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California issues its first approval for an autonomous ride service
Which company did you think would be most likely to offer an autonomous ride service in California? A heavyweight like Waymo or Uber? No -- it's an up-and-comer. The state's Public Utilities Commission has revealed that self-driving car startup Zoox will be the first to transport the public. It's joining a pilot program where it will offer free rides with a backup driver in the front. It's not certain when the pilot will start, although Zoox has already stated plans to launch paid service in late 2020.
Uber cleared to resume self-driving tests in Pennsylvania
Uber has edged closer to resuming self-driving car tests following the fatal crash in Arizona. The Information has learned that Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation approved the ridesharing company's request to start testing autonomous vehicles in the state. This doesn't mean you'll see vehicles back on the road in the immediate future, though. Uber has confirmed the approval to Engadget, but cautioned that it has nothing to share about when it will return to the road -- that won't happen until sometime in the weeks ahead, when Uber begins very limited tests.
Kroger adds driverless vehicles to its grocery delivery fleet
Earlier this year, Kroger teamed up with the self-driving startup Nuro for a grocery delivery service, and in August the company began piloting an autonomous delivery service in Arizona. At the time, the deliveries were made by a self-driving Toyota Prius fleet with safety drivers on board. But now, Kroger is adding Nuro's R1 vehicle to its fleet and the move introduces a driverless component to the company's autonomous delivery service.
Ex-Uber engineer claims to travel 3,099 miles in a self-driving car
Remember how controversial former Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski had formed a secretive autonomous trucking startup? He's finally showing off his work... and he might have set a record in the process. Levandowski has launched his self-driving truck startup Pronto.AI by posting a video (below) that appears to show him traveling 3,099 miles from San Francisco to New York City in an AI-augmented Prius "without any human intervention" or pre-mapping, and only a small amount of training. The entrepreneur only had to take over when it was time to refill the car and rest up, according to his interview with The Guardian.
Patent describes how Lyft’s self-driving cars might communicate
Safety is a major concern when it comes to autonomous vehicles, for both the people they're transporting as well as those who are nearby. And it's not yet clear how or even if self-driving cars will communicate with the people around them. But Lyft has just been granted a patent that gives us a look at how it might be planning to address this issue. The patent describes a system that would first detect the location of individuals around the autonomous vehicle and then choose an appropriate message that could be displayed to them via screens and signs on the car itself.
Waymo launches its first commercial self-driving car service
The rumor was true: Waymo's self-driving car service is here. The company has launched Waymo One, its first commercial ride hailing offering. People in part of the metro Phoenix area can use an app to ask for an autonomous vehicle 24/7 much like they would ridesharing cars, complete with price estimates and trip reviews. Up to three adults and a child can travel at once. To no one's surprise, though, Waymo is starting cautiously -- it's hoping to avoid further collisions and ease the community into a driverless world.
Ohio's first self-driving shuttle service begins on December 10th
Ohio wants to be a haven for self-driving cars, and it's already acting on those plans... if slowly. Smart Columbus and DriveOhio have announced that the state's first autonomous shuttle service, Smart Circuit, will launch in Columbus on December 10th. It's not a terribly ambitious route. Three May Mobility vehicles will cover a 1.5-mile loop around the Scioto Mile between 6AM and 10PM, with departures from each of the four stops every 10 minutes. There's a human backup driver onboard, too. However, rides are free. So long as you're not in a hurry (the shuttles drive at a modest 25MPH) and can take one of the four available seats, it won't hurt to hop aboard.
Uber hires an NHTSA veteran to bolster its self-driving car plans
Uber has hired a former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) official to join its autonomous vehicle team, Reuters reports. Nat Beuse will be joining the company after serving as the NHTSA's associate administrator of vehicle safety research, and he's doing so at a critical time when Uber is working to mend its safety image following a fatal crash involving one of its self-driving cars. "Uber's approach to self-driving vehicles is an opportunity to make a difference in the safe commercialization of this revolutionary technology, which I've spent a considerable amount of time working with in recent years," Beuse said in a statement. "It's clear to me that the team here is dedicated to prioritizing safety."
Audi and Disney are creating media for self-driving cars
If and when fully autonomous cars hit the road in earnest, you're going to have a lot of free time on your hands. Audi and Disney think they can fill that void, though. In a chat with CNET's Roadshow, the two companies have teased that they're creating a new form of media designed with autonomous vehicles in mind. While the firms are keeping details under wraps until CES 2019 in January, Audi's Nils Wollny dropped a few clues as to what it could involve.
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.
UK to get self-driving buses and taxis by 2021
The UK won't sit idly by while the US, Japan and China put self-driving vehicles on their roads. The country's government has announced an ambitious driverless public transport plan for 2021, including autonomous buses in Scotland and self-driving taxis in several of London's boroughs, with state funding to the tune of £25 million ($33 million).
Ford and Walmart to partner on self-driving deliveries
Self-driving car collaborations are becoming increasingly commonplace. The latest team-up comes from Ford and Walmart -- two older-world companies using autonomous tech to combat nascent startup rivals and remain relevant in an ever-changing landscape. The eventual goal is to bring Walmart shopping items to customers in a self-driving Ford with the help of Postmates' delivery infrastructure. Initially, however, the venture will rely on human-driven cars designed to simulate how a self-driving vehicle would operate.
Roborace won't use a fully driverless car for its first season
Roborace has long talked of completely driverless cars hitting the track when its first season gets underway, but the company has had a change of heart. CEO (and Formula E winner) Lucas di Grassi has revealed to Motorsport.com that Roborace's "Season Alpha" will use a new DevBot 2.0 car with space for a human driver. The organic crews will take the wheel for part of the race, with the autonomous component taking control for the rest. Why the more conservative approach? It's a combination of shaping public perception and the nature of racing itself.
Waymo can test fully driverless cars on California roads
Get ready to see mysteriously vacant cars roaming around California streets. The state DMV has granted Waymo a permit to test fully driverless vehicles (not even an observer) on public roads, making it the first company in the state to receive permission. The self-driving vehicles will travel around parts of Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto and Sunnyvale. Initial rides will carry Waymo employees, but the company eventually plans to offer trips to the general public like it did in Arizona.
Lyft buys an AR company to bolster its self-driving car efforts
Lyft is ramping up it self-driving car strategy on two fronts. To start, the ridesharing mainstay has acquired Blue Vision Labs, a UK-based augmented reality firm whose underlying technology helps cars both know their location and understand their surroundings. The startup will join Lyft's Level 5 team (that is, working on complete autonomy) to contribute its knowledge. TechCrunch has also learned that Blue Vision will serve as the "anchor" for a London research and development wing.
Ford is the first company to test self-driving cars in Washington, DC
Washington, DC has taken some steps to govern self-driving cars, but now it's finally going to see those cars in action. Ford and its partner Argo AI have unveiled plans to test their autonomous vehicles in the US capital with an eye toward commercial service in 2021. The duo already has cars on the road, and will spend the next year expanding its test fleet until it's operating in all eight wards. Yes, you might just see one of these vehicles roaming near the National Mall.
Drive.ai launches second autonomous ride-hailing pilot in Texas
Drive.ai's autonomous ride-hailing pilot is now available beyond one town, if only just. The startup has launched its promised second pilot in Arlington, Texas, a short distance away from Frisco. If you're in the downtown area, you can hop in one of the company's self-driving vans (complete with displays to signal their intent) along fixed routes. This might be your choice if you're a sports fan -- the routes can take you to and from Dallas Cowboys games at AT&T Stadium, and Texas Rangers games at Globe Life Park.
Audi and Huawei team up on self-driving car technology in China
Audi and Huawei want to make a name for themselves in China's burgeoning autonomous driving scene. The two have formed a partnership that will see them jointly develop Level 4 self-driving technology (that is, full control in specified areas) for Chinese vehicles in addition to connected car features. While they didn't provide much detail about the alliance, Huawei demonstrated a prototype Q7 SUV equipped with its Mobile Data Center, which combines the necessary processing power for autonomy with cameras and sensors.
Arizona is creating an autonomous vehicle research institute
Arizona, a state that has been quite open to self-driving technology, has now created the Institute for Automated Mobility (IAM), a consortium focused on autonomous vehicle research, safety and policy. Overseen by the Arizona Commerce Authority, IAM brings together the state's transportation and public safety departments, private industry and three state universities, which will work to develop industry standards and best practices in regards to self-driving technology.
Ford patent would turn autonomous car control into a mobile game
Future self-driving cars might be reliable enough to ditch the steering wheel. But what happens if you do need to take over in a pinch? With Ford, it might be as simple as pulling out your phone. The company recently obtained a US patent for two driving modes that would use a touchscreen device to steer an otherwise autonomous vehicle once you receive permission. The first mode, as Autoblog pointed out, would mimic the tilt-to-steer mechanic from games like Real Racing 3 -- your device's accelerometer and gyroscope would guide the front wheels. It'd be intuitive, if a little disconcerting when it would involve a ton of real metal hurtling down the road.
