2021-02-26
blue; text-decoration: none;”>8th edition of the 9th year of SmartDrivingCars eLetter
March 2021 Issue
M. Sena, Feb 23, “ … There is no way to test a car virtually…
OEMs are still learning that that today’s cars are not your father’s Oldsmobile.
Vehicle
connectivity
is not
something that
is tacked onto
a car, like a battery-operated portable TOMTOM or GARMIN (or [CoPilot](https://copilottruck.com/)...Michael,
How could you
forget?... 😁)...navigation
system....
Driving Neat:
Can U.S. Take
Its Cars
Without
ICE?..." [Read more](https://www.dropbox.com/s/vcwicdu3rz3h73z/The%20Dispatcher_March%202021.pdf?dl=0) Hmmmm... Plus much much more.
Enjoy!!! Alain
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 201,
[Zoom-Cast Episode 201](https://youtu.be/n5oEfvBrWa8)
w/Michael
Sena,
Publisher of The
Dispatcher
###
###
F. Fishkin,
Feb. 262,
"Smarter cars
need smarter
assembly...and
location
matters. The
Dispatcher
publisher
Michael Sena
joins
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin for a
look at that,
politics,
climate and
carmakers...plus
Tesla,
Velodyne,
Foxconn and
more.." Alexa,
play the Smart
Driving
Cars podcast!".
Ditto with Siri,
and GooglePlay
...
Alain
SmartDrivingCars Pod-Cast Episode 200,
[Zoom-Cast Episode 200](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVHQuwNT4eY&feature=youtu.be)
w/Edwin Olsen,
CEO, May
Mobility
###
###
F. Fishkin,
Feb. 22, "How
May Mobility
is building
confidence in
autonomous
transportation
and creating a
road map for
growth through
the pandemic
and beyond.
CEO and
co-founder
Edwin Olson
joins
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin for
that and
more." Alexa,
play the Smart
Driving
Cars podcast!".
Ditto with Siri,
and GooglePlay
...
Alain
4th Annual Princeton SmartDrivingCar Summit
10th Live Episode: Live on Zoom
Incentivizing Through Insurance
The Role of Insurance in Encouraging the Purchase of Safely-driven Cars and Enabling the Deployment of 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.
Level 3 - The Tech Is Here, but the Problem Is Us
K. Pyle, Feb.
27, "For
consumers, SAE
Level 3
automation
could be like
"having their
cake and
eating it too"
in that they
can either
have a
traditional
hands-on
driving
experience or
sit back and
let a
Robo-chauffeur
lead them on
their journey.
At the same
time, visions
of new revenue
opportunities
associated
with Level 3
excite and are
prodding car
manufacturers
to develop the
associated
hardware and
software. With
that
explanation of
the potential
benefits,
Princeton's
Dr. Alain
Kornhauser set
the stage for
the latest
Smart Driving
Car Summit
Session, Can
Level 3 Be
Delivered?.
Talking About the Vehicles People Can Buy
The scope of
the panel is
bound by only
those things
consumers can
buy, not
things like
Robo-taxis.
Or, as panel
moderator,
Russell
Shields,
President and
CEO RoadDB,
calls them
SPVs (Series
Production
Vehicles) with
Highly
Automated
Driving (HAD)
that have
eyes-off
capabilities
(which can
include
products
designated
Level 2+ by
the
manufacturer).
The major
difference
between Level
3 and 4 is
that both
Level 4 never
relies on a
human to take
over in an
edge case
situation
(e.g. the car
needs help).
The Level 4
car would take
a minimum-risk maneuver......" [Read more](https://viodi.com/2021/02/26/level-3-the-tech-is-here-but-the-problem-is-us/#talking-about-the-vehicles-people-can-buy)
Hmmmm...Ken,
extremely nice
summary. Thank
you. Alain
Ken Pyle Session Summaries of 4th Princeton SmartDrivingCar Summit:
8th Session 2/18/21 Who Will Build, Sell and Maintain Driverless Cars?
[Michael Sena's Slides](https://www.dropbox.com/s/yfzscinfy41vrka/Sena_Session8%20SDC_Summit.pdf?dl=0),
[Glenn Mercer Slides](https://www.dropbox.com/s/8x4sd97vrifa9r9/Mercer_Session8%20SDC_Summit.pdf?dl=0)
7th Session 2/11/21 Finally Doing It
6th Session 2/ 4/21 Safe Enough in the Operational Design Domain
5th Session 1/28/21 At the Tipping Point
4th Session 1/21/21 Why Customers are Buying Them
3rd Session 1/14/21 The SmartDrivingCars We Can Buy Today
2nd Session1/ 7/21 A Look into the Future1st Session:12/17/20Setting the Stage
Professors create double sided disc earth map to fix inaccuracies
F. Fishkin. 23, “Listen to this interview, Watch this interview. “ Read more Hmmmm…Very nice!! Alain
LIDAR maker Velodyne boots its founder after an investigation into ‘inappropriate’ behavior
A. Hawkins, Feb. 22, “Velodyne, which makes LIDAR sensors crucial for the operation of autonomous vehicles, has removed its founder, David Hall, as chair of the company’s board following an investigation, Reuters reports. Hall’s wife, Marta Thoma Hall, has also stepped down as chief marketing officer.
The
investigation,
which started
in December
2020,
concluded that
the Halls
"each behaved inappropriately with regard to Board and Company processes, and failed
to operate
with respect,
honesty,
integrity, and
candor in
their dealings
with Company
officers and
directors,"
the company
said in a
statement. ...
Last summer, Velodyne became the latest mobility technology company to go public via a reverse merger, or SPAC. The company struck a deal to merge with special purpose acquisition company Graf Industrial Corp., with a market value of $1.8 billion.” Read more Ouch!!! I really like and respect David and Marta. Not surprising that pioneering entrepreneurs wouldn’t blend happily with a SPAC. What a shame. Alain
Wabtec believes full automation for railroads is within reach
A. Litvak, Feb. 22, “At the end of 2020, the U.S. rail system reached a milestone decades in the making and seeded by technology developed at North Shore-based Wabtec Corp….
But safety isn’t the only thing that can be improved by crunching this much data all the time. Fuel savings, equipment maintenance and scheduling can — and already do — benefit from technology developed for positive train control.
With enough
sensors and
computing
power, it may
be possible to
remove humans
from the
equation
within the
next decade,
Mr. Nalin
predicted.
In fact, full
automation is
the top goal
of a
technology
ladder that
Wabtec has
made part of
its investor
presentation.
At the bottom
is the
foundation on
which it all
rests:
positive train
control, or
PTC...
The Federal Railroad Administration doesn’t mandate a two-person crew in the cab of a train. When legislation was introduced to require that, the American Association of Railroad opposed it, arguing it would stifle innovation.
Crew size has
traditionally
been a topic
for collective
bargaining
negotiations,
Mr. Rush
said...." [Read more](https://www.post-gazette.com/business/tech-news/2021/02/21/North-Shore-Wabtec-full-automation-railroads-safety-positive-train-control-human-error/stories/202102180186) Hmmmm... At some point both
Unions and RR
CEOs will
realize that
the service
opportunities
available from
many
frequent small
consists
between many
rail locations
employs more
members and
yields higher
profits than
what was once
the norm when
a market
existed to run unit-coal-trains long distances, some of which ran lloaded downhill.
Unfortunately,
those days are
numbered and
railroads may
well need to
pivot to
survive. One
potential
pivot is to
frequent very
short train
services that
can pay for
themselves
only if they
are
engineer-less.
There may well
be such a high
demand for
such services
that
employment
throughout the
railroad
industry would
actually
increase while
the
profitability
of railroads
would be
sustained. [What a Country!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_a_Country!)Alain
Toyota Develops Packaged Fuel Cell System Module to Promote the Hydrogen Utilization toward the Achievement of Carbon Neutrality
Press release, Feb 26, “Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) has developed a product that packages a fuel cell (FC) system into a compact module and plans to begin selling it in the spring of 2021 or later. The new module will be easily utilized by companies that are developing and manufacturing FC products for wide variety of applications, including mobility such as trucks, buses, trains and ships, as well as stationary generators (referred to hereafter as “FC product companies”)….” Read more Hmmmm… Notice, product list doesn’t include cars… It isn’t small. That’s OK, need to start somewhere. Alain
Trends in Socioeconomic Inequalities in Motor Vehicle Accident Deaths in the United States, 1995–2010
S. Harper, April 7, 2015, “…Although overall MVA death rates declined during this period, socioeconomic differences in MVA mortality have persisted or worsened over time. … “ Read more Hmmmm… Very relevant Alain
Apple supplier Foxconn reaches tentative agreement to build Fisker’s next electric car
K. Karosec,
Feb. 24,
"Apple
supplier
Foxconn
Technology
Group has
reached a
tentative
agreement with
electric
vehicle
startup-turned-SPAC
Fisker to
develop and
eventually
manufacture an
EV that will
be sold in
North America,
Europe, China
and India.
Fisker and
Foxconn said
Wednesday that
a memorandum
of
understanding
agreement has
been signed.
Discussions
between the
two companies
will continue
with the
expectation
that a formal
partnership
agreement will
be reached
during the
second quarter
of this year.
..." [Read more](https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/24/apple-supplier-foxconn-reaches-tentative-agreement-to-build-fiskers-next-electric-car/) Hmmmm... Very interesting. Alain
[An
Extraordinarily Ordinary Moment: Motional Operates Driverless Vehicles on Public Roads](https://motional.com/motional-operates-driverless-vehicles-on-public-roads/)
K. Iagnemma, Feb, 22, “An Extraordinarily Ordinary Moment: Motional Operates Driverless Vehicles on Public Roads…“ Read more Hmmmm… Maybe don’t bother Reading more…
Most unfortunately, what Karl doesn’t write here is extraordinary. NOT what he claims to have done operating cars with automated driving technology on public roads. What he doesn’t write is that there were attendants in each ready to “disengage” the automated driver should something go wrong or seem on the verge of going wrong. Many have operated and continue to operate “Driverless vehicles on public roads” in this manner (with well-trained professional attendants on-board overseeing the operation).
Consequently, the only thing “Extraordinary” about this is the deliberate misrepresentation of Motional’s Operation in Las Vegas.
Had Motional really operated without on-board attendants, Karl would have praised the achievement as unleashing the opportunity to provide high-quality affordable mobility to all who live in Las Vegas and elsewhere.
Rather he promotes Safety (and doesn’t do that very well. Driverless technology can dramatically reduce human misbehavior.)
Driverless technology will struggle to be better than a well-trained, professional driver that strictly adheres to the rules of the road. It has likely no chance of being safer than driverless technology overseen by an alert well-trained professional driver.
Un-supervised driverless technology can be “extraordinary” in delivering is high-quality, affordable mobility to “ordinary” people. Once Karl does this on some public roads then it will really be worth Reading more.
Sorry to be so harsh, but we don’t need another “Elon Musk” egregiously over-representing the capabilities of their consumer products for their own personal gain. See alsoAndrew Hawkin’stakeand Timothy Lee’s on this. Alain
Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) Is Hot In AI, But Getting A Cooler Reception For Self-Driving Cars
L. Elliot,Feb 23, “Suppose you could develop an AI application without having to lift a finger.
To some degree
that is the
goal of
Automated
Machine
Learning,
known as
AutoML, which
consists of an
automated
means to build
on your behalf
a Machine
Learning
application,
requiring
minimal
by-hand effort
on your
part." ... Hopefully that isn't the goal
for the
obvious
reasons unless
a free lunch
comes with
it...
moving along… “… Perhaps in college, you had to do a multiple regression” … If AutoML is like this, then we are really in trouble!…”
… An AI application based on a sour or poorly crafted ML core can contain inherent biases”… Not only do we all know with any process: Garbage in yields Garbage out, and a garbageProcess yields Garbage with Flawless in and Garbage square with Garbage in.” …
…Understanding The Levels Of Self-Driving Cars…. There is not yet a true self-driving car at Level 5, which we don’t yet even know if this will be possible to achieve, and nor how long it will take to get there..” .. Perfect (or close enough… of course we don’t yet have something that we don’t know is possible.)… “. Read more Hmmmm… All these terms… Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, AutoML are all self-aggrandizing. There is No AI, Machines don’t learn and thoughts of them learning all by themselves is preposterous. All of this is really serious and has the opportunity to deliver real value to society. It is really hard to do any of this well, let alone really well. I’m of the opinion that tossing these terms around doesn’t help, except our own narcissistic needs. Alain
Mobileye teams up with French firms to develop self-driving shuttles by 2023
S. Solomon, Feb. 25, “Fleets of autonomous 16-passenger vehicles for public transportation to roll out first in France, then rest of Europe, then beyond.
Intel Corp’s Mobileye, a Jerusalem-based maker of self-driving technologies, has set up a strategic collaboration with two French-based firms to jointly develop and deploy commercial autonomous shuttles for public transportation services in Europe in 2023 and then globally.
The agreement
is with
France's [Transdev Autonomous Transport System](https://www.transdev.com/en/our-innovations/shared-autonomous-mobility/)
(ATS), part of
the Transdev
Group, a
private-sector public-transport operator, and the Lohr Group, a maker of car-transport
and other
vehicles. The
companies will
integrate
Mobileye's
self-driving
system into
the i-Cristal
electric
shuttle,
manufactured
by Lohr Group,
with plans to
integrate it
into public
transportation
services
powered by
fleets of
self-driving
shuttles
across the
globe,
starting in
Europe...." [Read more](https://www.forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/2021/02/23/automated-machine-learning-automl-is-hot-in-ai-but-getting-a-cooler-reception-for-self-driving-cars/?sh=9a927fc3aea9) Hmmmm... Good luck!!! 16
passenger ...
chances these
will be
driverless/attendantless
is
"zero-to-none".
Likely
relegated to
"private
facilities/roads,
thus unlikely
to gain any
traction.
Sounds like
another
unaffordable
public
mobility
system for a
mostly
non-existent
market. Alain
Buttigieg sets goals for electric, automated freight vehicles
A. Gangitano,
Feb. 17,
"....Buttigieg's
plans for
automated and
electric
commercial
vehicles come
on the heels
of a report
from his
predecessor,
former
Transportation
Secretary
Elaine Chao,
who released a
National
Freight
Strategic Plan
in September
that included
supporting the
development
and adoption
of automation
and
connectivity.
"There are
significant
technological
and
institutional
barriers to
the widespread
adoption of
highly
automated
trucks," the
plan said.
But proponents
say that the
costs to
overcoming
those barriers
are outweighed
by enhanced
safety on the
other
end...." [Read more](https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/539094-buttigieg-sets-goals-for-electric-automated-freight-vehicles) Hmmmm... Amazing how we've
evolved from
"Connected
road
vehicles", to
"Connected
&
Automated
road
vehicles" to
"Automated and
Electric road
vehicles".
Note:
"Connected"
has
disappeared.
Alain
Chevrolet Will Pay The Level 2 Installation Cost For Bolt EV and Bolt EUV Customers
T. Montgomery,
Feb 15, "From
now through
June,
Chevrolet will
cover the
basic
installation
costs of level
2 home
charging
equipment for
new Bolt EV
and Bolt EUV
customers.
That's a nice
perk, and not
only helps out
financially
but also takes
away one
potential pain
point in
purchasing
your first EV.
That's
figuring out
what you need
to do at home
to get your
garage ready
to charge the
vehicle.
Chevrolet,
through its
partner
Qmerit, will
install a NEMA
14-50 outlet
and supply all
of the
materials
including a
new 40-amp
circuit
breaker. The
one caveat is
this is only
for what is
determined a
"standard
installation",
and additional
costs could be
the customer's
responsibility
if the
installation
is more
difficult than
normal. ..."
[Read more](https://insideevs-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/insideevs.com/news/488289/chevrolet-pays-installation-cost-home-charger-bolt/amp/?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA=#aoh=16135189575762&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%2520%251%2524s&share=https%3A%2F%2Finsideevs.com%2Fnews%2F488289%2Fchevrolet-pays-installation-cost-home-charger-bolt%2F) Hmmmm... Very interesting!!
Alain
Analysis: Will intelligent roads finally move self-driving cars into fast lane?
W. Trinkwon, Feb 22, “…“ Read more Hmmmm… NO!!! Don’t bother reading this. Automated highways were wrong in 1939, wrong again i the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Call it the “Kornhauser Law of Transportation” or whatever you want to call it… “Intelligence” needs to be in the vehicles. The ways (roadways in this case) need to be a simple, “dumb” and as cheap as possible to build and maintain… consider air transportation… air is the “way”, consider maritime… water is the “way”, consider railroads… A couple of pieces of metal, some wood and gravel is the “way”, consider pipelines, a pipe is the “way”, and finally roadways.. a reasonably smooth hard surface with some paint is the “way”. We can barely afford o keep the hard surface somewhat smooth and the paint situation is really bad. There is zero money available to pay for and maintain a lot of gizmos along it to make it “intelligent”. Note above, the word “connected” seems to have disappeared from the Washington lexicon. We were closer qt the 1939 World’s Fair. Alain
0, 0);">[Annual Princeton](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/session/20210128)SmartDrivingCar
Summit [10th Episode at noon on March 4, 2021](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/session/20210225)
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
Half-Baked
Click-Bait
Calendar of Upcoming
Events:s
4th Annual Princeton SmartDrivingCar Summit
10th Live Episode: Live on Zoom
Incentivizing Through Insurance
The Role of Insurance in Encouraging the Purchase of Safely-driven Cars and Enabling the Deployment of 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)
and
The SYMPOSIUM ON THE FUTURE NETWORKED CAR 2021 VIRTUAL EVENT - 22–25 MARCH 2021.
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 199, Zoom-Cast Episode 199 w/Marc Scribner, Senior Transportation Policy Analyst, Reason Foundation
###
F. Fishkin,
Feb. 19, "How
the Biden
administration
& Congress
can pave the
path for
autonomous
vehicles.
Reason
Foundation Sr.
Transportation
Policy Analyst
Marc Scribner
joins
Princeton's
Alain
Kornhauser and
co-host Fred
Fishkin to
focus on
what's next.
Plus jobs and
autonomous
trucking,
Waymo, GM,
Ford and
more." Alexa,
play the Smart
Driving
Cars podcast!".
Ditto with Siri,
and GooglePlay
...
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..." SmartDrivingCars
[Pod-Cast Episode 197](https://soundcloud.com/smartdrivingcar/smart-driving-cars-episode-197),
[Zoom-Cast Episode 197](https://youtu.be/1DXuNFbaxIc) 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 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 Sandler & 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:
COMMENTARY: How the Biden Administration and Congress Can Pave the Path for Automated Vehicles M. Scribner, Feb. 11, ““Automated vehicle technology is coming; it’s advancing very quickly,” said now-confirmed Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg during his confirmation hearing. “It is something that holds the potential to be transformative and I think in many ways policy has not kept up.”
Secretary
Buttigieg is
absolutely
correct. The
U.S.
Department of Transportation, specifically the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
division, has
a number of
tools at its
disposal that
can be used to
modernize the
federal
regulatory
environment to
help speed the
deployment of
automated
vehicle
technologies
that can
greatly
enhance
safety,
mobility, and
access for all
Americans.
There is also
an important
role for
Congress,
especially at
this early
stage of
automated
vehicle
development.
To support
reform efforts
within the
executive and
legislative
branches, my
new Reason
Foundation
policy brief,
[Challenges and Opportunities for Federal Automated Vehicle Policy](https://www.dropbox.com/s/7oiex3xvdh98f5y/challenges-opportunities-federal-automated-vehicle-policy.pdf?dl=0),
lays out
several steps
policymakers
can take to
adapt the
automotive
regulatory
apparatus to
automated
driving system
technologies.
The brief is
broken into
three main
sections:
defining
automated
vehicles, a
survey of
current
federal
automated
vehicle policy
development
activities,
and
recommendations
for federal
policymakers.
The reform
recommendations
for
legislators
and regulators
are
categorized
under four
themes: ..." [Read more](https://reason.org/policy-brief/challenges-and-opportunities-for-federal-automated-vehicle-policy/) Hmmmm... Read especially: "[CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEDERAL AUTOMATED VEHICLE POLICY](https://www.dropbox.com/s/7oiex3xvdh98f5y/challenges-opportunities-federal-automated-vehicle-policy.pdf?dl=0)". Included is an extensive
discussion on
the SAE Levels
where Marc
states: "...most legacy automakers and new
automated
driving
developers are
planning to
avoid SAE
Level 3
altogether.."
and "Given
the wide
diversity of
road network
operating
conditions,
achieving SAE
Level 5 poses
significant
challenges...."
That leaves
just two very
different
classes of AVs
...
Safely-driven
AVs,
encompasing
SAE Levels 1
& 2, that
assist and
support human
drivers while
requiring that
a human driver
ensures that
the vehicle
will be driven
safely... and
Driverless
AVs, SAE Level
4, where the
responsibility
that the
vehicle will
be driven
safely is
entirely borne
by the driving
technology.
Those are the
only two
kinds. Policy
should focus
on only those
two and get
those right.
They are they
only real
opportunities
for this
technology ...
one to help
human drivers
drive more
safely and the
other is to
drive safely
without any
help or
involvement by
anyone riding
long with the
vehicle.
Thus, the
first order of
business for
Federal Policy
is to simplify
the process by
concentrating
on those two
very diffent
kinds of AVs
and get those
right. Alain
[Biden inherits big traffic safety mess](https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=59e39325-8a38-42b3-af1d-6b62bdd0d6a0&v=sdk)
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 â€" a
term it has
used since
2016 despite
objections
from critics
and the
caveats in the
company’s
own fine print
â€" 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
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 Mich'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
 Ford
(F), Honda
(HMC) and
Nissan
(NSANF), had
automatic
braking on
more than 90%
of their US
vehicles....
" [Read more](https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/17/business/automatic-braking/) Hmmmm... Set up for the [3rd session of the SDC Summit](https://orfe.princeton.edu/conferences/sdc/session/20210114).
Alain
December 31,
2020 [Sustainable and Attainable: Zoox Unveils Autonomous Robotaxi Powered by NVIDIA](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2020/12/17/zoox-autonomous-robotaxi-powered-by-nvidia/) D. Shapiro,
Dec. 17, "When
it comes to
future
mobility, you
may not have
to pave as
many paradises
for personal
car parking
lots.
This week,
autonomous
mobility
company Zoox
unveiled its
much-anticipated
purpose-built
robotaxi.
Designed for
everyday urban
mobility, the
vehicle is
powered by
NVIDIA and is
one of the
first level 5
robotaxis
featuring
bi-directional
capabilities,
providing a
concrete view
into the next
generation of
intelligent
transportation...."
[Read more](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2020/12/17/zoox-autonomous-robotaxi-powered-by-nvidia/) Hmmmm... Watch Zoom-Cast 192.
Alain
December 11,
2020
[Uber, After Years of Trying, Is Handing Off Its Self-Driving Car Project](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/technology/uber-self-driving-car-project.html)
C. Metz & K. Conger, Dec 7, “Uber, which spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a self-driving car project that executives once believed was a key to becoming profitable, is handing the autonomous vehicle effort over to a Silicon Valley start-up, the companies said on Monday.
Uber will also
invest $400
million in the
start-up,
called Aurora,
so it is
essentially
paying the
company to
take over the
autonomous car
operation,
which had
become a
financial and
legal
headache. Uber
is likely to
license
whatever
technology
Aurora manages
to create.
The deal
amounts to a
fire-sale end
to a
high-profile
but
star-crossed
effort to
replace
Uber’s
human drivers
with machines
that could
drive on their
own. It is
also
indicative of
the challenges
facing other
autonomous
vehicle
projects,
which have
received
billions in
investments
from Silicon
Valley and
automakers but
have not
produced the
fleets of
robotic
vehicles some
thought would
be on the
streets by
now...." [Read more](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/technology/uber-self-driving-car-project.html) Hmmmm... Actually a good
article.
Alain
December 04,
2020
Nikola Teaches GM a Lesson S. Wilmot, Nov 30, “Nikola Corp. NKLA 0.76% isn’t turning out to be the next Tesla that investors and were hoping for.
The
electric-vehicle
startup put
its
eye-catching
“Badgerâ€ÂÂ
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
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,
October 09,
2020
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
driverlessÂÂ
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 ÂÂ
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
609-258-4657 (o)
609-980-1427 (c)
This list is maintained by Alain Kornhauser and hosted by the Princeton University LISTSERV.