Self-operating shuttle bus crashes after Las Vegas launch (All Things Self Driving)

guest · Aug 28, 2019

Bestmile raises $16.5 million to optimize autonomous vehicle fleets
August 28, 2019
https://venturebeat.com/2019/08/28/...illion-to-optimize-autonomous-vehicle-fleets/

Bestmile has raised $16.5 million in venture capital as it continues expansion of a platform that manages autonomous and human-driven vehicles.

The Switzerland-based company’s software was originally designed to help transportation companies optimize fleets of self-driving vehicles, including cars, trucks, and shuttles. But Bestmile has also evolved to include traditional vehicles as the shift to an autonomous world is stretching out over many years.

“We are creating this kind of flexibility of the platform because the transition to fully autonomous will be maybe 15 years,” said Bestmile cofounder and CEO Raphael Gindrat, “so our customers need one platform to manage both in parallel.”
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ronjor · Aug 28, 2019

Autonomous air transport startup Elroy Air completes first flights of large cargo VTOL

Darrell Etherington@etherington 28 Aug 2019
SF-based Elroy Air hopes to transform bulk air cargo shipping with its ‘Chapparal’ vertical take-off and landing craft, the first version of which will be able to carry 250 lbs of cargo as far as 300 miles. The startup, which was founded in 2016 by experienced professionals with track records of working in UAS (uncrewed aerial systems) has just completed its first flights of the ‘Aluminum Falcon’ prototype test craft.
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guest · Aug 28, 2019

Giving smart vehicles their sense of direction
August 28, 2019
https://techxplore.com/news/2019-08-smart-vehicles.html

Scientists around the world are racing to develop self-driving vehicles, but a few essential components have yet to be perfected. One is localization—the vehicle's ability to determine its place and motion. Another is mapping—the vehicles' ability to model its surroundings so that it can safely transport passengers to the right place.

The question is: How do you give a vehicle a sense of direction? While global positioning satellite (GPS) devices can help, they are not available or reliable in all contexts.
Huang uses visual-inertial navigation systems that combine inertial sensors, which contain gyroscopes to determine orientation and accelerometers to determine acceleration, along with cameras. Using data from these relatively inexpensive, widely available components, Huang measures and calculates motion and localization.
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guest · Aug 29, 2019

Canberra expands semi-autonomous car trial
August 29, 2019
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/canberra-expands-semi-autonomous-car-trial-530333

A trial of semi-autonomous vehicles in the ACT has yielded promising early results, prompting an extension of the project to look at how the technology can help older drivers safely stay on the road for longer.

The 23 participants were given instruction sessions on how to use the Tesla Model S, which was fitted out with cameras to track their eye movements and responses behind the wheel.
As the national average age continues to creep up, autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles could be a useful tool in keeping older people mobile, connected and active.

“Almost all of them have said the automatic functions are pretty easy to use. It can be a bit unnatural for the car to be driving itself, but they were ready to take control of the car at all time,” Isbel said.
One of the study participants, Marie Keir, has been driving for over 50 years but said driverless vehicles would help keep her independent and in touch with her social connections as she got older.
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ronjor · Aug 29, 2019

Waymo urges U.S. to 'promptly' remove barriers to self-driving cars

David Shepardson August 29, 2019
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google parent Alphabet Inc, on Thursday urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to “promptly” remove regulatory barriers for cars without steering wheels and brake pedals.
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guest · Aug 30, 2019

Volocopter’s 2X eVTOL records a first with flight at Helsinki International Airport
August 30, 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/30/v...ith-flight-at-helsinki-international-airport/

The Volocopter 2X air taxi vehicle is now the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) craft to fly at an international airport, fully integrated into the same airspace as other commercial passenger craft. It performed this key milestone flight at Helsinki International Airport, in a demonstration mission that showed it successfully integrated with both traditional air traffic management and air traffic management systems designed specifically for aircraft with no pilot on board controlling the vehicle manually.

Through the test, they determined that the Volocopter systems work well with each provider, which is a key step toward gaining certification for commercial flight.
The German startup will be flying its 2X vehicle at an event in Stuttgart on September 14, but its next major milestone will be unveiling the new VoloCity commercial craft and its prototype VoloPort take-off and landing facility in Singapore later this year.
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guest · Aug 30, 2019

Didi announces autonomous taxi pilot for Shanghai
August 30, 2019
https://venturebeat.com/2019/08/30/didi-announces-autonomous-taxi-pilot-for-shanghai/

Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing (Didi) has announced plans to pilot a self-driving taxi service in Shanghai, weeks after spinning out its autonomous driving unit as a standalone company.

Speaking at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai this week, Didi CEO and founder Cheng Wei revealed specifics about Didi’s “robo-taxi” initiative, with riders able to hail a self-driving car through the Didi app.
Didi said it will deploy 30 different models of level 4 autonomous vehicles, which will include human safety drivers, on roads in the Jiading district of Shanghai.
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guest · Aug 30, 2019

ronjor said: ↑

iRobot brings its Roomba tech to the backyard with the Terra autonomous mower
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We dug up more about Roomba maker iRobot’s first autonomous lawnmower
The twin-bladed Terra is expected to arrive in 2020
August 30, 2019
https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/30/...mower-roomba-robot-fcc-beta-release-date-2020

Unlike most robot lawnmowers, it uses wireless beacons to understand what your yard looks like rather than relying on a long, cumbersome wire that’s around the edges of your lawn.

Last we heard, the Terra was in beta. Now, iRobot tells The Verge that the beta is “progressing well,” and it expects to begin selling the Terra in the US in 2020. (iRobot wouldn’t reveal pricing.) After digging through Federal Communications Commission filings and some Terra support articles on iRobot’s website and fact-checking a few things with iRobot, it’s easier to understand how it might work.
Keep in mind these details may not be final. The user manual and support articles we dug up might be placeholders, or they might have just been for the beta. [...]
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guest · Aug 30, 2019

Why CERN’s work on Volvo’s autonomous cars won’t matter much
August 30, 2019
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/why-cerns-work-on-volvos-autonomous-cars-wont-matter/

The world-renowned European Organization for Nuclear Research (better known as CERN) is working to develop “fast machine learning” for self-driving cars, according to CNBC.
But it’s unclear if CERN’s new research project will get autonomous cars into production any faster.

In a statement, Zenuity said CERN’s Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) could “execute complex decision-taking algorithms in microseconds.” The idea is to use FGPAs to help autonomous cars make decisions more quickly. As any human driver knows, a quick decision is often needed to avoid a crash. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle.
Fast computing could allow self-driving cars to make decisions at the same speed as humans, but the systems that control these cars also need to have the knowledge to make the right decision.

Creating a sensor setup that works reliably in all conditions, is durable enough for everyday use, and is cheap enough for mass production, is another major hurdle for autonomous cars.
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guest · Aug 31, 2019

Meet Olli 2.0, the next-generation 3D-printed self-driving shuttle from Local Motors
August 31, 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/31/come-along-take-a-ride/

The tall rectangular pod, with its wide-set headlights and expansive windows nestled between a rounded frame, gives the shuttle a friendly countenance that screams, ever so gently, “come along, take a ride.”
But Olli is different in almost every way, from how it’s produced to its origin story. And now, its maker, Local Motors, has given Olli an upgrade in hopes of accelerating the adoption of its autonomous shuttles.
Olli 2.0
Olli and Olli 2.0 are clearly siblings. The low-speed vehicle has the same general shape, and a top speed of 25 miles per hour. And both have been crash tested by Local Motors and come with Level 4 autonomous capability, a designation by the SAE that means the vehicle can handle all aspects of driving in certain conditions without human intervention.
AR and VR can also be added, if a customer desires. The interior can be changed to suit different needs as well. For instance, a hospital might want fewer seats and more room to transport patients on beds. It’s this kind of customization that Rogers believes will give Local Motors an edge over autonomous shuttle competitors.
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guest · Sep 2, 2019

Latest version of Tesla’s Smart Summons self-valeting car demoed
September 2, 2019
https://mspoweruser.com/latest-version-of-teslas-smart-summons-self-valeting-car-demoed/

Tesla is not quite yet ready to release full self-driving onto public roads, but private roads such as car parks are fair game, and there Tesla has been working to demonstrate their driverless technology via their Smart Summons feature.
Currently only available to Early Access Tesla owners, the feature is currently in version 4, with each version being somewhat more credible.

Recently YouTube channel Like Tesla was able to get a rare hands-on with the feature in a California car park, and it is really starting to look like something which may become useful in the future.
The video shows the car to be notably more confident, smoother and faster, though this still translates to a top speed of only 4 mph.
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ronjor · Sep 3, 2019

NTSB says Autopilot engaged in 2018 California Tesla crash

David Shepardson September 3, 2019
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Tuesday that a Tesla Model S was in Autopilot mode when it struck a fire truck in Culver City, California, one of a series of crashes the board is investigating involving Tesla’s driver assistance system.
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ronjor · Sep 3, 2019

Israel's Cortica teams with Toyota, BMW in autonomous AI car tech

September 3, 2019
JERUSALEM (Reuters) Cartica AI said that unlike more conventional AI systems, it does not use human-labeled data for deep learning, which is time consuming, expensive and at times unreliable.
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ronjor · Sep 4, 2019

Tesla Model S crash result of user error and Autopilot design, says NTSB

Lora Kolodny@lorakolodny 04 Sep 2019

Key Points
The National Transportation Safety Board finds that driver error and Autopilot design led to a crash involving a Tesla Model S and a parked fire truck early last year.
CEO Elon Musk has promised that Tesla vehicles would be capable of functioning as “robotaxis” by the end of 2020.
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guest · Sep 5, 2019

Ford squashes the bug problem plaguing autonomous cars
September 4, 2019
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/ford-found-a-way-to-keep-bugs-off-autonomous-car-sensors/

For human drivers, a bug-splattered vehicle is pretty inconsequential. But autonomous cars rely on an array of sensors to “see” their environment, and those sensors need to be kept clean of insects. So Ford came up with a way to bug-proof its cars’ sensors.

Figuring out how to keep self-driving cars’ sensors clean turned out to be messy work. Engineers built a “bug launcher” to shoot insects at the sensors, Venky Krishnan, Ford’s autonomous vehicle systems core supervisor, wrote in a blog post.
They can spray washer fluid onto the lenses to clean them off. The nozzles are controlled by a software algorithm, ensuring they’re only used when needed, so that no fluid is wasted, Krishnan said.
When the lens is clean, air is channeled through a slot in the tiara to dry it off.
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guest · Sep 5, 2019

TomTom launches a fully autonomous test car to develop HD maps
September 5, 2019
https://venturebeat.com/2019/09/05/tomtom-launches-a-fully-autonomous-test-car-to-develop-hd-maps/

TomTom has launched its first autonomous test vehicle as it looks to improve its various mapping technologies aimed at the burgeoning driverless car industry.

Ahead of IAA, the annual International Motor Show taking place in Frankfurt, Germany next week, the Dutch location technology giant today announced that the number of level 1 and level 2 vehicles using its maps for automated driving has doubled to more than 1 million this year and spans numerous automakers.

“Having our own autonomous vehicle is a critical advantage when it comes to developing the technology required for safe and comfortable autonomous driving,” said TomTom’s head of autonomous driving, Willem Strijbosch.
HD Maps will likely play a major role in the evolution of autonomous vehicles, as essential on-board sensors can’t see around corners. HD Maps serve up a more accurate representation of the surrounding environment, including lanes, geometry, and traffic signs, enhancing spatial awareness.
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guest · Sep 5, 2019

Japan Will Let Up to 100 Driverless Cars Roam Freely Ahead of Olympics
September 5, 2019
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...japan-will-become-a-mecca-for-autonomous-cars

For seven days next July, before Japan kicks off the Summer Olympics, Tokyo will let dozens of driverless vehicles roam freely around the competition venues in the city’s waterfront area to promote the nascent technology.

As many as 100 self-driving cars will ferry up to 7,000 passengers in the week starting July 6, said Seigo Kuzumaki, director for the Japanese government’s autonomous-vehicle program. Carmakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. as well as parts manufacturers and startups are participating, he said.
The largest driverless-vehicle trial in Japan so far is meant to showcase the country’s strengths in the field.
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guest · Sep 5, 2019

Judge rejects attempt to raise bail of ex-Google engineer
September 5, 2019
https://apnews.com/6bedaf49d8f34f43bb4a941d22175436

A federal judge has rejected a government recommendation that he impose a $10 million bail bond on a former Google engineer who is accused of stealing self-driving car technology before joining Uber’s effort to build robotic taxis.

The preliminary ruling issued Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Nathanael Cousins means Anthony Levandowski remains free on the $2 million bail he posted last week after being charged with heisting Google’s trade secrets before defecting to Uber in 2016.
Although Cousins said he doesn’t think it’s likely Levandowski will flee while awaiting trial, he amended the bail to include a $200,000 commitment from the engineer’s brother Max. Cousins’ said he may reconsider the bail terms at a hearing scheduled for Oct. 2.
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guest · Sep 6, 2019

Why a Former Military Drone Pilot Now Steers Burrito Delivery Bots
September 5, 2019
https://futurism.com/the-byte/military-drone-pilot-burrito-delivery-bots

Postmates [...] But according to The Wall Street Journal, the company quietly employs people like former U.S. Army and CIA drone pilot Michael Niedermayer to steer the little bots from behind the scenes. Niedermayer’s role illustrates a bizarre situation in which machines that were supposed to replace human workers can need even more oversight from an entirely new category of worker.

But several industries flirting with autonomous vehicles still need one human per machine. For instance, airborne drones and self-driving cars ought to have a one-to-one ratio in order to stay on top of unforeseen risks and accidents, experts told the WSJ.

“You can prepare for 99.9 percent of situations,” Yariv Bash, CEO of the flying drone delivery company Flytrex, told the WSJ. “But there’s a really long tail of really weird situations, and you need a human for that.”
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guest · Sep 6, 2019

New Autonomous Vehicle Test Track to Open in Metro Atlanta
September 5, 2019
https://www.govtech.com/fs/transpor...icle-Test-Track-to-Open-in-Metro-Atlanta.html

A new autonomous vehicle test facility is due to open in the Atlanta metro, positioning the southeast as a destination for the development of the emerging AV technology.

The Curiosity Lab in Peachtree Corners, Ga., is set to open its 1.5-mile test track next week, complete with public streets, steep grades and even mature shade trees. The facility, owned by the city, sits within a 500-acre office park, is free to use and offers insurance coverage for companies using the test track.

“We are helping those who test to de-risk a little bit,” said Betsy Plattenburg, executive director of the Curiosity Lab.
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guest · Sep 9, 2019

Daimler Starts Highway Test of Autonomous Freightliner Truck
September 9, 2019
https://www.trucks.com/2019/09/09/daimler-starts-highway-test-autonomous-freightliner-truck/

A big silver Freightliner Cascadia truck began plying public roads in Virginia Monday, fully under the command of its autonomous driving software.
Freightliner owner Daimler Trucks stationed a licensed safety driver in the cab. There’s also an engineer to monitor the system. But unless there’s a catastrophic meltdown, Daimler expects the robotic truck to operate on its own.
TORC PARTNERSHIP
Daimler and its autonomy partner, Virginia-based Torc Robotics, previously tested the truck for months on a closed-loop track, the companies said.

“Bringing Level 4 trucks to the public roads is a major step toward our goal to deliver reliable and safe trucks for the benefit of our customers, our economies and our society,” said Martin Daum, global head of Daimler’s trucks and buses unit.
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guest · Sep 9, 2019

Daimler and Geely back Volocopter to help launch its flying taxi service
September 9, 2019
https://www.engadget.com/2019/09/09/volocopter-funding-geely-daimler/

Flying taxis are one step closer to becoming a reality. Volocopter announced in 2018 that it hopes to have autonomous air taxis in the sky within five years, and one step on the path to achieving that is securing that all-important investment money.

In its latest round of funding, Volocopter has been backed by Geely, the Chinese automotive group which manufactures Volvo and Lotus cars as well as London's electric black cabs. It has also secured the support of German automotive giant Daimler, which is looking to invest in back ride-sharing, autonomous vehicle and taxi services.
Volocopter raised a total of 50 million Euros (about $55 million) with an aim to bring its air taxi service to China. The company says it can use this money to launch a commercial flying taxi within three years.
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guest · Sep 9, 2019

mood said: ↑

Video Shows Motorist Apparently Asleep Behind The Wheel While Driving On 5 Freeway
August 23, 2019
https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/08/23/tesla-driver-asleep-5-freeway-los-angeles/
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A new video shows a Tesla driver who appears to be asleep while driving down the Massachusetts Turnpike
September 9, 2019
https://www.businessinsider.de/tesl...ving-down-massachusetts-turnpike-video-2019-9

A Tesla owner traveling along the Massachusetts Turnpike on Sunday appeared to be asleep behind the wheel, as shown in a video published by local news station WHDH TV News 7 Boston.
Inside the vehicle, which was spotted by a man named Dakota Randall, are two front-seat passengers who appear to be asleep. The driver's head is drooping downward as if he had nodded off.

"I was just so baffled that I honked a couple of times because I was like, you guys, you might want to wake up," Randall said to WHDH TV.
Randall, however, said that the Tesla he encountered on the Massachusetts Turnpike looked like it had no problem keeping up with the flow of traffic. The car, he said, stayed at the same speed and "didn't change at all."
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guest · Sep 9, 2019

Plans for Melbourne's flying taxi service get serious as Uber Air head appointed
September 9, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/plans...rvice-get-serious-as-uber-air-head-appointed/

Uber has announced the appointment of Natalie Malligan as the new head of Uber Air for Australia, charged with getting the company's flying taxi service off the ground in Melbourne.

Announcing the appointment in a blog post late Monday, Uber Australia said Malligan will be responsible for making Uber's ambitious urban aviation plans a reality, working alongside the Victorian government, Melbourne Airport, federal aviation agencies, and Melbourne communities.

"In the long term, the vision is for safe, quiet electric vehicles transporting tens of thousands of people across cities for the same price as an UberX trip over the same distance," Uber said in a statement when announcing the initiative down under.
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guest · Sep 9, 2019

Cities Are Trying—Again—to Plan for Autonomous Vehicles
September 9, 2019
https://www.wired.com/story/cities-trying-again-plan-autonomous-vehicles/

On the one hand, autonomous vehicles offer an excellent opportunity to rethink how American cities operate, down to each lane line, crosswalk, and curb.
If everyone moves around on electric-powered transit and robotaxis, no one needs to own a car. No one needs to park a car.

In 2019, the dream is still alive. But then there’s that other hand: If cities screw up the transition to AVs, they’ll end up with streets clogged with traffic, smogged with emissions, and little room for people to walk, bike, and scoot.
So NACTO is publishing this week a second version of the AV planning guide, one that takes a more skeptical approach to the project.

Some of the largest and most influential cities in the country are clearly concerned that the autonomous vehicle experiment might go poorly for them. But they are still optimistic.
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Self-operating shuttle bus crashes after Las Vegas launch (All Things Self Driving)

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