DriverlessCars
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Waymo reportedly returns safety drivers to its autonomous cars
Waymo is reportedly rolling out additional safety measures for its self-driving vehicle fleets, reintroducing safety drivers and installing cameras to monitor driver fatigue. The Information reports that these changes were put into place due to safety concerns, and they come after a handful of recent traffic incidents.
People want self-driving cars to prioritize young lives over the elderly
Today, MIT released the results of a global survey on the moral and ethical decisions that autonomous vehicles should be programmed to make. The survey reveals that general preferences include prioritizing human lives over animals, younger and healthier people over the elderly and saving more lives over fewer lives. People also preferred to spare bystanders (who were obeying the law) over jaywalkers.
Toyota will invest $500 million in Uber (updated)
Toyota plans to invest around $500 million in Uber, the Wall Street Journal reports, as the two enter an agreement to work together on driverless technologies. The publication cites sources familiar with the matter and the investment would value Uber at $72 billion. Reports surfaced earlier this month that Uber investors told the company it should consider selling off its self-driving car unit due to the substantial losses the project has racked up.
California will allow autonomous cars to pick up passengers
California is launching two pilot programs that will allow autonomous vehicles to pick up passengers in the state, the San Francisco Examiner reports. One will let companies pick up passengers with their self-driving cars as long as a safety driver is behind the wheel. The other will allow for passenger pickup without a driver in the autonomous vehicle -- though the company will be required to have humans monitoring the cars remotely. "I am pleased to launch these pilot programs as part of the evolution of the passenger transportation system in California," California Public Utilities Commissioner Liane Randolph said in a statement. "Our state is home to world-class innovative companies and I look forward to these services being offered with the high level of safety that we expect from our passenger service providers."
Now California's DMV can allow fully driverless car testing
Automakers can now start testing fully driverless cars on California's roads. According to the state DMV's new regulations that became effective on April 2nd, it can now issue three types of autonomous vehicle testing permits. The first kind is the original one it approved years ago, which needs a driver behind the wheel, while the other two could pave the way for the release of Level 4 to 5 autonomous vehicles. See, the second type of permit it can dole out will allow automakers to test fully driverless vehicles, and the third will give the companies permission to deploy them.
Control Volkswagen's latest concept car with your voice
Volkswagen will debut an autonomous concept car called the I.D. Vizzion at the Geneva International Motor Show next month. The interior of the all-electric car doesn't reflect that of a traditional vehicle; it's been completely redesigned. There is no steering wheel and it does not have visible controls. It's the fourth car in Volkswagen's I.D. line, which is focused on developing electric car technology.
Singapore's driverless buses to serve three towns by 2022
While driverless buses are making cameos in Las Vegas and Michigan, they're set to become a more common sight in Singapore in the near future. Following initial trials of an autonomous shuttle (fit for 80 passengers), the country plans to bring a mixture of the larger buses and smaller mini-vans to three new neighborhoods by 2022.
Honda’s connected cars will communicate over 5G
When it's not busy making billion-dollar acquisitions to expand its robotics line-up, Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank is pursuing its other hobby: smart cars. Central to this endeavour is its partner, and fellow Japan native, Honda. Last year, the two announced plans to make cars emotive using cloud-based tech based on SoftBank's Pepper robot (think Knight Rider's KITT). The fruits of that colloboration are beginning to emerge, in the guise of the auto-maker's AI-assisted NeuV and Sports EV concepts. With the clock ticking down to Honda's 2025 deadline for driverless cars, the duo are moving on to the next phase in their connected cars project, which is all about 5G.
A US freeway may get self-driving car lanes thanks to Foxconn
Wisconsin highway planners are studying the possibility of placing driverless vehicle lanes on I-94 to serve Foxconn's mega factory in Racine County. The Taiwanese company -- supplier to tech firms including Apple, Microsoft, and Nintendo -- reportedly made the suggestion at a meeting with regional officials, according to USA Today's Journal Sentinel.
Las Vegas' self-driving bus crashes in first hour of service
Las Vegas' self-driving shuttle service marked its return by getting into a minor collision, according to local NBC station KSNV News 3. French startup Navya's autonomous electric vehicle shuffles at around 15 MPH on a 0.6 mile circuit in the downtown Fremont East district. But, just an hour into its year-long trial (which follows a successful stint in January) the shuttle was hit by a delivery truck that was backing up.
Semi-autonomous truck convoys due to hit UK roads next year
Convoys of semi-autonomous trucks are expected to be tested on public roads in the UK before the end of next year, the government announced today. The Department for Transport and Highways England have rustled up £8.1 million in funding between them to pass on to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), the independent organisation that'll conduct the trials. TRL will start with simulation studies and driver training before moving onto a test track and finally, public roads by the end of 2018.
India will ban driverless cars in order to protect jobs
As self-driving cars are being tested everywhere from the US to South Korea, Germany to Australia, reports today make it clear that it won't be happening in India. The country's transport and highways minister, Nitin Gadkari told reporters today, "We won't allow driverless cars in India. I am very clear on this."
Uber's self-driving vehicles are picking up folks in Arizona
Uber's fleet of self-driving vehicles are now cruising the streets of Tempe, Arizona. After a spat with the California Department of Motor Vehicles in December, Uber moved its line of 16 custom, autonomous Volvo XC90 SUVs to Arizona, where Gov. Doug Ducey welcomed the company with open arms (and no extra restrictions on self-driving vehicles).
UK insurers detail the data they'll want from driverless cars
As car makers outfit their vehicles with more autonomous features, insurance providers are carefully weighing up how to cover owners of driverless cars while figuring out exactly who should be liable in an accident. The UK government agrees it's a major priority and has already laid down a common-sense framework to guide discussions, but the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has today published a specific list of rules that providers believe will best protect everyone involved.
Driverless buses to hit Finnish city's streets
Finland has been testing autonomous EasyMile buses on public roads for a little while now, but away from the hustle and bustle of its big cities. Now the Scandinavian country is ready to try out the adorable, driverless people-movers on the mean streets of Helsinki.
The UK gets its first driverless car insurer
As cars have gained more assistive driving features, questions have been raised over how driverless vehicles will be insured. If someone has an accident while being piloted by an autonomous car, is the driver or the car itself to blame? While governments, car makers and search giants attempt to figure that out, specialist UK insurer Adrian Flux has today launched what is believed to be one of the world's first dedicated driverless vehicle policies. It's done so to allow drivers to place more faith in assistive controls and force policymakers to implement changes around how and when driverless cars could be held liable.
Put your name down for London's driverless pod trials
Driverless pods are headed to the London borough of Greenwich, and the public is invited to sit inside and experience the technology first hand. The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) opened sign-ups today for the first public trials, which will take place inside its UK Smart Mobility Living Lab -- a test area that covers the entire borough. The exact routes are still being finalised, but the focus will be around the Greenwich peninsula, in places where the pods are likely to encounter cyclists and pedestrians. We don't know when the trials will start, however, beyond "later this year."
Roborace will feature futuristic, sci-fiesque driverless cars
The first driverless racing series (dubbed Roborace) might make you feel like you're watching a sci-fi flick. Not only because you'll be witnessing AI-controlled vehicles speeding on the race track with no human drivers, but also because the car contenders will use looks like it belongs in a movie set. See, Roborace's organizers commissioned Daniel Simon to design its official car. And Simon is also the designer behind the lightcycles in Tron: Legacy, Oblivion's drones and spaceships, as well as Captain America's Hydra vehicles.
Ford's 'mobility' subsidiary to focus on autonomous cars and more
GM isn't the only US automaker making self-driving car announcements today. Ford revealed a new subsidiary, Ford Smart Mobility, that will focus on developing new technology for autonomous vehicles, in-car connectivity and transportation services. Former Steelcase CEO and Ford board member Jim Hackett will oversee the new offshoot, which the company says is part of its goal to be "both an auto and a mobility company."
Toyota strengthens autonomous car program with new hires
Toyota wants to build a road-ready autonomous car by 2020, and it's tracking down the right expertise to help it achieve this goal. The car company announced it's welcomed the 16-strong software engineering team from Jaybridge Robotics -- a firm specializing in autonomous industrial vehicles -- into the fold. To be clear, Toyota hasn't acquired the company, which will continue to support its current client base; it has, however, hired most if not all of Jaybridge's experts to work on its in-house self-driving car program.
