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Michigan's manufacturing past is fueling its tech future
Michigan's struggles have played out on the world's stage. Just after the turn of the century began what's referred to as the state's lost decade; the economy faltered, oil prices skyrocketed and the housing market crashed. Nearly a million jobs left the state between 2000 and 2013, many of them in manufacturing and the automotive industry. For a state of just under 10 million people, the impact was devastating: Unemployment was higher than the national average by more than four percent. Bailouts for Chrysler and General Motors were followed by Detroit's record-setting municipal bankruptcy, but through grit and determination, Michigan started clawing its way back from the brink. Now multimillion-dollar investments in the city from tech titans like Amazon, Facebook and LG make headlines with startling frequency, and a host of tech startups have begun to fill the gaps left by plant closures.
Ford invests in Michigan's autonomous car testing grounds
Ford might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of autonomous vehicles (unless you really like Domino's pizza), but that doesn't mean the automaker is sitting by while everyone else is making leaps and bounds in the space. The company just announced that it's making a $5 million investment in the American Center for Mobility. "This is an investment in the safe, rapid testing and deployment of transformative technology that will help improve peoples' lives," Ford's CTO Ken Washington said in a press release (PDF).
LG will build electric car parts in Detroit
LG Electronics is building a 250,000 square foot EV parts plant in Detroit suburb Hazel Park, it said in a press release. LG might not build its own cars, but its vehicle components division supplies many key pieces for GM's critically acclaimed Chevy Bolt, to name one manufacturer. That's an understatement: It builds the battery cells and pack, electric motor, power inverter, on-board charger, climate control, instrument cluster and infotainment system.
Self-driving car demo is the first to cross the US-Canada border
As a rule, self-driving car tests tend to be limited to the country where they started. But that's not how people drive -- what happens when your autonomous vehicle crosses the border? Continental and Magna plan to find out. They're planning to pilot two driverless vehicles all the way from southeastern Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario, making this the first cross-border test of its kind. The machines won't be in complete control for the entire route, but they'll use a combination of cameras, lidar and radar to take over when they can, including two key border crossings (the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the Blue Water Bridge).
GM and Honda will mass-produce hydrogen fuel cells together
Just weeks after the car and energy industries began their big push on hydrogen, the first real action is being taken. General Motors and Honda have leapt into bed together to begin work on a new factory that'll mass-produce hydrogen fuel cells for their vehicles. Fuel Cell System Manufacturing (FCSM) will be based at GM's electric vehicle battery site in Brownstown, MI (pictured), and is expected to start work in 2020.
Big Ten Network adds 'League of Legends' to its tournament lineup
The Big Ten Network announced on Thursday that it's adding a less conventional sport to its conference title coverage. Now, in addition to everything from baseball and basketball to football and field hockey, subscribers will be able to see their favorite schools compete against one another in League of Legends. Yeah, the video game.
ESPN takes you inside a college football rivalry with VR
Virtual reality has the ability to take us inside events and offer new perspectives for things we'd typically only view on TV. VR company Jaunt has been touting its "cinematic" platform for a while now and it teamed up with ESPN to give sports fans a behind-the-scenes look at one of college football's biggest rivalries. The Game: Michigan at Ohio State chronicles this year's matchup from the perspective of ESPN's College GameDay in the form of an all-access pass to the game. Of course, it's all in VR.
GM starts testing self-driving Bolts on Michigan roads
GM isn't wasting much time now that Michigan has cleared some of the legal hurdles to testing self-driving cars in the state. Effective "immediately," the car giant will start testing autonomous rides on Michigan's public roads -- that includes modified Chevy Bolts, of course. The initial focus is on testing around GM's Technical Center offices in Warren, but test drives will reach the metro Detroit area within the "next few months."
Michigan embraces our self-driving future
Michigan isn't just America's high five, historically it's the heart of the auto industry as well. And now the state looks to be preparing for the future. Today, Governor Rick Snyder has signed four bills into law regarding autonomous vehicle repair, research, driving networks and accident responsibility.
Tesla sues Michigan over law prohibiting direct sales
Tesla is suing the home of the auto industry. The electric car manufacturer started litigation against Michigan Governor Rick Snyder today over a law that prohibits the automaker's direct-sale model in the state, according to a report from Reuters. This comes after two years of trying to get the legislation changed via other methods.
ICYMI: Dolphins speak in sentences and brand new bee species
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Scientists in the Ukraine say they tracked bottlenose dolphins and found that they speak in up to five-word sentences and politely listen to each other before responding. Since dolphins are pretty much the coolest thing on the planet (Japanese horror show notwithstanding), we are excited about the latest dolphin intelligence findings.
ICYMI: Mercedes makes a self-driving bus for the masses
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Mercedes made a new class of vehicle to take on mass transit systems by autonomously navigating city streets with GPS, radar, dozens of cameras and data links to local networks. It was tested outside Amsterdam; no word yet on when they will roll out for real. Some Michigan engineering students are creating a huge and playable Rubik's Cube, that video is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Faraday Future aims to test self-driving cars in Michigan
Faraday Future isn't just talking a big game when it mentions plans for autonomous features in its cars. Michigan's Department of Transportation tells the Detroit News that FF not only asked about how to apply for plates that let it test self-driving cars, but has applied for three manufacturer plates since. While the company isn't confirming anything (the plates are to test "prototypes and features," it says), it's safe to say that at least one of those vehicles won't always have a human at the wheel.
Keep a Zipcar for as long as you want
Just ahead of GM's car-sharing service Maven launching in Ann Arbor, resident rival Zipcar is punching back. The latter's unveiling a new system wherein you could keep a car indefinitely rather than being stuck to a rigid reservation schedule. Switching up drop-off locations and destinations while you're on the go is an option now, too.
Michigan gunman reportedly worked as Uber driver between shootings
Uber has confirmed that the man arrested over the shooting and killing of six people in Kalamazoo, Michigan last Saturday worked as a driver for the company. According to reports, the gunman may have even given rides to customers before, and possibly even during, the night of the incident. One passenger told local news station Wood TV that he believed he was driven by gunman Jason Dalton hours after the shootings happened across the area.
Tesla dealerships aim to play Michigan at its own game
You can't buy a Tesla in Michigan because, like in many states, local laws prohibit manufacturers selling to their customers directly. To do so would cut out dealerships, which just happen to have bankrolled plenty of local politicians into protecting their interests. Tesla, however, isn't going to sulk off into the night, and has decided to play Michigan's vested interests at their own game by applying for a dealership license. According to the Wall Street Journal, the firm delivered the paperwork in November and is expecting to hear the decision by the start of March.
'Detroit' is Quantic Dream's debut PS4 game
Detroit is bouncing back from some absolutely devastating economic times, but Detroit from Quantic Dream exists in an altogether different timeline. The team behind Heavy Rain is using the Motor City and its manufacturing legacy as a backdrop for its tale of an AI with human emotions, and the game is an extension of the studio's "Kara" demo from a few years back. Aside from that, lead David Cage didn't give an awful lot of info. Considering the studio's pedigree, it isn't too much of a stretch to assume the game will be highly cinematic, but that could also be a detriment. After all, the team's last game, Beyond: Two Souls looked great in demos too, but fell a bit flat in terms of actual gameplay. Become Human isn't the first time a game about androids and AI's been set in Motown -- Deus Ex: Human Revolution did that back in 2011.
Researchers battle a deadly lung problem with meds, computer models
It doesn't take a whole lot to stop the tiny air sacs in your lungs from doing their jobs -- trauma, a nasty case of pneumonia or sepsis could lead to what's called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a situation in which your blood doesn't get all the oxygen it should. ARDS can be tricky to treat even on a good day, but that's where the big brains at the University of Michigan come in. Researchers there have cooked up a way to model how liquid medication surges and diffuses throughout the lungs, and breathed new life into a treatment that others had all but given up on in the process.
Tesla's first acquisition is a Michigan auto parts maker
Tesla's just made its first acquisition: a tool and die shop based in Grand Rapids, Michigan (roughy 150 miles west of Detroit) that makes automotive stamping parts. As The Detroit Free Press reports, the current Riviera Tool will eventually become Tesla Tool and Die and will retain its current employees, possibly hiring more in the future. It gives the electric vehicle company a stake in the original motor capitol of the world, and is a sign of Elon Musk's ground-based baby working to alleviate supply chain issues. Ironically enough, the State Shaped Like A Hand doesn't allow Tesla to sell its cars locally. Update: A Tesla spokesperson has confirmed the purchase to Engadget.
Michigan's new law 'clarifies' ban on Tesla's direct sales model
If you're hoping to find a Tesla Motors store in Motor City, you may be waiting a long, long time. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has signed House Bill 5606 into law, explicitly banning Tesla's direct sales model in the state. Snyder contends that the measure only "clarifies" existing legislation. It was already illegal to sell cars outside of franchised dealerships, he argues -- this new law just eliminates any room for confusion.
