Garden State Considering Driverless Testing Ground

Some New Jersey politicians are toying with the idea of using a former Army base as a testing ground for driverless vehicles. Sensing that the state is falling behind economically, state legislators are pushing an unrelated bunch of measures that should boost economic activity without costing the state anything. They are looking for a free lunch.

Where would the driverless testing ground be? Fort Monmouth, which is located both near the Jersey Shore and close to the city (that's New York City), in Monmouth County. According to a New York Times article from six months ago, this is not the only idea for redeveloping parts or the entirety of the former military base.

Excuse me for asking, but ...

3-D scanner camera technology is being touted as a less expensive alternative to lasers for driverless vehicles. Personally, I have doubts. In the first article I am reading about 3-D scanning, one of the challenges, to put this mildly, is that it does not work well outside in sunlight. So, beyond winters in Portland and Seattle, perhaps this technology needs some refinement before humans sit in a vehicle outfitted with it. There is money behind the development of 3-D scanning from the Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Will driverless vehicles travel alongside bikecars?

That is not a spelling error. I have seen a few bikes in the shape of cars coming out of companies and, last week, from a team at the University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Engineering. These contraptions, for want of a better word, combine the exercise potential of biking with a roof, sides, and a battery for when power is needed (uphill slopes, extra passengers, groceries, etc.). The idea is not zero-emission, but certainly, low emission.

Cargo bikes and now these bikes-in-the-shape-of-cars are coming to maturity, in the market sense, at the same time as driverless vehicles will be. Prototypes are out; there are some early adopters, but they are not a common sight on the roads by a long stretch. So, my guess, is that we will need the driverless vehicles being created to "see" not only the pedestrian, the traffic signal, the deer, and the ball - with child following - but also to be able to see and navigate alongside these cargo/bike/cars.