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Networked self-driving cars are smarter and safer
You know what's better than one self-driving car on the road? Two, because then they can pool resources. Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication isn't anything new, of course, but researchers at Switzerland's federal institute of technology, EPFL, are taking things one step further. By wirelessly connecting the LIDAR, sensors and navigation systems of two cars in convoy, both can get a fuller picture of the world around them.
CNBC: Tesla is working on its own AI chip with help from AMD (update: apparently not)
It's no secret that Tesla always wanted to develop an in-house chip to handle its cars' autonomous functions. Well, according to CNBC, the EV-maker is close to reaching that goal -- with help from AMD. The company is reportedly building its chip on top of AMD technology and is even working with AMD spin-off and chip fabricator GlobalFoundries to make its vision a reality. It also hired Jim Keller, who previously worked with AMD and Apple, to lead its chip division. In fact, they're far enough in the development process to be able to make samples of the processor's first implementation, and Tesla has already begun testing them.
NTSB places blame on both driver and tech in fatal Tesla crash
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has made its final determinations on the cause of the fatal Tesla Model S crash that took place in Florida in May of last year. In a report set to be released in the next few days, the NTSB concludes that the accident was the fault of both drivers and has issued a series of recommendations to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), manufacturers of Level 2 automated driving systems, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and Global Automakers.
Audi's Aicon concept car is all about autonomous luxury
At the Frankfurt auto show, Audi unveiled its fully autonomous Aicon concept car. The "design study" showcases the automaker's vision of a world without steering wheels, pedals or the stress of driving.
Nissan's next Leaf is cheaper and can almost drive itself
The Nissan Leaf does pretty well for the automaker. It's one of the best selling EVs ever and today the company introduced a redesigned $29,990 Leaf with ProPilot, a hands-on semi-autonomous feature for heavy traffic. With a 150 mile range and a price about $700 cheaper than it predecessor, Nissan is determined to stay at the top of the electric-vehicle sales-numbers pile.
An autonomous Ford Fusion will deliver Domino's in Michigan
Domino's has been experimenting with high-tech delivery methods for years, from UAVs to drones with wheels. This time, the pizza chain might send a self-driving Ford Fusion to deliver your food if you're in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Domino's has teamed up with the automaker to test people's response to an autonomous delivery car. They'll use one Fusion equipped with all the trappings of a self-driving vehicle, including Ford's full suite of cameras, sensors, radar and LIDAR, to deliver pizza for the month-long test.
'Carcraft' is Waymo's virtual world for autonomous vehicle testing
Earlier this year we watched as an AI kept driving straight into the water in Grand Theft Auto: V. Rather than use Rockstar Games' crime-world magnum opus to train its self-driving vehicles, though, Waymo instead uses Carcraft. Named for Blizzard's enduring online RPG World of Warcraft, it serves as a testing ground for the company's autonomous efforts. Yes, Alphabet built its own virtual world to train self-driving cars.
Audi takes its self-driving car where others dare not go
The self-driving future has a ratings scale. The classifications begin at zero, where you're constantly in charge of all the car's acceleration, steering and braking. Basically a car without cruise control. It ends with Level 5, where the car that doesn't even need a steering wheel or a driver. Currently, if drivers want semi-autonomous features they're getting a Level 2 experience. Like Tesla's Autopilot or Cadillac's Super Cruise, the car can drive itself in specific situations (usually on the highway) but require the human behind the wheel to pay attention and take over at a moment's notice.
Audi introduces its semi-autonomous A8
After a sneak peak of the vehicle parking itself and appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming, the Audi A8 luxury sedan is finally being shown off in all its high-tech glory. With level-3 autonomy, active electronic suspension, a mild hybrid engine and brand new infotainment system, it's the future of the German automaker's vehicles.
Einride's self-driving truck looks like a giant freezer on wheels
Einride has just revealed the prototype of the T-pod, its autonomous electric truck. The Swedish company's self-driving vehicle can transport 15 standard pallets and can travel 124 miles on one charge. And because there's no need for a person to sit inside of it, the T-pod also has no cab space and no windows -- giving it a very futuristically odd look.
Uber shows off its upgraded fleet of autonomous trucks
Uber's interest in self-driving vehicles doesn't begin or end at taxis, which is why it's developing a platform for autonomous trucks, too. A year on from the company's, er, controversial purchase of Otto, and Uber has unveiled its second-generation big rig with a wholly upgraded set of sensors. Including an entirely new, 64-channel LIDAR array that, according to TechCrunch, was purchased off the shelf, from Velodyne.
Car buyers aren’t thrilled about semi-autonomous features
JD Power's latest research into the likes and dislikes of car owners has two big takeaways: people love Kia and are pretty lukewarm about self-driving technology. Or, at least those components that most drivers can gain access to right now, like adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance and blind spot warning systems.
Queen's Speech 2017: What it means for UK tech
The General Election has been and gone, but questions remain regarding the suitability of Theresa May as Britain's premier. Nonetheless, as part of traditional ritual, MPs have once again descended upon the House of Lords for the reading of the Queen's Speech, where Her Majesty details the formal plan for the current government. Brexit and Britain's security were the banner announcements, but technology also played a key part, with driverless cars and spaceports the notable inclusions.
Lyft teams up with Jaguar to test autonomous cars
There's a lot of reasons for the folks at Lyft to be happy, and not all of them involve schadenfreude about what's going down across the street. The ride-sharing company recently scored a further $600 million in investment, $25 million of which came from Jaguar Land Rover. But it wasn't just cash that the automaker is supplying: it's also handing over a fleet of vehicles to help the pair test autonomous vehicles.
Honda sets 2025 deadline to perfect self-driving cars
Japanese car giant Honda has broken down its plans for fully autonomous vehicles, confirming that it intends to introduce cars that require no driver intervention by 2025. In a statement, the company clarified that it will install its autonomous freeway drive system in vehicles by 2020, giving itself an additional five years to develop vehicles that can handle all necessary road conditions without human assistance.
Mercedes-Benz is building cars that know the road better than you do
As we approach a blind corner on a twisty mountain road above Sunnyvale, there's a moment when I'm sitting in the passenger seat of a pre-production Mercedes-Benz S-Class and I'm not sure that the updated Intelligent Drive will really slow the car down in time for what's up ahead. It does and continues to do so for every corner it encounters. It's an impressive step in the automaker's march toward an autonomous vehicle.
Uber expands self-driving research to Canada amid US troubles
Uber has just opened up a new office in Toronto, Canada dedicated to autonomous driving. This is the first Advanced Technologies Group operations to open outside of the US, though the main ATG hub is still in Pittsburgh, PA, where it started self-driving tests late last year. That said, Uber's relationship with Pittsburgh officials have soured in the past few months so it's possible the company could be trying to diversify operations just in case the Pittsburgh deal doesn't work out.
Intel and BMW's highly-automated cars hit the road
Intel is great at building chips for computers. Everything else, not so much. But the company that's been powering most of the computers on the market for decades is going full bore into autonomous cars. Today it announced the launch the first vehicle of its highly automated car test fleet with partner BMW. The vehicles will also include technology from Intel's latest acquisition, Mobileye.
Peugeot is ready to get its self-driving cars on the road
Like nearly all of the other major car makers, Peugeot believes the next generation of cars will be autonomous. We've already seen the Instinct Concept -- which imagines a future where vehicles blend self-driving tech, home automation and cloud connectivity to deliver the best riding experience -- but to get there, the company needs to do the hard miles. Thanks to a partnership with MIT spin-off nuTonomy, the French carmaker has begun doing just that with the launch of a new self-driving pilot in Singapore.
Proterra wants to build autonomous vehicles for public transit
The company that built an electric bus capable of driving 350 miles before needing a recharge wants to take public transit to the next level: autonomous driving. Working with the University of Nevada, Proterra has launched an autonomous driving program to help develop self-driving electric buses in Reno. The idea is simple, but implementation is complicated, partially because Proterra buses have to serve the public and abide by completely different laws than private vehicles. That's why the company's CEO says autonomous bus lines will probably never run without a human co-pilot.
