Competition is getting fierce to demonstrate driverless vehicles manufacturers are welcome. Strategies differ by pilot program, big plans, and the absence of legal restrictions.
Transit in the Desert
Recent news shows Dubai continuing to make a strong commitment to driverless transportation, specifically transit shuttles. Lots of testing via pilots and consideration of expansion to "metro stations, malls and tourist attractions." Consideration is serious here on the first-mile/last mile piece as well. Dubai is also crafting regulations for the not-too-distant ordinary operation of autonomous transit.
Where the Underground is Polite - Mind the Gap
A pilot project to take place in South London in 2019 will show off the UK government's investment in a consortium pushing ahead with autonomous vehicle technology. The 2019 pilot will be Uber-esque ride hailing designed to replace automobile commuter trips. "FiveAI, a Cambridge-based artificial intelligence firm, is developing the trial with Direct Line, the University of Oxford, Transport for London and the Transport Research Laboratory."
American translation: Competition is serious with autonomous-related AI technology. Think the huge GM investment in Cruise Automation. Plus, smartly, the UK is making sure transit - see Transport for London - is a partner.
I love "mind the gap." We need that British voice on American subways and the level of service of London subways too, please.
Across the Potomac
Meanwhile, American states are practically in a mob fistfight to advance in the driverless race, except for California, which is confident that Silicon Valley firms and brains are not moving out anytime soon. This time it is the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia who is laying out the red carpet. Terry McAuliffe, the governor and good friend of the Clinton family, declares that his state's motor vehicle laws and regulations currently allow for driverless vehicles to be tested and operated on Virginia's roads. No law is good law goes Virginia's thinking on attracting autonomous vehicle manufacturers and tech companies.
Showing posts with label FiveAI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FiveAI. Show all posts
Monday, April 24, 2017
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Transit, AI Routes to Driverless & International Stories
Time to book travel to Tokyo - oh wait, I mean the Tokyo suburbs, where there's a cute driverless transit shuttle currently in operation. DeNA is operating the service, working with EasyMile on this project.
Comma points - not a grammar thing
Comma.ai, the George Hotz company, is giving out comma points in exchange for collecting data from consenting drivers. Comma.ai put out an app called Chffr, which grants comma points to drivers who agree to allow Comma.ai to "record users' views as they drive." For now, Hotz is keeping information about what those points will be currency for close to his vest, but the speculation is that they will be redeemable at some point to get a good place in line or a discount for the upcoming Comma.ai self-driving kit due out later in 2016.
Hotz isn't the only one with an AI approach. There's Cruise Automation, for which GM paid approximately $1 billion - with a "b" - and now a new entrant, a small British start-up named Five AI, which just received $2.7 million in venture capital, not that much really. The company plans to be much less map-based than Google and other driverless producers. It is confident that British universities can supply the talent for its growth.
China investing big and spreading the wealth
China is working on driverless transit, but it seems more interested in the luxury automobile market of the future. "Future Mobility Corp, the Chinese electric car startup backed by internet giant Tencent Holdings, plans to have its first driverless vehicles on the road by 2020." Production will be in China and it will be geared towards a Chinese audience (at least at first). Future Mobility, like Chinese company Faraday Future, has offices in Silicon Valley. Future Mobility has also played the game of poaching talent from its competitors, in this case German-based BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as well as Tesla and Google. More on this particular poaching in a second article.
Comma points - not a grammar thing
Comma.ai, the George Hotz company, is giving out comma points in exchange for collecting data from consenting drivers. Comma.ai put out an app called Chffr, which grants comma points to drivers who agree to allow Comma.ai to "record users' views as they drive." For now, Hotz is keeping information about what those points will be currency for close to his vest, but the speculation is that they will be redeemable at some point to get a good place in line or a discount for the upcoming Comma.ai self-driving kit due out later in 2016.
Hotz isn't the only one with an AI approach. There's Cruise Automation, for which GM paid approximately $1 billion - with a "b" - and now a new entrant, a small British start-up named Five AI, which just received $2.7 million in venture capital, not that much really. The company plans to be much less map-based than Google and other driverless producers. It is confident that British universities can supply the talent for its growth.
China investing big and spreading the wealth
China is working on driverless transit, but it seems more interested in the luxury automobile market of the future. "Future Mobility Corp, the Chinese electric car startup backed by internet giant Tencent Holdings, plans to have its first driverless vehicles on the road by 2020." Production will be in China and it will be geared towards a Chinese audience (at least at first). Future Mobility, like Chinese company Faraday Future, has offices in Silicon Valley. Future Mobility has also played the game of poaching talent from its competitors, in this case German-based BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as well as Tesla and Google. More on this particular poaching in a second article.
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