self-driving
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Jaguar Land Rover aims for self-driving cars on any terrain
As quickly as self-driving car technology is improving, it's still near-useless off-road. What good is an autonomous SUV if it can't drive to your camping site? Jaguar Land Rover hopes to fix that. It's showing off research into all-terrain self-driving tech that would adapt to different surfaces. A mix of cameras, lidar, radar and ultrasonic sound would give vehicles a sense of what they're driving on, and adapt accordingly -- say, going slow and steady on a dirt road. They would plot 3D paths that account for not just the ground, but low-hanging tree branches and other obstacles that could wreck your ride. You might not risk getting stuck in the mud simply because you didn't know how to tackle a challenging ravine.
Tesla crash prompts NTSB investigation into autonomous driving
Investigations are already underway regarding the role of Autopilot in the fatal Tesla Model S crash on May 7th, but the National Transportation Safety Board wants to take things one step further. It's launching its own investigation into the tragedy to see whether or not it reveals any underlying problems with autonomous driving as a whole. Is current technology truly safe, for example? And is existing regulation up to the job of covering that technology?
No one wants to test self-driving cars in Ontario, Canada
Governments may be racing to approve self-driving car tests on their roads, but that doesn't mean that companies will always line up. Case in point: Ontario. The Canadian province greenlit autonomous vehicle testing on its public roads as of January 1st, but hasn't had a single company apply to test in the 6 months that followed. Ontario's Ministry of Transportation tells Reuters that there has been interest, but that flies in the face of what some companies are saying in the short term. Honda has no plans, for example, while part supplier Magna International is currently limiting its tests to private test tracks.
Tesla's Autopilot blamed for a Model X crash
Tesla's semi-autonomous Autopilot mode is coming under fire for the second time in as many weeks. Art dealer Albert Scaglione claims that the feature was responsible for a crash that rolled his Model X on the Pennsylvania Turnpike on July 1st. According to the police report, the electric SUV smacked into a guard rail and hit the median before landing on its roof. Both Scaglione and his passenger (his son-in-law) thankfully survived.
Faraday Future cleared to test self-driving cars in California
Faraday Future isn't waiting for Michigan to get its act together before it starts testing self-driving cars in the US. Reuters has confirmed that the fledgling company has received approval to try autonomous vehicles on California roads later this year. It's still not saying just when there will be a self-driving machine you can buy (the 'regular' electric car is still coming first), but the testing brings the startup a step closer to making that happen. One thing's for sure: between Faraday, GM, Honda and other car makers, there will be a lot of hands-off transportation cruising Golden State streets before long.
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.
Google's self-driving car project sets up shop in Michigan
The Google Self-Driving Car Project, as it is accurately named, announced via Google+ yesterday that it is building out a 53,000 square-foot technology development center in Novi, Michigan where it will "further develop and refine self-driving technology."
Volkswagen pours $300 million into Gett's ride hailing service
Ford and GM aren't the only big car companies getting cozy with the on-demand transportation industry. Volkswagen has made a $300 million investment in Gett, one of the bigger ridesharing outfits in the world (particularly in Europe). The two are working together to expand on-demand ride services. For VW, this is the "first milestone" toward becoming a top-tier mobility service provider by 2025. The firm doesn't expect this to be its only partnership, but it's an important one.
GM is already testing self-driving Chevy Bolts
That didn't take long. Just weeks after GM bought Cruise Automation to give its self-driving car initiative a boost, the spy photographers at SpiedBilde have spotted multiple Chevy Bolts roaming around San Francisco with autonomous driving sensors on their roofs. In fact, one of the drivers is Cruise Automation co-founder Kyle Vogt -- clearly, he's taking the hands-on approach in this collaboration.
Self-driving car pioneers bring their smarts to trucking
One of the minds at the heart of Google's self-driving car project has decided that his future lies beyond the search engine. Anthony Levandowski has teamed up with other big names in the world of automotive intelligence to launch a new startup called Otto. Unlike his former initiative, Otto is an attempt to build a system for some of the largest trucks that haul freight up and down our highways. Rather than forcing truck makers to overhaul their vehicles, the Otto platform will be an aftermarket kit that can simply be installed on existing big rigs.
Google and Fiat Chrysler aren't sure who owns self-driving car data
Google and Fiat Chrysler left a lot of questions unanswered when they unveiled their self-driving car partnership... and that's because they haven't answered some of those questions themselves, apparently. Fiat Chrysler chief Sergio Marchionne told guests at an event that the two companies have yet to decide who will own the data from the fleet of 100 autonomous Pacifica minivans. The vehicles need to be "viable" first, he says. He adds that the firms have yet to decide whether or not they'll offer open source code that would help others build self-driving technology.
Google's self-driving tech goes into Chrysler minivans this year (update: official)
That rumored deal between Google and Fiat Chrysler for self-driving car technology? It's reportedly happening... if not quite in the way you'd expect. Bloomberg sources claim that the arrangement will put some of Google's autonomous tech into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan sometime this year. Just how deep this integration would go isn't clear, but it's not believed to be an exclusive arrangement -- either side could cooperate with other partners. If the leak is accurate, the deal could be signed as soon as May 3rd (if you're reading this in time, today).
Ford, Google and Uber form a group to push for self-driving cars
Some of the biggest names in transportation tech aren't waiting around for the US to legalize self-driving cars -- they're determined to give the government a boost. Ford, Google, Lyft, Uber and Volvo have formed the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets in a bid to have officials "realize the safety and societal benefits" of autonomous vehicles. In other words, they're going to advocate for federal laws and regulations that put self-driving technology on roads across the country.
China's LeEco teases its very own autonomous electric car
LeEco really wants the world to know it isn't just about TVs and smartphones. After the announcements of its investment in Faraday Future and Aston Martin earlier this year, today LeEco showed off its very first electric car that actually moves. The LeSEE vehicle was driven out of a container from one end of the stage, and later, CEO Jia Yueting did a live demo of its self-driving and self-parking capability using voice commands via a mobile app, albeit moving in low speed due to the limited space, as you can see in the video after the break. There's no mention of specs and the English subtitles suggest that this is more of a concept car at the moment, but it does appear to be a solid start.
Beverly Hills is creating its own fleet of self-driving cars
Picture the streets of Beverly Hills and you probably imagine seas of ultra-luxurious cars piloted by celebrities or their chauffeurs. However, you may have to get used to a new sight in the future: hordes of vehicles with no drivers at all. The city's council has voted to produce a fleet of self-driving cars that would provide on-demand shuttle service around town. The system would lean on a city-wide fiber optic network, already in the design stages, to keep these driverless rides talking to the neighborhood and each other. The first phase of the resolution would have Beverly Hills forming partnerships with autonomy-minded car brands like Google and Tesla, so this would be more of a collaboration than a from-scratch project.
Car makers ask the US to slow down on rules for self-driving tech
You might think that car brands would want governments to approve self-driving cars quickly so that sales can start as soon as possible, but it turns out that they're quite cautious. The Global Automakers industry group (which includes numerous heavyweights) used a public hearing on April 8th to ask US officials to slow down while crafting regulations for autonomous driving tech. Supposedly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is moving too quickly by pushing for finished guidelines by July. It's tying itself to "arbitary, self-imposed deadlines" instead of allowing "robust and thoughtful" analysis, the industry says.
Volvo will conduct China's largest test of self-driving cars
Volvo is about to embark on one of the greatest adventures in the history of self-driving cars... at leat, if everything goes according to plan. It's planning an experiment in China (reportedly the country's biggest to date) that will have as many as 100 autonomous vehicles driving on public streets in regular traffic conditions. Real-life tests aren't completely novel -- just ask Google. However, this would both offer a rare chance at a large-scale test and give Volvo a toehold in China's increasingly hot self-driving car space.
BMW's next-gen Project i focuses on autonomous driving
When BMW talks about wanting to build the most intelligent car, it's not joking around. The automaker is kicking off a Project i 2.0 initiative that will push autonomous and networked driving technology in the same way that Project i boosted electric cars. In fact, BMW claims that it'll "lead the field" for self-driving tech -- no mean feat when seemingly everyone has similar ideas. The centerpiece is an iNext vehicle that will supposedly "set new standards" for autonomy, connectivity, EV tech, mapping and sensors.
Ford hopes you'll watch movies in self-driving cars
If and when self-driving cars become a practical reality, you'll probably want something to do during your journeys besides chatting with passengers or checking your phone. Thankfully, Ford might have an answer. It recently obtained a patent for an "autonomous vehicle entertainment system" that would let you watch videos when you're hands-free. Kick your vehicle into self-driving mode and a projector system could swing into action, complete with its own screen -- yes, you could watch a movie while you're on the way to visit family. Think of it as in-flight entertainment, just grounded.
Google self-driving car crashes into a bus (update: statement)
Google's self-driving cars have been in accidents before, but always on the receiving end... at least, until now. The company has filed a California DMV accident report confirming that one of its autonomous vehicles (a Lexus RX450h) collided with a bus in Mountain View. The crash happened when the robotic SUV had to go into the center lane to make a right turn around some sand bags -- both the vehicle and its test driver incorrectly assumed that a bus approaching from behind would slow or stop to let the car through. The Lexus smacked into the side of the bus at low speed, damaging its front fender, wheel and sensor in the process.
