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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.
The future of driverless cars is being shaped by a modified Land Rover
There's no single blueprint for building a self-driving car. Certain components have become standard fare, such as laser-powered LIDAR sensors, but there's no definitive design just yet. We've seen some polished prototypes already, including the Lutz Pathfinder pod and Google's bubbly little motor, but most companies are still experimenting. As such, it's pointless for them to design and build a beautifully arched hood if, after a few test drives, engineers decide the front-grille camera would be better placed on the roof.
Apple is driving camera-equipped minivans around California
Apple technology doesn't normally venture on to the open road outside of CarPlay, but the company is clearly ready to hit the street with something new. Claycord, CBS and others have spotted unmarked, Apple-registered minivans driving around California (and possibly New York) sporting an abundance of cameras and (maybe) sensors. Neither the drivers nor Apple are willing to say what the vans are up to. Some are quick to speculate that these are autonomous vehicle prototypes meant to take on Google's self-driving car, but it's not certain that this is the case. Apple may just as easily be using these vans to add Street View-style panoramas to Maps, improve the accuracy of its existing map data or something else altogether. One thing's for certain: between this and talk of an Apple search platform, the crew in Cupertino is ready to explore unfamiliar territory. [Image credit: Claycord]
The long road to self-driving cars
Automakers are big on self-driving cars this year. Audi, fresh from breaking both the autonomous speed and distance records (and driving me around a track at over 120MPH), announced the Prologue piloted-driving concept, and although Ford didn't have a new car to show, it still proclaimed it would strive to be the first to offer an autonomous vehicle "to the masses." But it's Mercedes-Benz that has stolen the show so far with its jaw-dropping, but unfortunately named F 015 Luxury in Motion concept. The F 015 is full of awesome and downright ridiculous technology. The front grille lights up to show if the car is in autonomous or manual mode, and can also project turning signals, pedestrian crossings and other information to the outside world. Its rear does something similar, lighting up to spell out words like "stop" and "slow" to tailgaters. The exterior itself resembles something between a Prius and a child's imagining of what a future car should look like, and its interior is similarly striking.
Mercedes-Benz unveils its vision of a self-driving car
Mercedes-Benz is far from the first automaker to experiment with self-driving cars, but it's making up for that in style at CES. Meet the F015 Luxury in Motion, a previously hinted-at concept car designed from the ground up for robotic transportation. Passengers normally sit face to face so they can talk more, and anyone can control the car through remote units and gestures (courtesy of Leap Motion) -- this is really a classic, luxurious carriage remade for the modern era, according to Mercedes. The vehicle even has color-coded LED lights on the front and back to let you know what the car is thinking. It can tell you whether or not it's in autonomous mode, or give pedestrians a heads-up when it's safe to cross. You probably won't ever see the F015 go on sale, but it's a good clue as to what Mercedes hopes you'll drive (or rather, not drive) in the years ahead. Aaron Souppouris contributed to this report.
Audi's self-driving car is traveling 550 miles to Las Vegas
Audi is confident that its self-driving car technology is ready for prime time -- so confident, in fact, that it's about to give the platform a very public long-distance test. An A7 Sportback with the mostly autonomous hardware is traveling 550 miles from Stanford, California, to CES in Las Vegas, with trained members of the press taking turns behind the wheel. Not that they'll be doing much. The A7's cameras, lasers and radar will let it control highway driving so long as it's under 70MPH, and it'll only hand over the reins in "city environments" and other situations where it reaches its limits. This is a marketing stunt, to be sure, but it could show that autopilot systems are capable of taking over during long, monotonous trips.
Singapore tests self-driving cars you use like taxis
One of the greatest allures of self-driving cars is the prospect of never needing your own vehicle -- you could just catch robotic rides whenever you want personal transportation. Well, Singapore is about to explore how well that concept works in practice. The city (with MIT's help) is opening up one of its neighborhoods to autonomous cars next year to see how well they could eliminate traffic congestion. Ideally, you'll use these driverless vehicles like short-range taxis or Uber cars: hail one whenever you need to get to the airport or train station and keep another privately-owned car off the road. That's particularly helpful in Singapore, where the extreme population density (19,725 people per square mile) has led to strong government incentives for using mass transit.
Google unveils the first complete version of its self-driving car
Google had a (not very well-kept) secret when it unveiled its experimental self-driving car: that first example you saw was just a mockup that lacked many of the basics. At last, however, the internet giant has unveiled a complete prototype of the car that has everything it needs to hit the road, including the autonomous driving system and typical mechanical parts like braking, lighting and steering. Yes, it still looks like a koala on wheels, but this motorized marsupial is now ready to hit the test track. It'll also reach Northern California roads sometime next year, so don't be surprised if you see a cutesy driverless vehicle puttering around your local streets.
Riding in Audi's 150MPH self-driving RS 7, the anti-Google car
Until last week, the sum of my autonomous driving experience was sitting behind the wheel while a car parked itself, and the sum of my track experience involved squeezing my lanky frame into a comically small go-kart. Audi changed that recently, giving me the opportunity to sit in its self-driving RS 7 Concept while it traversed the Ascari racetrack in southern Spain. It's the same car that recently broke the autonomous speed record in Germany, hitting 240KPH (149MPH) at the Hockenheimring. Rather than aiming to improve on its record, Audi is at Ascari to test its "piloted driving" system against the circuit's more-challenging corners. It's also there to see how people react to being driven, at speed, around the track.
Tesla CEO promises a self-driving model for next year
Last night, Elon Musk told the world that Tesla was ready to reveal its "D" on October 9th, as well as preparing us for "something else" to expect along the way. But the CEO isn't done teasing just yet. In a recent interview with CNN Money, Musk let it be known that a Tesla car next year "will probably be 90 percent capable of autopilot," though he didn't dive into any specifics about which model(s) this comment was in reference to. "So 90 percent of your miles could be on auto. For sure highway travel," the Tesla boss added. Such a thing would be possible, Musk said, by combining different sensors with image-recognition cameras, radars and long-rage ultrasonics -- which, without a doubt, paints a bright picture for future vehicles from the company. "Other car companies will follow ... Tesla is a Silicon Valley company. I mean, if we're not the leader, then shame on us."
MakerBot chief believes self-driving cars will spur a need for 3D-printed organs
Self-driving cars are safer by their very nature, since they avoid the mistakes of human drivers. However, that improved safety may create some new problems -- at least, according to MakerBot founder Bre Pettis. He tells Fortune that scientists will likely have to step up work on 3D-printed organs if and when robotic vehicles take off, since a significant chunk of organ donations (which are already scarce) come from car accident victims. Pettis isn't disputing the value of reducing road fatalities, of course. The issue is more that hospitals have to be ready for possible shortfalls in natural transplants.
UK to let driverless cars loose on roads by January
Anxious to start... not driving in the UK? Though late to the party, the government has announced that driverless cars will hit the streets in three UK cities starting in January 2015. The Department of Transport also launched a £10 million ($17 million) fund to spur research and reach the deadline. Once the three cities are selected for trials, two different types of self-driving vehicles will be tested: fully autonomous cars with no driver, and self-driving models that can relinquish control to a human pilot. All of that will be laid out in new road laws now being formulated to accommodate such vehicles.
Mercedes' semi-autonomous truck lets its driver relax on the highway
If you've ever driven a highway on a major trip, you know how monotonous it can get -- and it only gets worse for big rig operators, who may spend every day on those uneventful roads. Mercedes-Benz may eventually let those long-haul drivers make better use of their time, though. It just recently demonstrated Future Truck 2025, a semi-autonomous concept vehicle that takes the reins on the highway. A combination of radar and stereo cameras keep the machine on the right course once it's up to speed, freeing the driver to check up on the family or get work done. It can optionally talk to other vehicles to anticipate upcoming construction or traffic jams, and it's smart enough to get out of the way if an ambulance comes speeding by.
UK lays out plans to test robots in full view of the public
It turns out that Brits are actually ruddy marvellous at robotics, especially in automotive, aerospace, medical and military applications. Not wanting to be usurped by incumbents from overseas, the groups in charge of leading robot innovation in the UK have drawn up their first official robotics strategy. RAS 2020 (Robotics and Autonomous Systems) is its name, and it's designed to aid the development and testing of robots, not only in laboratories but also out in the wild. It envisages the creation of real-world test zones where machines of the future can be put through their paces in plain view of the public.
Cruise aims to make a self-driving car out of one you already own
We're plummeting headlong into a future of cars that move without us, and you may not have to buy a brand new ride to be a part of it. You see, a startup called Cruise has been showing off a working prototype of its aftermarket RP-1 kit, and it aims to bring self-driving smarts to the car you already have.
UK to introduce new road laws allowing the use of self-driving cars
Not to be left behind by developments in the US, the UK government is set to rewrite road laws to allow self-driving cars on Britain's roads. According to Mail Online, science minister David Willetts has already opened discussions with the Department for Transport to help British companies develop their own driverless cars and encourage the world's car companies to do the same. Willetts' comments come just weeks after Google showed off its new self-driving prototypes that don't come equipped with a steering wheel, mirrors or pedals. As we've noted before, laws covering driverless cars are still new, with only a few US states, including California, Nevada, Michigan, Florida and the District of Columbia, giving them the green light (but require someone to sit in the passenger seat, at least for now). The UK government aims to follow suit, allowing researchers at Oxford University, who have pioneered a cheaper version of Google's self-driving tech, to legally test different driving scenarios on (hopefully quiet) British roads.
What you need to know about self-driving cars
A few months back at CES, I found myself at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway as a guest at BMW's "Highly Autonomous Driving" demo. While our cameraman set up his gear and I pondered what I was going to say about BMW's mystery kit, I watched one of the carmaker's drivers hooning through a wet section of the track drifting an M235i. Little did I know at the time that the driver wasn't actually driving: He was a passenger. That night, BMW suggested self-driving cars were years off, maybe as many as 10. But Google's just shown us its vision, and the "when" is much, much closer. Despite my racing-heavy introduction earlier this year, the automakers want to sell self-driving cars as a safety blanket. And if they can prove its ability to save lives, it'll become a reality in short order.
Audi competition aims to unlock the potential of connected cars
We've all heard about how connected and self-driving cars from Google, BMW and others are going to change our lives, but how? Audi wants to find out with its Urban Future Award, a four-city, multidisciplinary competition. Each team has a different quest, but all center around the ways that connected cars -- like Audi's "Piloted Driving" model -- can make city transportation better. For example, a Boston group will see if vehicles can take up less space using self-parking features, while in Seoul, researchers will help connected commuters socialize over in-dash displays. The Berlin team will bridge private and public transit for more efficient commuting and, finally, Mexico City's crew will crowdsource traffic data to reduce the city's notorious congestion. Audi will update each project regularly in its blog, with the best plan taking a $140,000 prize.
'Fish on Wheels' frees your guppy from the tyranny of the tank (video)
A company called Studio Diip has created a motorized go-cart. For fish. Though "why" is the first question that comes to mind, at this point we're only able to give you the "how." When Little Dory starts to swim in a particular direction, her movement is captured by a top-mounted web cam, processed by a Beagleboard and used to steer the Arduino-controlled carriage under her bowl. As seen in the video after the fold, that lets her follow her muse outside the aquarium's confines. We're hoping this experiment makes it beyond the lab one day, as we're pretty damned curious to see where a fish wants to go. ("Away from the cat" or "towards the ocean" seem like safe bets.)
Hands-on with BMW's self-parking i3
BMW was keen to show off some ConnectedDrive technology at CES in its new i3, so it trucked us -- well, i640'd -- out to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a demo. We had a brief look at the BMW i Remote app installed on a Samsung Galaxy Gear, where the car's battery state, range, lock status and other niceties are displayed. Lost your car on some street after it parked itself? Communication flows both ways with the BMW i3 and by simply asking the car to "make some noise" using the watch, the horn will honk after a short delay. One of the i3's most compelling features is its $1,000 Parking Package. At the push of a button using ultrasonic sensors, the car will both find and then park itself in a spot with as little as 22 inches of extra space. Self-parking cars aren't new, but the little electric i3 does the complete procedure and doesn't need driver input on gas or braking. We tried the entire parking procedure and it worked flawlessly as it backed into the spot and then adjusted back and forth a bit to get properly aligned with the curb. Is it worth the $1,000 bucks? If you're not the most adept driver when it comes to parallel parking, we'd say it absolutely looks worth it. Don't believe us? Take a peek at the video right below.
