Alain September 25, 2020
UN Economic & Social Council, April 6, “The intention of the Regulation is to establish uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS).
ALKS
controls the
lateral and
longitudinal
movement of
the vehicle
for extended
periods
without
further driver
command. ALKS
is a system
whereby the
activated
system is in
primary
control of the
vehicle.
This
Regulation is
the first
regulatory
step for an
automated
driving system
(as defined in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1140) in traffic and it therefore provides innovative
provisions
aimed at
addressing the
complexity
related to the
evaluation of
the system
safety. It
contains
administrative
provisions
suitable for
type approval,
technical
requirements,
audit and
reporting
provisions and
testing
provisions.
ALKS
can be
activated
under certain
conditions on
roads where
pedestrians
and cyclists
are prohibited
and which, by
design, are
equipped with
a physical
separation
that divides
the traffic
moving in
opposite
directions and
prevent
traffic from
cutting across
the path of
the vehicle.
In a first
step, the
original text
of this
Regulation
limits the
operational
speed to 60
km/h maximum
and passenger
cars (M1
vehicles).
This
Regulation
includes
general
requirements
regarding the
system safety
and the
failsafe
response. When
the ALKS is
activated, it
shall perform
the driving
task instead
of the driver,
i.e. manage
all situations
including
failures, and
shall not
endanger the
safety of the
vehicle
occupants or
any other road
users. There
is however
always the
possibility
for the driver
to override
the system, at
any time.
The Regulation
also lays down
requirements
on how the
driving task
shall be
safely handed
over from the
ALKS to the
driver
including the
capability for
the system to
come to a stop
in case the
driver does
not reply
appropriately.
Finally, the
Regulation
includes
requirements
on the
Human-Machine
Interface
(HMI) to
prevent
misunderstanding
or misuse by
the driver.
The Regulation
for instance
requires that
on-board
displays used
by the driver
for other
activities
than driving
when the ALKS
is activated,
shall be
automatically
suspended as
soon as the
system issues
a transition
demand. These
measures are
without
prejudice to
driver
behaviour
rules on how
to use these
systems in the
Contracting
Parties as
currently
being
discussed by
the Global
Forum for Road
Traffic Safety
(WP.1) at the
time of
drafting this
document (See
e.g. Informal
Document 4
Revision 1 of
the
seventy-eight
session of
WP.1)...."[Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/k9aa8x6p4rqjaxd/Level3RegulatonECE-TRANS-WP29-2020-081e.docx?dl=0)Hmmmm.... A very important read with many very important
details and
this is just
for Automated
Lane Keeping
Systems (ALKS)
which is just
the 2nd (baby)
step, after
adaptive
cruise control
on the way of
"finishing"
Level 2 and
tip toeing
into Level 3
and beyond.
Thank you Russ
for bringing
this to my
attention.
Alain
rgb(51, 51,
September 11,
2020 [Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving Capability' Falls Short of Its Name](https://www.consumerreports.org/autonomous-driving/tesla-full-self-driving-capability-review-falls-short-of-its-name/) M.
Monticello.
Sept. 8, The
features might
be cutting
edge, even
cool, but we
think buyers
should be wary
of shelling
out $8,000 for
what electric
car company
Tesla calls
its Full
Self-Driving
Capability
option. Tesla
claims every
new vehicle it
builds
includes all
the hardware
necessary to
be fully
autonomous,
and the
company says
that through
future
over-the-air
software
updates, its
cars should
eventually be
capable of
driving
themselves. .... Anytime anyone uses words
such as "Full"
the one thing
that you know
that they are
"Full" of is
.... "Full"
is about a
perception,
not a fact.
Even the
definition of
"autonomous"
has caveats
(or should I
say Full of
caveats?).
What I
interpret Elon
to be selling
is: sufficient
hardware
(sensors,
memory,
compute power
and
communications
bandwidth)
that, with
more elegant
software, may
be able to do
a way better
job in safely
driving a
car. What he
has never said
is that this
hardware plus
future
software is
going to be
good enough
for him to be
held
responsible if
something bad
happens when
the car is
being driven
by that
hardware and
software
combination.
That said,
lets move
on...
But for now,
Full
Self-Driving
Capability,
which includes
features that
can assist the
driver with
parking,
changing lanes
on the
highway, and
even coming to
a complete
halt at
traffic lights
and stop
signs, remains
a misnomer ...Yes!... Below, we explain each feature in
the suite, its
intended use,
and how each
performed in
our tests....
" [Read more](https://www.consumerreports.org/autonomous-driving/tesla-full-self-driving-capability-review-falls-short-of-its-name/) Hmmmm.... [See Video](https://www.consumerreports.org/autonomous-driving/tesla-full-self-driving-capability-review-falls-short-of-its-name/), [Watch Zoom-Cast](https://youtu.be/AfRb9B-9boc). Help with
parking....
no one parks
a good car
into a tight
parking place;
else, that
car's life as
a god car
rapidly
disappears.
Stupid Summon
is just
stupid... your
car is not
your dog and
certainly not
in the WalMart
parking lot.
(or should I
have said
WholePaycheck
parking lot)
Here puppy,
here puppy!
I really like what Consumer Reports has been doing on this front. Trying to help consumers understant what is what. Alain rgb(51, 51, September 11, 2020
Autonomous vehicles could improve policing, public safety, and much more
rgb(51, 51,
August 20,
2020 [Creating Standards in an Environment of Mistrust](https://www.dropbox.com/s/6jm74a94rtyd4c0/The-Dispatcher_September-2020.pdf?dl=0)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Saturday,
[The Biggest Self-Driving Truck Startup Stumbles in Hitting High Goals](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-biggest-self-driving-truck-startup-stumbles-in-hitting-high-goals)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
[Car OEMs Driving Toward Relevance or Perdition](https://www.dropbox.com/s/ltmk5s3hdpwf6nr/The-Dispatcher_August-2020.pdf?dl=0)
###
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
[Fostering Economic Opportunity through Autonomous Vehicle Technology](https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bUHzsV9BSm-tJkKQ6QVNqg)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
Announcing 2020-2021 Fellow-in-Residence Henry L. Greenidge, Esq. Press release, June 24, “The McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University has announced transportation policy expert Henry L. Greenidge, Esq. as a 2020-2021 Fellow-in-Residence. ..” Read more Hmmm…. In no uncertain terms, we must make sure that inequities and racism are not explicitly nor even implicitly baked intothe SmartDrivingCar r/evolution. We are still at the very beginning, so it shouldn’t be hard nor expensive but so far it doesn’t look good. The emphasis has been on giving those that already have fantastic ways to get around one more way. The focus hasn’t been on the mobility disadvantaged and certainly not on the Black community. Just look where the testing has been taking place and the folks that take part in the focus groups and those that are given rides. Look at who designs and writes the software and the investors. Sure, one can and should serve them, but if public policy is going to play a role, then it can’t bake in more inequities. Moreover, the private sector can also step up and realize that these systems can readily serve everyone. The technology that makes SmartDrivingCars possible is not inherently racists. It can respect and serve everyone. Henry and others can help make sure that the designers and deployers of SmartDrivingCars don’t explicitly nor implicitly bake in racism and bias. Alain rgb(51, 51, 255);”>Thursday, Motor Vehicle Fatality Rates Jump 36.6% in April Despite Quarantines, Says National Safety Council rgb(51, 51, 255);”>Friday,
Society of Actuaries Research Brief Impact of COVID-19, June 12, 2020
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
[Two-way Vehicle Connectivity is a Three-sided Coin That Everyone Wants to Own](https://www.dropbox.com/s/eyomgyelgm4q6fl/Sena_Two-way%20Vehicle%20Connectivity_2-3.pdf?dl=0)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
[Luminaries Battle In Lincoln-Douglas Style Debate About The Future Of Self-Driving Cars](https://www.forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/2020/04/28/luminaries-battle-in-lincoln-douglas-style-debate-about-the-future-of-self-driving-cars/#35c0455028b6)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Friday,
What Negative Oil Prices Mean and How the Impact Could Last rgb(51, 51, 255);”>Friday,
Starsky Robotics Failed. Does That Mean Automated Trucking Is Dead?
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Friday,
January 31,
2020
2020 Hyundai Sonata stars in Super Bowl ad all about ‘Smaht Pahk’
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Sunday,
January 12,
Hmmmm… Reflections
A. Kornhauser, Jan 12, Hmmmm… Self-driving cars are hot and the OEMs are responding. I’m about to buy a new Subaru Outback and EyeSightis standard. It is no longer just AutoPilot or expensive options that car salesmen don’t sell. Car companies, as reflected in what is in showrooms and what was promoted at CES, have realized the comfort and convenience of Self-driving technology (cars that have a lot of the Safe-driving car features but also enable you to take your feet off the pedals and hands off the wheel at least for short periods of time. These technologies are really becoming the ‘chrome and fins’ that sell cars to individuals in the 2020s. The momentum is all behind that happening and there is little Washington or Trenton or Princeton Council can do about it. Hopefully part of that momentum will be to make these systems actually work well, especially the Automated Emergency Braking Systems (MUST quit assuming that all stationary objects in the lane ahead can be passed under and consequently each is disregarded. As Tesla is finding out, sometimes those objects are parked firetrucks.) and begin to put hard limits on over-speeding, tailgating and use while driver is impaired. Self-driving cars are unfortunately going to lead to substantial urban sprawl, increased VMT, increased congestion and do nothing to help the energy and pollution challenges of our addiction to the personal automobile. Only ‘Waymo-style Driverless’ (autonomousTaxis, (aTaxis)) tuned to entice ride-sharing can potentially stem the tide of ever more personal car ownership and ever expanding urban sprawl. Alain
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Monday,
January 6,
2020
A. Kornhauser, Jan. 6, Hmmmm… I’m in rehab and hope to go home on Wednesday morning. Thank you to so many of you for all the good wishes and prayers. They each helped. I’m looking to making a full recovery. Remember, if you don’t feel well, get evaluated by a doctor. I was totally clueless about what hit me from out of nowhere. Alain
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Saturday,
November 23,
2019 [Self-driving car capital? One senator thinks it can be Florida](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article237625484.html)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Saturday,
September 28,
2019 [Public forum will explore possibility of transit on demand in Princeton](https://planetprinceton.com/2019/09/22/public-forum-will-explore-possibility-of-transit-on-demand-in-princeton/)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Saturday,
August 17,
2019 [Autonomous Vehicles: A View from Seniors](https://www.dropbox.com/s/wi7t4ec5h30i54e/AutonomousVehiclesAViewFromSeniorsFINALDRAFT20190815.docx?dl=0)
rgb(51, 51,
255);">Thursday,
November 22,
Market Framework and Outlook for Automated Vehicle Systems
October 24,
New Jersey Pending Legislation re: Autonomous Vehicles
Oct 16, Establishes fully autonomous vehicle pilot program A4573 Sponsors: Zwicker (D16); Benson (D14)
Oct 16, EstablishesNew Jersey Advanced Autonomous Vehicle Task Force AJR164Sponsors: Benson (D14); Zwicker (D16); Lampitt (D6)
Oct 16, [Directs MVC to establish driver's license endorsement for autonomous vehicles A4541](https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A5000/4541_I1.PDF) Sponsors:
Zwicker (D16);
Benson (D14);
Lampitt
(D6)..." [Read more](https://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/NVIDIA-Self-Driving-Safety-Report-2018.pdf)Hmmmm.... Things are beginning to move in New
Jersey. Alain
Audio Recording of Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology - Monday, October 22, 2018 - 10:00:00 AM
PRELIMINARY REPORT: HIGHWAY: HWY18MH010 (Uber/Herzberg Crash) May 24, “About 9:58 p.m., on Sunday, March 18, 2018, an Uber Technologies, Inc. test vehicle, based on a modified 2017 Volvo XC90 and operating with a self-driving system in computer control mode, struck a pedestrian on northbound Mill Avenue, in Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona.
…The vehicle was factory equipped with several advanced driver assistance functions by Volvo Cars, the original manufacturer. The systems included a collision avoidance function with automatic emergency
braking, known
as City
Safety, as
well as
functions for
detecting
driver
alertness and
road sign
information.
All these
Volvo
functions are
disabled when
the test
vehicle is
operated in
computer
control..."[Read more](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/NTSBuberPreliminaryMay2018.pdf) Hmmmm.... Uber must believe
that its
systems are
better at
avoiding
Collisions and
Automated
Emergency
Braking than
Volvo's. At least this gets Volvo
"off the
hook".
“…According to data obtained from the self-driving system, the system first registered radar and LIDAR observations of the pedestrian about 6 seconds before impact, when the vehicle was traveling at 43 mph…“ (= 63 feet/second) So the system started “seeing an obstacle when it was 63 x 6 = 378 feet away… more than a football field, including end zones!
“…As the vehicle and pedestrian paths converged, the self-driving system software classified the pedestrian as an unknown object, as a vehicle, and then as a bicycle with varying expectations of future travel path…“ (NTSB: Please tell us precisely when it classified this “object’ as a vehicle and be explicit about the expected ”future travel paths.” Forget the path, please just tell us the precise velocity vector that Uber’s system attached to the “object”, then the “vehicle”. Why didn’t the the Uber system instruct the Volvo to begin to slow down (or speed up) to avoid a collision? If these paths (or velocity vectors) were not accurate, then why weren’t they accurate? Why was the object classified as a “Vehicle” ?? When did it finally classify the object as a ”bicycle”? Why did it change classifications? How often was the classification of this object done. Please divulge the time and the outcome of each classification of this object. In the tests that Uber has done, how often has the system mis-classified an object as a”pedestrian”when the object was actually an overpass, or an overhead sign or overhead branches/leaves that the car could safely pass under, or was nothing at all?? (Basically, what are the false alarm characteristics of Uber’s Self-driving sensor/software system as a function of vehicle speed and time-of-day?)
“…At 1.3 seconds before impact, (impact speed was 39mph = 57.2 ft/sec) the self-driving system determined that an emergency braking maneuver was needed to mitigate a collision” (1.3 x 57.2 = 74.4 ft. which is about equal to the braking distance. So it still could have stopped short.
“…According to Uber, emergency braking maneuvers are not enabled while the vehicle is under computer control, to reduce (eradicate??) the potential for erratic vehicle behavior. …“ NTSB: Please describe/define potential and erratic vehicle behavior Also please uncover and divulge the design & decision process that Uber went through to decide that this risk (disabling the AEB) was worth the reward of eradicating “ ”erratic vehicle behavior”. This is fundamentally BAD design. If the Uber system’s false alarm rate is so large that the best way to deal with false alarms is to turn off the AEB, then the system should never have been permitted on public roadways.
“…The vehicle operator is relied on to intervene and take action. ” Wow! If Uber’s system fundamentally relies on a human to intervene, then Uber is nowhere near creating a Driverless vehicle. Without its own Driverless vehicle Uber is past “Peak valuation”.
“…The system is not designed to alert the operator. “ That may be the only good part of Uber’s design. In a Driverless vehicle, there is no one to warn, so don’t waste your time. If it is important enough to warn, then it is important enough for the automated system to start initiating things to do something about it. Plus, the Driver may not know what to do anyway. This is pretty much as I stated in PodCast of SmartDrivingCar, 10, 2018 Don’t Worry, Driverless Cars Are Learning From Grand Theft Auto
Extracting Cognition out of Images for the Purpose of Autonomous Driving
Sunday, December 19, 2015 Adam Jonas’ View on Autonomous Cars Video similar to part of Adam’s Luncheon talk @ 2015 Florida Automated Vehicle Symposium on Dec 1. Hmmm … Watch Video especially at the 13:12 mark. Compelling; especially after the 60 Minutes segment above! Also see his TipRanks. Alain
–
Alain L. Kornhauser, PhD
Professor, Operations Research & Financial
Engineering
Director, Transportation Program
Faculty Chair, Princeton Autonomous Vehicle
Engineering
229 Sherrerd Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
(o)
(c)
Alain L. Kornhauser, PhD
Professor, Operations Research & Financial
Engineering
Director, Transportation Program
Faculty Chair, Princeton Autonomous Vehicle
Engineering
229 Sherrerd Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
609-258-4657 (o)
609-980-1427 (c)
This list is maintained by Alain Kornhauser and hosted by the Princeton University LISTSERV.