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Tag: Self-Driving Car

  • Apple Seen Testing Its Self-Driving Car Platform

    Apple Seen Testing Its Self-Driving Car Platform

    While Apple remains secretive about its self-driving car project, the tech giant can’t hope to test its driverless platform on public roads without somebody eventually noticing it. That seems to be the case when someone posted over Twitter a video on what many believe to be Apple’s test vehicle for the project.

    The video was captured by MacCallister Higgins who should know a thing or two about autonomous vehicles being one of the co-founders of the self-driving startup Voyage, The Verge reported. The clip shows a Lexus SUV with something mounted on its roof that looks like a cargo carrier. However, a closer inspection would reveal it to be a rather bulky assembly of various sensors. While they are no doubt necessary for the car to steer itself, Higgins has named the test car “The Thing” in reference to the bulky package.

    Of course, Apple has not offered any comment on the sighting, keeping up its secretive stance on the self-driving car project. However, observers noted that the vehicle seen in the video is consistent with Apple’s vehicle of choice in the previous testing. According to BGR, Apple has allegedly been using Lexus SUVs for the secretive project. In addition, the company has admitted that it secured a permit from the California DMV for testing the technology on actual road conditions.

    The self-driving cars segment is considered a new frontier in the automotive industry. Understandably, various automakers, equipment suppliers and big technology firms such as Apple and Google are currently in a technological race to be the top dog in this new arena. Once fully developed, the technology could eliminate human error, one of the leading causes of car crashes which claim over a million lives each year.

    However, you are not likely to see a self-driving car sporting an Apple logo anytime soon. Apparently, the company has scratched ambitions of building its own car from scratch opting instead to focus on autonomous systems that it can sell to automakers.

    [Featured Image via YouTube]

  • Lyft Partners With Google’s Waymo to Challenge Uber

    Lyft Partners With Google’s Waymo to Challenge Uber

    Tesla is still the recognized leader in the autonomous vehicle concept on the strength of its Model S and Model X. But the new partnership between Google’s Waymo and Lyft aims to give Elon Musk a run for his money.

    The two Silicon Valley companies have agreed to unify their resources and expertise to commercialize self-driving cars.

    A spokesperson for Lyft said, “Waymo holds today’s best self-driving technology, and collaborating with them will accelerate our shared vision of improving lives with the world’s best transportation.”

    The partnership was also confirmed by a spokesperson for Waymo who remarked, “Lyft’s vision and commitment to improving the way cities move will help Waymo’s self-driving technology reach more people, in more places.”

    Waymo may possess the “best technology” since its self-driving cars are already averaging 5,000 miles without any human help, according to a report from the California DMV. In contrast, GM’s Cruise Automation is only averaging in the “hundreds of miles.”

    However, Waymo does not have the knowledge on transportation networking to really make the jump between the deployment of its automated cars and mass commercialization. This is where Lyft will come in.

    For those who are not familiar with Lyft, it’s similar to Uber but targets ordinary drivers looking to make some extra buck as partners. Customers also pay through the company’s app, but while the tip is already integrated into the final cost for Uber, Lyft asks users to add the tip through its app.

    By the end of the year, Lyft will be available in 300 key US cities.

    But this partnership will be beneficial not just for Google’s Waymo, but Lyft as well. It’s not an accident that people have not heard about Lyft because it comes a distant second to Uber. For instance, the company only has a $5 billion market valuation compared to Uber’s $68 billion.

    The problem with ride-sharing networks is their heavy dependence on their partner drivers in order to scale up their business. In fact, drivers—along with the vehicles and fuel—make up 85% of the cost. Uber has the money to invest on a grand scale to cut the difference, a luxury that Lyft does not possess.

    One solution is to cut the human drivers and go fully automated, the report said. Instead of sharing the revenues with their human partners, they can quickly recoup their investments by operating an automated fleet.

  • Audi A7 Drives To Vegas All By Itself

    Audi A7 Drives To Vegas All By Itself

    The new Audi A7, a self-piloted car intended to face everyday traffic situations and make smart decisions within them, has successfully completed a 550-mile drive from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas.

    The prototype–known as “Jack”–uses sensors, internal radar, several cameras, real-time GPS, and a laser scanner mounted to the grill to make intelligent decisions while driving itself. The goal, say Audi engineers, is to make the road a safer place.

    “Our goal is to make driving safer. We need to show the technology is safe and is a benefit and show we can be ready under certain situations,” said Daniel Lipinski of Audi.

    The car finished the trip at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas earlier this month after driving a little more than 550 miles, the longest trip Audi has made with a self-piloted car. They did attempt a similar feat last year, but had to allow a human driver to finish after the car’s computer malfunctioned.

    The A7 will self-pilot up to about 70 mph and can sense changes in traffic as well as when the way is clear to change lanes and turn. Whether or not we’ll see the technology on local roads will be up to state lawmakers, however, and some are wary of it already, worrying that allowing a car to pilot itself will lead to even more distracted drivers. But John Krafcik, president of TrueCar, says it’s a no-brainer.

    “I think car buyers are going to want this type of technology. Why not? If it can make driving on the highway safer and pay attention if you’re not, a lot of people will find that appealing,” he said.

  • Nissan Expecting To Market Self-Driving Cars By 2020

    Nissan Expecting To Market Self-Driving Cars By 2020

    With every piece of technology being automated in this day in age, which piece of technology has yet to be fully automated? The car. If you think it has not been thought of yet, think again, because Nissan, the sixth-largest automotive company (source: OICA) is currently experimenting with the technology to make the consumer car fully automated. Imagine a car where all that you have to do is to plug an address into the car’s built-in GPS, and the car will automatically transport you to its destination without having any hands touching the steering wheel. This is the vision that Nissan has in mind.

    According to the Denver Post, Andy Palmer, the Executive Vice President of Nissan Motor Company, exclaimed the following statement to automotive journalists at a recent event at El Toro Air Force Base in Southern California.

    “Nissan Motor Co. pledges that we will be ready to bring multiple affordable, energy efficient, fully autonomous-driving vehicles to the market by 2020.”

    Many of you may think that giving up control of driving your automobile may be a crazy idea, but the Nissan Motor Company thinks that this may help reduce the amount of accidents caused by human error. The amount of control the driver has of the car can be modified, just in case this technology becomes erroneous.

    This past Tuesday, Nissan demonstrated a fully automatic version of their Leaf hybrid vehicle. During this demonstration, a dummy passenger unexpectedly approaches the front of the vehicle, and with thanks to laser technology, the vehicle automatically dodges the pedestrian without any control from the steering wheel by the driver. To see this test in action, be sure to view the video below.

    (image)

    Even though this is new technology for Nissan to be experimenting with, Google is also experimenting with their own version of a self-driving car; however, with Nissan’s model, it will not have a self-rotating sensor visible on the top of the car. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

    At the presentation made at El Toro, Palmer stated that “Beginning in 2020, Nissan plans to roll out autonomous driving technology and make it available across its model lineup within two product generations, or roughly between eight and 10 years thereafter.”

    What do you think about this new technology to soon hit the automotive industry? Will this help make getting from point A to point B more effective, or is this a bad idea altogether? Let us know below in this post’s comments section.

  • CES 2013: Audi Skips The Chauffeur With A Car That Parks Itself

    One of the coolest developments in automobile technology came from Google last year with its self-driving car. As a person who is fearful of everybody else on the road, the idea of cars that drive themselves was a godsend. Now the technology is picking up steam, and more auto-manufacturers are doing some cool new things with the technology.

    At CES 2013, Audi showed off a new car that’s able to drive itself, and more importantly, park itself in the closest thing to hell on earth – a parking garage. The concept behind this particular test shows that a person can drive up to work, and leave their car out front as it drives itself into the parking garage. It saves time and the frustration of trying to find a parking place. You can now just let the car do all the work for you.

    Of course, it doesn’t become really cool until the driver summons her car from the garage using only her smartphone. That’s the kind of amazing futurist stuff that I never thought possible. I mean, sure, self-driving cars are cool, but summoning your car to pick you up is just too awesome for words.

    It should be noted that this is only a concept for now. It’s not like these are going to show up on the streets anytime soon. Still, self-driving cars are the future – a future that Google thinks isn’t very far away.

  • Google Driverless Car Bill Cruises Through the California Senate

    Google Driverless Car Bill Cruises Through the California Senate

    It seems that Google is continuing to impress lawmakers with its autonomous vehicle technology. The California Senate has unanimously passed (37-0) a bill regulating autonomous vehicles on the state’s roads. The bill will now head to the California State Assembly, where it is expected to pass quickly. This news comes the same month that Nevada has issued its first-ever autonomous vehicle license for one of Google’s self-driving cars.

    The bill, Senate Bill 1298, allows manufacturers of autonomous vehicles to operate them on California roads as long as the vehicles meet all of the safety standard and performance requirements set out by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Those requirements and standards are not yet set, as the legislation also directs the CHP to develop the regulations. Presumably, the requirements will be similar to the ones Nevada has adopted: a documented safety plan, a plan for training operators, a complete description of the autonomous vehicle technology, a large cash deposit, and, of course, plenty of up-front fees.

    The bill, written by California State Senator Alex Padilla, seems almost apologetic. It recognizes that self-driving car technology is quickly being developed, and that the cars are potentially much safer than human drivers. From the bill:

    The State of California, which presently does not prohibit or specifically regulate the operation of autonomous vehicles, desires to encourage the current and future development, testing, and operation of autonomous vehicles on the public roads of the state. The state seeks to avoid interrupting these activities while at the same time creating appropriate rules intended to ensure that the testing and operation of autonomous vehicles in the state are conducted in a safe manner.

    An article by Wired shows Padilla as being very impressed with Google’s autonomous car technology, much the same way Nevada Govenor Brian Sandoval was last year. It’s a bit frustrating to see that every person to experience Google’s self-driving cars is impressed with how much safer they are than human drivers, yet the technology still has to drive through miles of red tape because it is cutting-edge technology. Still, driverless cars should be a commercial reality before the end of the decade, and they are sure to be worth the wait.

    (via Wired)

  • Nevada Issues Google an Autonomous Vehicle License

    Nevada Issues Google an Autonomous Vehicle License

    The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has issued an autonomous vehicle license to Google. The license is the first of its kind, and will allow Google to test its self-driving cars on Nevada roadways.

    It was announced in February that, after legalizing autonomous vehicles last year, Nevada was developing regulations for self-driving vehicles. As seen in the photo above, Google’s new license plate carries an infinity symbol and is red, meaning the car is still considered to be in testing.

    “I felt using the infinity symbol was the best way to represent the ‘car of the future.’” Nevada DMV Department Director Bruce Breslow said. “The unique red plate will be easily recognized by the public and law enforcement and will be used only for licensed autonomous test vehicles. When there comes a time that vehicle manufactures market autonomous vehicles to the public, that infinity symbol will appear on a green license plate.”

    Though Google was the first company to file for the new license, The Nevada DMV stated that some auto manufacturers have indicated an intrest in filing for the license as well. Those companies should start preparing now: the application for an autonomous vehicle testing license has stringent requirements. In addition to normal vehicle licensing requirements and a few fees, the Nevada DMV requires requires companies to put up a $1,000,000 cash deposit for every 5 vehicles being tested and submit a complete description of their autonomous technology, documentation detailing a safety plan for testing on public roadways, and a plan for hiring and training operators for the test vehicles.

    Matt Cutts, head of Google’s webspam team, announced the development in a tweet:

    @mattcutts
    Matt Cutts    Nevada issues the first license plate for an autonomous vehicle: http://t.co/ldu67wlT It has an infinity symbol on it! 12 hours ago via Tweet Button ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Cutts’ tweet was met overwhelmingly positive, geeky humor:

    @groovyPost
    groovyPost.com    @mattcutts #skynet begins? 11 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @chiropractic
    Michael Dorausch    @mattcutts I’d like to put that “self driving car” sticker on mine, just to see the look on people faces. 12 hours ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @carlmalamud
    Carl Malamud    @mattcutts get a roving casino license and you could add a slot machine for the !driver to use. 12 hours ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    I know that Carl Malamud was joking in the above tweet, but seeing self-driving Las Vegas taxis with slot machines inside of them is probably something we will see in the not-to-distant future. What do you think? Are you ready to not drive your autonomous vehicle? Leave a comment below and let us know.

    (via ars technica)
    (photo courtesy The Nevada DMV)

  • Google’s Project Glass Featured on Charlie Rose

    Google’s Project Glass Featured on Charlie Rose

    Sebastian Thrun, founder of Google X, sat with Charlie Rose this week to talk about the Google Glass Project. Thrun also taked about other projects he is involved in including artificial intelligence research, Google’s self-driving cars, and Udacity, his free online university. Google X is Google’s “secret lab” which takes what Thrun calls “moon-shot” ideas and turn them into products.

    Thrun had previously posted the above picture to his Google+ account. The photo was taken during the first part of the interview using a button on the device, and then uploaded to Google+ with a slight nod. The quality of the photo doesn’t seem great, but a final version of Glass would most likely feature a much better camera. This prototype probably has the cheapest camera they could find, just to provide proof-of-concept.

    The internet continues to make fun of the idea of Google Glass, but there is also plenty of excitement over what wearable computing may mean for the future. Speaking for myself, I want to live in a world akin to Ghost in the Shell before I die, and Glass seems to be a step in that direction, so I’m excited for it.

    Unfortunately, the video of Thrun’s interview is not embeddable, so you will have to go to the Charlie Rose website to view it. Still, make sure to come back and leave a comment letting me know what you think about the Glass Project, Thrun, and the interview.

    (via The Verge)

  • Google in Talks With Detroit Automakers Over Self-Driving Car Technology

    The Detroit News, a newspaper in Detroit, is reporting that Google is currently in talks with automakers to bring self-driving car technology to market. Anthony Levandowski, the head of Google’s driverless car project, made a speech at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress this week in Detroit. In that speech, Levandowski seemed confident that self-driving technology will be used within a decade, going as far as to say Google might make an time-table announcement for the technology by next year.

    Google began testing its driverless cars in 2010. The company asserts that, since a majority of road accidents are due to human error, the sensors and safety mechanisms on self-driving cars will make roads safer. In a bold demonstration, Google recently had a mostly-blind man operate a driverless car:

    Now it seems Google is confident enough in the technology that all they need is a partner with which to begin manufacturing. Detroit News reporter David Shepardson quotes Levandowski:

    “All options are open. From giving the technology away to licensing it to working with Tier 1s, Tier 2s, working with the OEMs, building a car with them, everything is open and we’re trying to figure out which paths make the most sense,” Levandowski said. “We’re talking to basically every car company to see what their level of excitement is and how do we work with them.”

    If I’m interpreting this correctly, going and purchasing a self-driving upgrade for your car might just be on the horizon. It could be as easy as buying a new car stereo. Of course, Google isn’t the only one entering this market, as other companies rush to be at the forefront of what is sure to be the future of personal transportation. Also, states will now undoubtedly begin debating safety legislation, when what consumers will really need is protection from car DRM that leaves them stranded.

    What do you think? Does the thought of riding shotgun to your car frighten or excite you? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

    (via The Detroit News)

  • On The Road With Google’s Self-Driving Car

    On The Road With Google’s Self-Driving Car

    Google Self-Driving Car
    Videos of Google’s self-driving vehicle have hit the tubes, and it’s pretty clear, the future is upon us. Does this mean flying cars and city-wide transport tubes are next? Though we’re still a few years away from breakthroughs of that magnitude, we’re getting awfully close to “Johnny Cab” levels of transportation.

    In case you aren’t familiar, Google debuted these automated vehicles in 2010 and it uses, among other things, cameras to navigate the busy streets. The idea behind Google’s foray into the automated automobiles stems from safety concerns. Simply put, Google wants to do its part to reduce the amount of lives lost due to vehicular mishaps.

    Further details about the project are available at Google’s blog.

    Over at Search Engine Land, Danny Sullivan was invited to observe a demonstration of Google’s auto car, and was also allowed to take video of the adventures, including footage from inside the robot vehicle. These videos appear below:

    The demo was given at the TED 2011 conference, and it was overseen by the lead developer of the automated vehicle project, Sebastian Thrun. According to Sullivan, a safety driver was along for the demonstration, but the once the trip around the obstacle course begins, the car is driving itself.

    I, for one, welcome our new robot vehicular overlords — especially if they play any part in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.