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LeEco shows off its LeSee Pro autonomous vehicle in San Francisco
While most of the news coming from LeEco's event in San Francisco was about new TVs and phones, the company's CEO, YT Jia made a point to show off his company's desire to become not just a consumer electronics brand but also an automaker. Unfortunately, the car couldn't make it onto the stage.
California approves unmanned self-driving car trials
Given the number of tech companies that call California home, it's no surprise the state has been quick with forward-thinking legislation to support the development of self-driving vehicles. And almost four years to the day since driverless trials on public streets were first approved, a new bill has been signed off by Governor Jerry Brown that permits autonomous car tests without a human passenger overseeing proceedings.
I drove around Pittsburgh in a self-driving Uber
"Did you do that or did the car do that?" I first asked that of my self-driving Uber's "safety driver" when the car pulled out of the lane it was in to go around a pedestrian on the side of the road. I asked it another half-dozen times during the 30 minutes I spent as a passenger in one of Uber's autonomous cars, which are hitting the streets of Pittsburgh today. Nearly every time, the answer was: "The car did that." Indeed, my time as a passenger in the self-driving Uber as it drove around downtown Pittsburgh was blessedly uneventful -- and in that relative safety and peace, I got an up-close look at what the challenges will be in making autonomous vehicles a widespread reality. I even got behind the wheel to "not drive" the car for myself.
Mercedes pulls confusing autonomous car ad
Mercedes has pulled its 2017 E-class sedan ad after critics pointed out that it could mislead people into thinking it's an autonomous vehicle. In the commercial, you'll see the E-class sedan on the road, overtaking the automaker's F015 autonomous car concept -- the same futuristic car we previewed last year that looked like it came right out of Minority Report. A voiceover then says "Is the world truly ready for a vehicle that can drive itself? Ready or not, the future is here" You'll also see the sedan's driver taking his hands off the wheel while the car is in motion.
Should autonomous vehicles save passengers or pedestrians?
Oh, humanity. New research published in Science shows that we, as a race, want to have our cake and eat it too when it comes to autonomous vehicles. Specifically, we're totally okay with self-driving cars that will sacrifice their passengers in favor of not harming pedestrians -- so long as we aren't the passengers when that happens. What's more, those surveyed would like other people to buy those self-sacrificing rides, but don't want to buy one themselves, and don't agree with the idea of enforcing regulations for them. Sure; this makes perfect sense.
ICYMI: 3D-printed, autonomous bus starts shuttling people
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Local Motors is testing a self-driving, electric mini-bus that lets passengers communicate with the bus about the weather and where they're located as they are shuttled from one part of town to another. The bus was conceived just a few months ago but is already running in Maryland. The company plans to bring more buses to other cities, like Copenhagen and Las Vegas, soon. Meanwhile bone conduction headphones are being reimagined to be more wearable, with both a sunglasses option and helmet version up for grabs online. We also wanted to show you video of the robot badminton player because it's pretty amazing. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Google is hiring autonomous car testers in Arizona
If you're in Arizona, Google is hiring for a gig that could be a good alternative to doing Uber. The job entails test driving an autonomous car around the state for $20 an hour, six to eight hours a day. You'll still need to know how to actually drive to be able to take the wheel if needed. But since your role is testing out the big G's new technology, you're expected to provide the engineering team "concise written and oral feedback," submit daily reports and document any test or procedure performed.
Google and Fiat Chrysler are reportedly partnering on autonomous cars
Google parent company Alphabet has been on the lookout for established automakers to help its self-driving car initiative for some time now, and it looks like the company is close to announcing a major new partnership. First reported by auto blog AutoExtremist.com and backed up today by The Wall Street Journal, Alphabet is working on a "technical partnership" with Fiat Chrysler. The talks have been described as ongoing for several months now, but apparently they're now in the late stages, which means we could hear about a deal sooner than later if these reports are accurate.
Uber reportedly bought at least 100,000 Mercedes Benz S-Classes
Quick recap: ride-sharing behemoth Uber is famous for connecting passengers with people who have their own cars. (Well, among other things.) Uber doesn't own a fleet of cars for would-be drivers to use, which makes the fact that the company seems to have purchased least 100,000 Mercedes Benz S-Classes from Daimler all the more fascinating. What gives? Germany's Manager Magazin, which broke the story earlier today, was quick to point out one crucial similarity between the two companies: they're both investing heavily in making autonomous cars a reality.
Baidu's autonomous car completes full driverless testing
Baidu's working hard to catch up to Google's autonomous car tech, and just recently, its modified BMW 3 series has completed a rigorous, fully autonomous testing on mixed roads. The Chinese Google's autonomous car traveled an almost 19-mile route that began at its headquarters in Beijing without the intervention of a human driver. Wang Jing, its Autonomous Driving Unit's SVP, boasted: "Fully autonomous driving under mixed road conditions is universally challenging, with complexity further heightened by Beijing's road conditions and unpredictable driver behavior." The vehicle made right/left/U-turns, passed other cars and merged into traffic on its own while going at a top speed of 62 mph.
Elon Musk is making Tesla's self-driving software a priority
Tesla might have chosen to put more limits on Autopilot, but that doesn't mean it's slowing down the software's development, as well. In fact, Elon Musk has revealed on Twitter that he's "ramping up the Autopilot software team at Tesla to achieve generalized full autonomy" as soon as possible. The automaker is currently looking for "hardcore software engineers" to join the team. Sounds like you? You don't need to have prior experience working on car tech, but you have to be prepared to face Musk himself during the interview process, as the Autopilot team reports to him directly. At the moment, Tesla's Autopilot feature can park your car and steer the wheel for you, but it's not capable of completely taking over just yet. The CEO calls this project "a super high priority" -- after all, he did claim that the company will have a fully autonomous vehicle within three years. Check out Musk's tweets below the fold, including the email where you can send samples of your work.
Nissan unleashes its autonomous car prototype in Japan
Nissan has begun testing its Leaf-based autonomous car prototype, not on private property, but on Japanese inner city roads and highways. To be exact, the automaker wants to put its "Piloted Drive" mode (part of its Intelligent Driving System) to the test, which can take control of the car in certain conditions. The mode's first version, which Nissan wants to add to production models by the end of 2016, enables a car to drive autonomously in heavy traffic on the highway. The company hopes to roll out the ability to change lanes by 2018, as well as the power to navigate city roads and intersections without human input by 2020.
Google's unique self-driving cars hit the streets of Mountain View
Google has been testing self-driving cars on the roads of Mountain View for a while, but now the company's own models are hitting the streets. Last month, Google announced that its rather unique vehicles that were built specifically to drive themselves would begin testing on public roads this summer and now they're logging miles. During the trials, speeds are capped at 25 MPH and all of controls you'd usually find in a car (steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal) are on-board in case the driver passenger needs to take over. However, these cars were designed to not have all of that stuff, so perhaps we'll see testing sans controls soon enough -- if the state of California allows, of course. The software that handles the navigating is the same tech that powered the company's fleet of Lexus SUVs outfitted to drive themselves. If you'll recall, that stable of vehicles tallied over a million miles, so the technology has quite a bit of road experience already.
Self-driving vehicles will make more people car sick
When you get your first self-driving car, don't forget to put a few barf bags in it... just in case. A duo from the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute explains that you'll likely be more susceptible to motion sickness in self-driving cars due to a couple of reasons. First, since you don't directly control it, you can't always anticipate every turn, swerve, stop, change in speed, etc. This disconnect between what you see and how the car moves affects balance, which is why drivers don't suffer from the condition as often as passengers do. Second, people are bound to do activities that amplify its symptoms.
Sony tests the waters for self-driving cars with a small investment
Apple and Google aren't the only tech giants exploring the brave new world of self-driving cars. Financial Times tipsters report that Sony has invested roughly $842,000 into ZMP, a Japanese autonomous vehicle startup. While it's a small start, Sony apparently has big plans -- it wants to combine its cameras with ZMP's robotics to develop "self-driving technologies." That doesn't necessarily mean you'll see a Sony-branded ride, but you could easily find the company's equipment inside cars from various marques. The move at least makes sense. Sony is already working on automotive cameras, so it's no big leap to translate that experience to hands-off transportation.
Uber and Google to duke it out over self-driving taxis
It's no secret that Mountain View and Uber are friends, what with Google Ventures investing $258 million into the ride-sharing service in 2013. But if both companies really are developing their own ride-sharing services that use driverless cars, as some publications are saying, then these friends will turn into rivals in the future. Now, Uber might be years behind Google when it comes to autonomous cars, but TechCrunch says the company's teaming up with Carnegie Mellon scientists to develop its own technology. While the ride-sharing service didn't go into detail when it announced the partnership earlier, TC reports Uber is building a robotics research lab in Pittsburgh, PA for the newly hired lead engineers, scientists and commercialization experts.
California issues permits for self-driving car trials on public roads
The first trio of companies looking to test self-driving cars on California's public roads got newly required permits from the state's Department of Motor Vehicles last week. Google nabbed paperwork for taking a fleet of 25 Lexus SUVs to the streets, while Audi and Mercedes-Benz also secured written approval that's now a must for trials amongst regular automobiles. The Guardian reports that other automakers are working on getting the proper approval for testing as well, so long as vehicles have a way for the driver to take control if needed. Of course, California has welcomed autonomous vehicles since 2012, but the state announced new rules for testing on public roads earlier this year that went into effect this month. In addition to the Golden State, Michigan, Nevada and Florida also allow self-driving trials on public roads. [Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
Nissan Leaf prototype becomes first autonomous car to hit Japanese highways (video)
Autonomous autos are somewhat old hat for commuters in California and Nevada, but Japan's only just seen one hit its public roads. After earning a license plate in September, Nissan's driverless (and electric) Leaf hit the pavement of the country's Sagami Expressway, becoming the very first self-driving car to complete a public road test on a highway in the Land of the Rising Sun. The firm's Autonomous Drive tech, which handles everything from detecting road conditions to merging into traffic, piloted the car onto the interstate, passed slowpokes and exited the freeway. Sure, this is a notable milestone for Nissan, but the company's goal to sell autos with the technology by 2020 is still a long way off.
Google's self-driving cars will return to roots, tour California
Thanks to a new law passed in California, Google's driverless cars might soon be stuck in its traffic with all the other hapless commuters. Although they won't hit the highway yet, like they can in Nevada, the bipartisan bill will allow bureaucrats to craft safety and performance standards -- letting the robotic rigs roll (with licensed minders) in the near future. Joining Hawaii, Florida, Arizona and Oklahoma with similar legislation, the state hopes to reduce carnage on the roads caused by human error, and is backed by Google, the California Highway Patrol and various civic, auto and tech clubs. Of course, given that it was birthed in Google's Mountain View X lab, it's only natural that the autonomous EV should be allowed to roam free on its home turf.
Google asks car makers 'Ullo John, wanna self-driving motor?'
Larry Page's tenure as Googler-in-chief has heralded the death of many ambitious experiments, but even he refuses to kill the self-driving car. His project head, Anthony Levandowski, has now asked the car makers of Detroit to sign up with Mountain View for hardware testing, saying that if driverless cars are not ready by the next decade, then it's "shame on us as engineers." There's still some way to go before the tech is road-worthy, but Google is already working with insurers to work out how your car is going to handle making that call to Geico when things go wrong.
