Russian driverless efforts are behind US, European, and Asian leaders, but the vast country is planning on testing driverless trucks soon. Plans are to first test the vehicles on European roads within the country and then expand onto its Asian roads. No word on Russian driverless cars or transit.
All this from Sputnik News, an actual publication. I have no idea about its reporting standards or journalistic integrity.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
I Told You So - Dangers of Partially Driverless
So what did people expect when a car came on the road that allows for hands-free driving on the highway - but only highways with clear lane markings - and a warning that hands should remain - doing nothing - on the wheel? Turns out, those hands are not remaining on the Tesla steering wheels, Some "drivers" are climbing into their Tesla backseats or engaging in other unauthorized, not-good-driver behavior. Oh, and the car can't "read" weather, stop signs, traffic signals, or other common road situations.
I don't have the time, but apparently these mischievous Tesla owners are posting their videos all over the place.
Apparently, I'm not the only person concerned that semi-autonomous vehicles present real dangers. State driving regulators in California are pondering this issue. They were taking their time, but will they hurry up now that the semi-autonomous Teslas are out there driving themselves on highways throughout the state? According to a Silicon Valley article, linked to above in this paragraph, all eyes are on California to issue regulations and set the model for what other states and countries should document, restrict, and allow.
And ... Tesla cars, with those hands-free drivers, perhaps some of them napping or watching videos while behind the wheel, are not considered self-driving according to current California rules. That will be one fun lawsuit when the first accident occurs because the driver did not become instantly attentive when the car alerted him or her.
California might start first driverless community
Planners developing a Southern California community to be pedestrian friendly and have supermarkets and other services within a 10-minute walk of each residence, is considering becoming the first driverless community in the U.S. as well. The idea is that when a car is needed, it can be shared and driverless.
The name is Lilac Hills Ranch, for those wanting to delve deeper.
Florida embracing driverless
Why pay to build a road twice? Florida is resolving this possible problem before it becomes a problem. The sunshine state is planning to build roads that can be adjusted in some way for the day when connected and/or driverless vehicles begin traveling up and down its roads.
Meanwhile, on the roads of Greece, completely driverless gets a chance
Personally, I think a completely driverless vehicle is safer than a partially autonomous one. One city in Greece won the highly competitive spot to try real driverless transit on local roads - with dogs, pedestrians, bicycles, and angry human drivers - on a 1.5 mile stretch. I reported on this before the pilot program started; now the vehicles are in operation. No reports of passengers yet. There is a human monitoring the situation in a control center. He or she will be able to remotely take over the controls if need be, but the little bus is designed to travel without human control of any kind.
That article provides very good coverage of the difference between the Greek CityMobil2 project and earlier ones.
I don't have the time, but apparently these mischievous Tesla owners are posting their videos all over the place.
Apparently, I'm not the only person concerned that semi-autonomous vehicles present real dangers. State driving regulators in California are pondering this issue. They were taking their time, but will they hurry up now that the semi-autonomous Teslas are out there driving themselves on highways throughout the state? According to a Silicon Valley article, linked to above in this paragraph, all eyes are on California to issue regulations and set the model for what other states and countries should document, restrict, and allow.
And ... Tesla cars, with those hands-free drivers, perhaps some of them napping or watching videos while behind the wheel, are not considered self-driving according to current California rules. That will be one fun lawsuit when the first accident occurs because the driver did not become instantly attentive when the car alerted him or her.
California might start first driverless community
Planners developing a Southern California community to be pedestrian friendly and have supermarkets and other services within a 10-minute walk of each residence, is considering becoming the first driverless community in the U.S. as well. The idea is that when a car is needed, it can be shared and driverless.
The name is Lilac Hills Ranch, for those wanting to delve deeper.
Florida embracing driverless
Why pay to build a road twice? Florida is resolving this possible problem before it becomes a problem. The sunshine state is planning to build roads that can be adjusted in some way for the day when connected and/or driverless vehicles begin traveling up and down its roads.
Meanwhile, on the roads of Greece, completely driverless gets a chance
Personally, I think a completely driverless vehicle is safer than a partially autonomous one. One city in Greece won the highly competitive spot to try real driverless transit on local roads - with dogs, pedestrians, bicycles, and angry human drivers - on a 1.5 mile stretch. I reported on this before the pilot program started; now the vehicles are in operation. No reports of passengers yet. There is a human monitoring the situation in a control center. He or she will be able to remotely take over the controls if need be, but the little bus is designed to travel without human control of any kind.
That article provides very good coverage of the difference between the Greek CityMobil2 project and earlier ones.
Monday, October 26, 2015
It's Like Brio Trains for Driverless Cars
Universities driving forward
Stanford University engineering students have produced a driverless DeLorean that combines the practical benefits of a conventional driverless car with the advantages of a race car, the ability to precisely swerve when necessary. The thinking of this research team is that driverless vehicles will confront abnormal and dangerous conditions from time to time and they will need the algorithms and the hardware to safely maneuver.
Also out West, a professor at the University of Nevada - Reno, successfully completed a driverless trip from the US border to Mexico City. No hands, ma, for 1500 miles of Mexican highways, city streets, and desert driving. This is not the first trip for Professor Rojas, who travels in a driverless Volkswagen. The professor holds a joint appointment at a German university.
Over in Scotland, more than pretty views
A Scottish company is working on technology that will enable connected cars to operate on an electric track - sounds like a train - but different and for cars.
Stanford University engineering students have produced a driverless DeLorean that combines the practical benefits of a conventional driverless car with the advantages of a race car, the ability to precisely swerve when necessary. The thinking of this research team is that driverless vehicles will confront abnormal and dangerous conditions from time to time and they will need the algorithms and the hardware to safely maneuver.
Also out West, a professor at the University of Nevada - Reno, successfully completed a driverless trip from the US border to Mexico City. No hands, ma, for 1500 miles of Mexican highways, city streets, and desert driving. This is not the first trip for Professor Rojas, who travels in a driverless Volkswagen. The professor holds a joint appointment at a German university.
Over in Scotland, more than pretty views
A Scottish company is working on technology that will enable connected cars to operate on an electric track - sounds like a train - but different and for cars.
Steven Colbert - Ready to Go Driverless
Steven Colbert says "bring it on," basically, in this amusing video in which the late night comedian delves deep into the idea of driverless transportation. I admit that one of my children sent this to me.
The great part of this video is that Colbert shows footage of a homemade video of a person trying out the new driverless feature in Tesla cars. Colbert's commentary is really funny. I'm imagining his crappy commute from New Jersey into the city - that's New York, but with his humorous take on it. Also laughing at the idea of Colbert's enjoyment of the hands-free commute, though there's a warning to keep hands on the wheel, and his Tesla acting like an adolescent, one of the amusing analogies he makes during this video.
The great part of this video is that Colbert shows footage of a homemade video of a person trying out the new driverless feature in Tesla cars. Colbert's commentary is really funny. I'm imagining his crappy commute from New Jersey into the city - that's New York, but with his humorous take on it. Also laughing at the idea of Colbert's enjoyment of the hands-free commute, though there's a warning to keep hands on the wheel, and his Tesla acting like an adolescent, one of the amusing analogies he makes during this video.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Iowa and Canada - Contrasting Driverless Invitations
Iowa put out a general call to driverless companies in April. The state is trying to get at least one date to come calling to use what the Iowans say is a perfect testing ground for driverless vehicles - an old runway. So far, Iowa is going stag to the prom.
Perhaps Iowa's problem is that M City in Michigan is a done deal and is set up to replicate different roadway conditions. Another problem is that companies such as Google and Uber are already on public roads in California, Texas, and Pennsylvania, with other companies involved in pilots on private campuses.
Could be that Iowa needs to offer a more contemporary invitation - like the streets of Iowa City or Des Moines.
Up North, however ...
Canada's Ontario province is promising driverless something for 2016. It has a driverless planner with a two-year mandate to develop said plan. The province is operating with the belief that driverless is coming soon and it wants to be, in driving parlance, ahead of the curve.
Perhaps Iowa's problem is that M City in Michigan is a done deal and is set up to replicate different roadway conditions. Another problem is that companies such as Google and Uber are already on public roads in California, Texas, and Pennsylvania, with other companies involved in pilots on private campuses.
Could be that Iowa needs to offer a more contemporary invitation - like the streets of Iowa City or Des Moines.
Up North, however ...
Canada's Ontario province is promising driverless something for 2016. It has a driverless planner with a two-year mandate to develop said plan. The province is operating with the belief that driverless is coming soon and it wants to be, in driving parlance, ahead of the curve.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Why Gradual Autonomous Features Will Not Work - Human Nature
I agree with Alain Kornhauser - and the research that backs up his position - that the approach of Tesla and other auto manufacturers of introducing partially autonomous vehicles could well cause more crashes. Imagine drifting off to sleep in the front seat during your 50th long, boring drive somewhere. On the 51st trip, suddenly awakened, you are supposed to immediately take over the wheel in a split-second, dangerous situation.
Oh really?
Oh and you just might lose the lawsuit - unless the manufacturer settles because it does not want a stream of bad PR - because right in front of you on the dashboard is a little box with a text warning you to keep your hands on the wheel and your attention on the road at all times.
Data shows humans need a few seconds
The expectation that you take over the wheel instantly will probably not work, according to research. A study out of Stanford says that people generally need five-to-10 seconds; two will do better than one, and one is a recipe for disaster. So that little alarm to take over the wheel will probably do as well as the alarm by your bedside in terms of the time it takes to focus one's attention and to shift from watching a video, napping, daydreaming, or even blankly staring at the road to "Holy crap, what is going on and I have to do something!" And that's if you have not fallen fast asleep.
I am skeptical of this halfway technology. It can work well if it works well all the time or almost none of the time, but the idea that in a small minority of situations drivers will be instantly ready to assert themselves, no.
Oh really?
Oh and you just might lose the lawsuit - unless the manufacturer settles because it does not want a stream of bad PR - because right in front of you on the dashboard is a little box with a text warning you to keep your hands on the wheel and your attention on the road at all times.
Data shows humans need a few seconds
The expectation that you take over the wheel instantly will probably not work, according to research. A study out of Stanford says that people generally need five-to-10 seconds; two will do better than one, and one is a recipe for disaster. So that little alarm to take over the wheel will probably do as well as the alarm by your bedside in terms of the time it takes to focus one's attention and to shift from watching a video, napping, daydreaming, or even blankly staring at the road to "Holy crap, what is going on and I have to do something!" And that's if you have not fallen fast asleep.
I am skeptical of this halfway technology. It can work well if it works well all the time or almost none of the time, but the idea that in a small minority of situations drivers will be instantly ready to assert themselves, no.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Japan and the World Figuring Out Law for Driverless
Japan is busy getting ready for the 2020 Olympics and not just with athletic facilities. In addition to its vow to supply Olympic guests with driverless taxis, some of the country's legislative minds are examining the laws that govern motor vehicle travel and what needs to be changed to allow for commonplace driverless traveling. New Japanese legislative language is being considered.
The Asia Review article also declares changes that amendments to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic must be in place before driverless vehicles pop up on roads throughout the world. The Convention, according to the article, assumes that a human driver will be present to operate each vehicle.
Where's Murphy now?
The Japanese, apparently, are being thorough, looking at different aspects of what could go wrong on any particular day with a driverless vehicle - or, presumably, a connected caravan of vehicles. Hacking and accidents, yes, but also a terrorist or common criminal physically messing with the vehicle or its occupants, and, of course, terrorist hacking as well. Let's not forget the less-than-glamorous run-of-the-mill crash, which, we all assume, will be much less frequent with driverless technology, but will (I assume) sometimes happen.
Back to the Treaty
There are two treaties, the Vienna Convention and the Geneva Convention, though the latter has more signatories and the United States has only signed on to the Geneva.
The Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (thank you Wikisource) explicitly states:
One legal commentator, Bryant Walker Smith, has stated that "driver" and "control" can be interpreted to allow for remote control of one person somewhere connected to the traveling vehicle, but personally, I have a problem with such a loose, attenuated employment of language. Better, in my opinion, to have clear language specifically crafted with driverless vehicles in mind.
Plus, to support my opinion, the Geneva convention is primarily used to allow for drivers to be able to legally drive outside of their home country's borders. It was specifically set up for the convenience of human drivers.
One exception to my opinion - If a law does not mention that a driver must be present or in control, then just leave it as is and add sections as necessary.
The Asia Review article also declares changes that amendments to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic must be in place before driverless vehicles pop up on roads throughout the world. The Convention, according to the article, assumes that a human driver will be present to operate each vehicle.
Where's Murphy now?
The Japanese, apparently, are being thorough, looking at different aspects of what could go wrong on any particular day with a driverless vehicle - or, presumably, a connected caravan of vehicles. Hacking and accidents, yes, but also a terrorist or common criminal physically messing with the vehicle or its occupants, and, of course, terrorist hacking as well. Let's not forget the less-than-glamorous run-of-the-mill crash, which, we all assume, will be much less frequent with driverless technology, but will (I assume) sometimes happen.
Back to the Treaty
There are two treaties, the Vienna Convention and the Geneva Convention, though the latter has more signatories and the United States has only signed on to the Geneva.
The Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (thank you Wikisource) explicitly states:
- Every vehicle or combination of vehicles proceeding as a unit shall have a driver.
- Convoys of vehicles and animals shall have the number of drivers prescribed by domestic regulations.
- Drivers shall at all times be able to control their vehicles or guide their animals. When approaching other road users, they shall take such precautions as may be required for the safety of the latter.
One legal commentator, Bryant Walker Smith, has stated that "driver" and "control" can be interpreted to allow for remote control of one person somewhere connected to the traveling vehicle, but personally, I have a problem with such a loose, attenuated employment of language. Better, in my opinion, to have clear language specifically crafted with driverless vehicles in mind.
Plus, to support my opinion, the Geneva convention is primarily used to allow for drivers to be able to legally drive outside of their home country's borders. It was specifically set up for the convenience of human drivers.
One exception to my opinion - If a law does not mention that a driver must be present or in control, then just leave it as is and add sections as necessary.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Where Can You Ride a Driverless Bus?
Well, you could have, or maybe you did, hop on a driverless mini-bus at the recent ITS World Congress conference, where driverless shuttles transported attendees between sites. Over 11,000 attendees from around the world, a few shuttles, and no mishaps.
I was going to link to an article with information about driverless transit pilots going on now or soon to be tested - with real-people as passengers. But the article is incomplete. That's how fast the developments are. To be complete requires daily following of this topic. Vacations = huge setback.
Where can you ride a driverless bus or shuttle of some kind? Plan to travel in the new year. In 2016, there will be driverless opportunities in California, Japan, Singapore, England, a few places in Europe, and China. Not all will be on roads; some will be on a private campus of some kind. Okay, I'm not sure if the Chinese bus is accepting passengers yet.
Boring ...
In fact, an article I'm just reading from yesterday reminds me of the old news that the 2020 Olympics, to be held in Japan, will offer driverless taxi service.
Japan, get with the program: Go for the driverless bus as well. Otherwise, you'll be behind Europe's CityMobil2, an office park and a university in California, and a bus in China. And to think I listened to baseball on Japanese transistor radios. Step up to the plate.
If you want to invest
One company that produces and develops technology that supports driverless vehicles to safely operate is expanding yet again. Nvidia, a California-headquartered company that does lots of its work in India is expanding in India to Pune, the country's seventh-largest city and a place that seems well worth a visit (I have never been to India, by the way, though almost everyone I know who has traveled there has ended up with a terrible gastrointestinal bug that lasted a month.)
I was going to link to an article with information about driverless transit pilots going on now or soon to be tested - with real-people as passengers. But the article is incomplete. That's how fast the developments are. To be complete requires daily following of this topic. Vacations = huge setback.
Where can you ride a driverless bus or shuttle of some kind? Plan to travel in the new year. In 2016, there will be driverless opportunities in California, Japan, Singapore, England, a few places in Europe, and China. Not all will be on roads; some will be on a private campus of some kind. Okay, I'm not sure if the Chinese bus is accepting passengers yet.
Boring ...
In fact, an article I'm just reading from yesterday reminds me of the old news that the 2020 Olympics, to be held in Japan, will offer driverless taxi service.
Japan, get with the program: Go for the driverless bus as well. Otherwise, you'll be behind Europe's CityMobil2, an office park and a university in California, and a bus in China. And to think I listened to baseball on Japanese transistor radios. Step up to the plate.
If you want to invest
One company that produces and develops technology that supports driverless vehicles to safely operate is expanding yet again. Nvidia, a California-headquartered company that does lots of its work in India is expanding in India to Pune, the country's seventh-largest city and a place that seems well worth a visit (I have never been to India, by the way, though almost everyone I know who has traveled there has ended up with a terrible gastrointestinal bug that lasted a month.)
Monday, October 12, 2015
Is Volvo correct?
Not exactly breaking news that Volvo came out recently with a call for the US to regulate and test driverless vehicles. A slew of articles on this.
Volvo is Swedish, with a Scandanavian, rational outlook that differs a bit - maybe more than a bit - from how Americans perceive the role and timing of regulating new industries and technologies. Oh, and right now the US is pretty split in what the role of government is vis a vis the private sector.
Think patchwork or junk pile
Our funny federal/state/local system is also in full force when it comes to roadway and vehicular regulation and funding. Traditionally, US regulation of roadways is a hodgepodge of federal, state, county, and city rules, depending on the topic, the level of federal regulation, and the jurisdiction that controls the road. To make matters more complicated, some aspects of road use, sometimes including speed, safety belts, and federal motor carrier rules, are not so much regulated as involving legal bribery - as in you get the funds if you do things the feds' way, such as regulate a particular way with a certain speed limit, or require seat belts.
This is not a rational system, but rather a patchwork quilt, to put it nicely, or rather a junk pile, to put it not so nicely, of historical regulation of each aspect of roadway funding and regulation, including vehicles of various types. No one would start over, in my opinion, and design the system that we have.
Just one example would be the different designations of roads that can be city, county, or federal routes. In my own state, it is near impossible for locals to even get a traffic signal on a state road, which basically means any main thoroughfare, some of which are two-lane roads. One must go through the state, which can be a Kafkaesque years-long exercise.
Back to the main topic - driverless regulation
So what to think of the Volvo perspective? Sometimes, what the US does best is sit back, watch the private sector - in this case a combination of tech companies, car manufacturers, app developers, the insurance industry, and others - create and permit the states to be, in the famous phrase of Justice Brandeis, laboratories of innovation. Out of the hodgepodge can come a competition of ideas.
Yes, and what about smooth travel, consistent rules, and international and interstate commerce? I guarantee that something as ubiquitous as driverless vehicles will be will soon result in either federal legislation or interstate compacts or our current, functional, hodgepodge that manages to work.
The aspects of the regulatory and land use scheme for driverless to watch out for, from my perspective, will be whether we encourage shared-use and transit over single occupancy vehicles, whether we continue to discriminate against pedestrians, especially, and people with disabilities, in particular, and whether the aging baby boomers will advocate to insist on driverless just in time for their decrease in and cessation of driving.
Volvo is Swedish, with a Scandanavian, rational outlook that differs a bit - maybe more than a bit - from how Americans perceive the role and timing of regulating new industries and technologies. Oh, and right now the US is pretty split in what the role of government is vis a vis the private sector.
Think patchwork or junk pile
Our funny federal/state/local system is also in full force when it comes to roadway and vehicular regulation and funding. Traditionally, US regulation of roadways is a hodgepodge of federal, state, county, and city rules, depending on the topic, the level of federal regulation, and the jurisdiction that controls the road. To make matters more complicated, some aspects of road use, sometimes including speed, safety belts, and federal motor carrier rules, are not so much regulated as involving legal bribery - as in you get the funds if you do things the feds' way, such as regulate a particular way with a certain speed limit, or require seat belts.
This is not a rational system, but rather a patchwork quilt, to put it nicely, or rather a junk pile, to put it not so nicely, of historical regulation of each aspect of roadway funding and regulation, including vehicles of various types. No one would start over, in my opinion, and design the system that we have.
Just one example would be the different designations of roads that can be city, county, or federal routes. In my own state, it is near impossible for locals to even get a traffic signal on a state road, which basically means any main thoroughfare, some of which are two-lane roads. One must go through the state, which can be a Kafkaesque years-long exercise.
Back to the main topic - driverless regulation
So what to think of the Volvo perspective? Sometimes, what the US does best is sit back, watch the private sector - in this case a combination of tech companies, car manufacturers, app developers, the insurance industry, and others - create and permit the states to be, in the famous phrase of Justice Brandeis, laboratories of innovation. Out of the hodgepodge can come a competition of ideas.
Yes, and what about smooth travel, consistent rules, and international and interstate commerce? I guarantee that something as ubiquitous as driverless vehicles will be will soon result in either federal legislation or interstate compacts or our current, functional, hodgepodge that manages to work.
The aspects of the regulatory and land use scheme for driverless to watch out for, from my perspective, will be whether we encourage shared-use and transit over single occupancy vehicles, whether we continue to discriminate against pedestrians, especially, and people with disabilities, in particular, and whether the aging baby boomers will advocate to insist on driverless just in time for their decrease in and cessation of driving.
Europe, Singapore Go for Driverless Transit; England Behind?
Fare-free, driverless transit in Greece as CityMobil2 provides actual bus service for actual riders on the streets of Trikala. No idea where that is, but it has 80,000 people. A nice small city for a test project. (Though the article calls Trikala rural, it would not be deemed rural by American standards. American transportation regulations define rural as 50,000 or less.)
The CityMobil2 buses are on the roads right now and will continue to provide rides through February 2016.
Singapore designs driverless transit for everyone - including people with disabilities
In an ongoing series of shared-use driverless projects - fitting about 10 people per vehicle, Singapore is designing universally so that one category of transportation-challenged people will be afforded true equality. The little transit buses are designed for wheelchair-user riders and not just "normal" riders.
If you look at the vehicles, notice that unlike conventional transit buses, which seem as though wheelchair accessibility is an add on, these seem as if they were designed for more than one type of passenger.
England choosing conventional car manufacturers
I'm thinking this is a mix of forward-thinking car manufacturers and the UK government getting a bit desperate that other countries are passing by the Union Jack in the race to bring autonomous transport to the world's roads. Jaguar and Land Rover are teaming up with British universities and the UK government - a la Michigan's M city, perhaps.
But wait, this multi-faceted endeavor, which also involves 10 UK universities, will be studying drivers as well, meaning increasingly autonomous cars rather than driverless ones as fast as possible. UK might be more behind than it thinks.
The CityMobil2 buses are on the roads right now and will continue to provide rides through February 2016.
Singapore designs driverless transit for everyone - including people with disabilities
In an ongoing series of shared-use driverless projects - fitting about 10 people per vehicle, Singapore is designing universally so that one category of transportation-challenged people will be afforded true equality. The little transit buses are designed for wheelchair-user riders and not just "normal" riders.
If you look at the vehicles, notice that unlike conventional transit buses, which seem as though wheelchair accessibility is an add on, these seem as if they were designed for more than one type of passenger.
England choosing conventional car manufacturers
I'm thinking this is a mix of forward-thinking car manufacturers and the UK government getting a bit desperate that other countries are passing by the Union Jack in the race to bring autonomous transport to the world's roads. Jaguar and Land Rover are teaming up with British universities and the UK government - a la Michigan's M city, perhaps.
But wait, this multi-faceted endeavor, which also involves 10 UK universities, will be studying drivers as well, meaning increasingly autonomous cars rather than driverless ones as fast as possible. UK might be more behind than it thinks.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Riders Won't Be Liable
Car manufacturers and Google are on board with a declaration that they will be fully liable for driverless vehicle accidents. So far, just Mercedes and Volvo have made such announcements, but I expect others will follow.
Now I do not know whether these declarations cover intentional malfeasance by a rider or a hacker, but perhaps even the terrorist/angry spouse/random criminal scenarios of changing destinations or putting riders in harm's way will be covered. After all, part of what the driverless manufacturers will be selling is secure information exchange and vehicle operations, whether that means a fender bender, a serious collision, or a rider delivered to the wrong destination - as in "leave the gun, take the cannoli."
Now I do not know whether these declarations cover intentional malfeasance by a rider or a hacker, but perhaps even the terrorist/angry spouse/random criminal scenarios of changing destinations or putting riders in harm's way will be covered. After all, part of what the driverless manufacturers will be selling is secure information exchange and vehicle operations, whether that means a fender bender, a serious collision, or a rider delivered to the wrong destination - as in "leave the gun, take the cannoli."
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Calif. Office Park Gets No-Hands Shuttle
Bishop Ranch is an affluent and progressive office park in Contra Costa county, California. BR already promotes use of non-SOV (single occupancy vehicle) modes of transit, carpooling, biking, etc. It goes further by providing information, incentives, and connections for utilizing non-SOV modes.
Now BR will be the first office park in the nation with driverless shuttles that will ferry people to transit and shared-use connections - a driverless feeder service that will travel at low speeds. Service will begin next summer in 2016. EasyMile driverless vehicles, shown above, will be the provider. EasyMile, a French company, has already been involved with pilot projects in Europe, including the CityMobil2 program in Switzerland.
California clearly in the lead
This is the second private driverless shuttle service that is scheduled to begin in California. The other was announced recently for the campus of Santa Clara University.
Now BR will be the first office park in the nation with driverless shuttles that will ferry people to transit and shared-use connections - a driverless feeder service that will travel at low speeds. Service will begin next summer in 2016. EasyMile driverless vehicles, shown above, will be the provider. EasyMile, a French company, has already been involved with pilot projects in Europe, including the CityMobil2 program in Switzerland.
California clearly in the lead
This is the second private driverless shuttle service that is scheduled to begin in California. The other was announced recently for the campus of Santa Clara University.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Reading Rainbow Meets Driverless
LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow, the books-friendly PBS show, appears in a video that offers a bizarre, almost 1970s, view of driverless vehicles, with the assumption that we are going to keep our current auto-centric model of car ownership, land use, and payment models - merely replacing current cars and trucks with driverless ones. Oh, and with barely a mention of transit and other shared-use modes; and an assumption that zero-emission modes are not worth discussing at all.
Still, the value of such a video is to show the general public, who are pretty much unaware that driverless vehicles are much closer than they think, that the technology exists and it works. Also the narration explains, in a simplistic way, what the technology actually does. That helps all of us who do not have a Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance attitude toward the machines we use.
Still, the value of such a video is to show the general public, who are pretty much unaware that driverless vehicles are much closer than they think, that the technology exists and it works. Also the narration explains, in a simplistic way, what the technology actually does. That helps all of us who do not have a Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance attitude toward the machines we use.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Monday - Already More Car Company Driverless Plans
General Motors (GM) is investing in the Bolt EV, which sports the cheapest battery cost yet per mile or kilometer. However, GM appears to be shifting gears somewhat from its step-by-slow-step to driverless with its testing of autonomous Chevy Volts at the campus of the Warren Technical Center in Michigan. GM employees will soon be able to book rides.
Book a ride now for 2020 Olympics
Japan is planning to surge ahead, at least according to a bold statement by Robot Taxi, that driverless cars will be scooting around in time for the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo. Japan is also intent on using driverless to provide transportation to older people and people with disabilities.
Here's a heartwarming video via Mashable.
Meanwhile, in Germany ...
Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz, is testing the driverless Mercedes truck on public roads. Not too long before FedEx, UPS, and even the US Postal Service will be disappointing dogs everywhere when there are no drivers and the drones come to the front door with packages.
Book a ride now for 2020 Olympics
Japan is planning to surge ahead, at least according to a bold statement by Robot Taxi, that driverless cars will be scooting around in time for the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo. Japan is also intent on using driverless to provide transportation to older people and people with disabilities.
Here's a heartwarming video via Mashable.
Meanwhile, in Germany ...
Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz, is testing the driverless Mercedes truck on public roads. Not too long before FedEx, UPS, and even the US Postal Service will be disappointing dogs everywhere when there are no drivers and the drones come to the front door with packages.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
More Driverless Vehicles to Carry People on Real Roads
Japan - Up to a maximum radius of three kilometers (roughly 1.85 miles), 50 Japanese residents will be traveling to local supermarkets in style - driverless rides on real streets. Do not believe the car will unpack the groceries or make dinners. The pilot driverless service will be operated by Robot Taxi and it will launch in early 2016. There will be a steering wheel and a driver on board.
Belgium - Following the lead of London's Heathrow Airport, but going even further, Brussel's public transit agency will be launching a driverless shuttle bus service between parking lots and the airport that will use regular roads (not segregated lanes). Since this is a huge airport, perhaps some of the shuttles should be used inside the terminals as well. Just a suggestion. The Heathrow driverless pods, by the way, operate on segregated guideways.
The driverless shuttle service, however, will not begin until 2018.
Belgium - Following the lead of London's Heathrow Airport, but going even further, Brussel's public transit agency will be launching a driverless shuttle bus service between parking lots and the airport that will use regular roads (not segregated lanes). Since this is a huge airport, perhaps some of the shuttles should be used inside the terminals as well. Just a suggestion. The Heathrow driverless pods, by the way, operate on segregated guideways.
The driverless shuttle service, however, will not begin until 2018.
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