Self-Driving Cars Gain Powerful Ally: The Government

WASHINGTON - Federal auto safety regulators on Monday made it official: They are betting the nation's highways will be safer with more cars driven by machines and not people.

In long-awaited guidelines for the booming industry of automated vehicles, the Obama administration promised strong safety oversight, but sent a clear signal to automakers that the door was wide open for driverless cars.

"We envision in the future, you can take your hands off the wheel, and your commute becomes restful or productive instead of frustrating and exhausting," said Jeffrey Zients, director of the National Economic Council, adding that highly automated vehicles "will save time, money and lives."

The statements were the most aggressive signal yet by federal regulators that they see automated car technology as a win for auto safety. Yet having officially endorsed the fast-evolving technology, regulators must now balance the commercial interests of companies including Tesla, Google and Uber with concerns over public safety, especially in light of recent crashes involving semiautonomous cars.

The policies unveiled on Monday were designed to walk that line. In a joint appearance, Mr. Zients and Anthony Foxx, secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, released the first guidelines, which outlined safety expectations and encouraged uniform rules for the nascent technology. The instructions signaled to motorists that automated vehicles would not be a Wild West where companies can try anything without oversight, but were also vague enough that automakers and technology companies would not fear overregulation.

The new guidelines on Monday, which stopped short of official regulations, targeted four main areas. The Department of Transportation announced a 15-point safety standard for the design and development of autonomous vehicles; called for states to come up with uniform policies applying to driverless cars; clarified how current regulations can be applied to driverless cars; and opened the door for new regulations on the technology.

Regulators Step In as Companies Bet Big on Self-Driving Technology

Both Silicon Valley and Detroit are doubling down on their bets for autonomous vehicles.

• Tech companies and automakers are investing heavily in self-driving technology, including Ford, Google, Volvo, Tesla and BMW, among others.
• There is a range of technologies already in use for fully and semi-autonomous driving, including some that use lasers.
• A Barclays analyst predicted recently that once autonomous vehicles become widely used, auto sales could fall as much as 40 percent.

• Proponents say autonomous driving would reduce the number of people killed in traffic accidents. Last year, with nearly 40,000 auto-related deaths in the United States, was the deadliest since 2008.
• There have been safety concerns around the budding technology. A man was killed in May when his Tesla, in Autopilot mode, crashed into a tractor-trailer on a Florida highway.

The 15-point safety assessment covers a range of issues, including how driverless cars should react if their technology fails, what measures to put in place to preserve passenger privacy, and how occupants will be protected in crashes. The points also include how automakers should approach the digital security of driverless vehicles, and how a car can communicate with passengers and other road users.

The agency also urged driverless-car manufacturers to show how their technology is validated and how they would share data collected by the vehicles. The Department of Transportation also said it would assert its authority to recall semiautonomous and fully autonomous vehicles that it found to be unsafe.

But the guidelines weren't nearly as specific as the safety requirements imposed on standard human-driven vehicles today.

"We left some areas intentionally vague because we wanted to outline the areas that need to be addressed and leave the rest to innovators," said Bryan Thomas, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Driverless and semiautonomous cars have already hit the open roads, forcing regulators to keep up. Tesla, the electric car maker, has sold tens of thousands of cars with a self-driving feature known as Autopilot. The company has been grappling with the fallout from the death in May of a Florida driver who had the car's Autopilot on, as well as a report last week of another crash in China where the technology was apparently turned on.

Tesla plans as soon as this week to download new software to its cars. The company's chief executive, Elon Musk, has said the new software would include improvements to Autopilot that could have avoided the fatal accident in May.

Uber, the ride-hailing giant, began trials in Pittsburg last week to let its most loyal customers order rides from driverless cars through their smartphone app. Google has been testing self-driving cars in its hometown, Mountain View, Calif., and rivals including Apple are also exploring similar technology.

The federal government's embrace of driverless technology has accelerated since 2013. That year, the Obama administration waded cautiously into driverless car safety for the first time by issuing some definitions for the technology and pledging more safety research. By early this year, the president had wholeheartedly taken to the technology, proposing about $4 billion in the federal budget for driverless car research and development over 10 years.

On Monday, President Obama published an edetorial in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about self-driving cars, saying they could save tens of thousands of lives a year and that the new policy is "flexible and designed to evolve with new advances."

Last year, there were nearly 40,000 deaths in the United States from auto-related accidents, the deadliest for automotive-related deaths since 2008 and the largest year-over-year percentage increase in 50 years, according to the National Saftey Council.

Karl Brauer, senior editor at Kelley Blue Book, an auto research and valuation company, said the new guidelines struck a balance between ensuring safety as automakers develop self-driving cars and making sure the introduction of lifesaving technology is not delayed unnecessarily.

"We are in this weird transition," Mr. Brauer said. "It's a tough balance for the regulators. You want to get this technology out, but you don't want to move too quickly."

Currently, driverless cars face a patchwork of state regulations. In the last three years, about a dozen states have introduced laws that specifically address testing of driverless vehicles. Most laws require a licensed driver to be in the car.

Mr. Foxx said states would continue to regulate the licensing of drivers and insurance. But he affirmed the agency's oversight of the software technology used in driverless cars.

"What we are trying to do is avoid a patchwork of state laws," Mr. Foxx said.

The federal guidelines were welcomed by auto manufacturers. Ford, which is targeting fully autonomus vehicles by 2021 for ride-sharing, said in a statement that the guidance "will help establish the basis for a national framework that enables the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles. We also look forward to collaborating with states on areas that complement this national framework."

Google, Uber and Lyft, through a trade association in which they are members, also hailed the guidelines. "State and local governments also have complementary responsibilities and should work with the federal government to achieve and maintain our status as world leaders in innovation," said David Strickland, general counsel for the trade group, Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets.

Consumer advocates said they were encouraged that the government's efforts would advance safety laws and pressure companies that have operated largely in secret. But the groups also said the guidelines might result in weaker state laws.

"What I fear is that there are some really good state regulations that might get tamped down or pre-empted," said John Simpson, a director at Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit group that has pushed for greater federal enforcement of the industry.

Over all, the government's endorsement will speed up the rollout of autonomous cars, experts said, potentially within the next five years.

"It helps companies by providing some cover. If a car crashes, courts may look to these guidelines to help us determine what was reasonable and not," said Bryant Walker Smith, a professor at the University of South Carolina.

Large automakers in particular have made big strides in the technological development of driverless cars but have been wary of introducing those features too quickly without the backing of federal regulators.

"Big companies love certainty and targets that they need to aim for," said Brad Templeton, a consultant and publisher of Robocars.com

by: nytimes.com


Self Driving Cars Gain Powerful Ally: The Government............................. www.redlineautosales.ca/self-driving-cars-gain-powerful-ally--the-government.htm

SELF-DRIVING CARS WILL DRIVE DOWN INSURANCE COSTS

According to new Aon data, one of the big consequences of self-driving cars' life-saving capabilities, could be big money savings in the form of lower insurance premiums. The Global Insurance Market Opportunities Report, published Monday, suggests that even if uptake is slow, by 2035, there could be enough autonomous cars on U.S. roads to cut insurance premiums by 20 per cent compared with current levels.

And, if autonomous cars become the norm by 2050 (that's the model that Aon is working with) premiums will be 40 per cent lower.
"Adoption of autonomous vehicles will of course be affected by many variables," said Paul Mang, CEO of Aon Analytics. "However, we as an industry need to act quickly to ensure that we have the products available to align to the new paradigm."
Aon's research predicts that there could be an 81 per cent drop in insurance claims frequency once self-driving really hit the road. However, that could be offset by an increase in repair costs -- radar and laser sensors are very expensive to replace.
Consumers may be warming to the idea of self-driving cars, but even recent studies on the subject show that people still aren't completely convinced by the benefits of autonomous vehicles.
A March study from JD Power of 7,900 US adults found that only young drivers (56 per cent) are ready to actively embrace and put their trust in the concept. Just 23 per cent of Baby Boomers (the biggest car buyers) have faith in the technologies.
Aon's data could change this as it appeals to the public's purse strings, rather than their heart strings, particularly those of older drivers. However there are still ethical issues to overcome.
A research paper published in the journal Science in June, found that consumers believe a self-driving car should sacrifice its driver in order to save 10 pedestrians, unless it's their car, of course. Then it should protect their life at all costs.
Therefore, clarity is key according to Thatcham, the U.K. insurance industry-funded automotive research center. It is calling for a simplification of the language around self-driving car systems.
"Keeping things simple and clear is paramount," said Peter Shaw, Chief Executive of Thatcham Research. "There is still much work to be done by legislators and the automotive industry to give drivers absolute clarity and confidence around what automated driving systems are capable of doing and under what circumstances they can be used."
Yet it also says that drivers will have to take responsibility for actions, and a list of strict rules relating to what they will and won't be allowed to do when behind the wheel of an autonomous car should be created.

by: ctvnews.ca

Self Driving Cars Will Drive Down Insurance Costs ................................... www.redlineautosales.ca/self-driving-cars-will-drive-down-insurance-costs.htm

Soon your car may be updateable like your iPhone

Like a new smartphone, your car may soon get regular software updates to fix problems, improve performance and add new features.
By 2022, more than 200 million vehicles around the world will be able to get over the air software updates according to ABI Research, a company that studies technology trends. Nearly one-third of the defects that lead to recalls might be fixed with an over-the-air software update, resolving problems without an inconvenient trip to the dealership and saving automakers up to $6 billion a year.
"Streaming updates to cars is going to be a big play for the auto industry," said Scott Frank, marketing vice president of Airbiquity, a Seattle-based company specializing in connected-car services. "It's central to a lot of new things we're working on.
"Phones and TVs are already updateable. Your car will be, too."
The number of features that can be affected will surprise you. The first steps will include connecting to the cloud for entertainment and security functions, but Frank says nearly every aspect of how vehicles operate will be affected.
Many updates that now require a trip to the dealer for a software flash - Hyundai's addition of Apple CarPlay to cars it had sold, for instance - will be handled by beaming new software to the vehicle. Software-only recalls - ideal candidates for streaming updates - affected 3.3 million vehicles in the U.S. last year. That's nearly a five-fold increase from 2014, a trend likely to continue as vehicles add more software and electronics.
Updates will include fixes, new security to keep up with would-be hackers, and adding features.

 "Phones and TVs are already updateable. Your car will be, too." -- Scott Frank, Airbiquity vice president of marketing (Photo: Airbiquity)

"Adding features and improving performance post-purchase is a game-changer for the industry," Frank said. Potential examples include new transmission programming to increase fuel economy, updated navigation information, and new infotainment apps.
New software and data management
The service will also make new levels of service and repairs possible.
Let's say you run over a nail. You see an inconvenience, but Frank sees an opportunity to build customer loyalty.
"First, the car sends a warning message that you're losing tire pressure," he said. "The car could look for nearby service dealers and centers, download coupons, make an appointment and tell you that service is waiting for you 20 minutes down the road,
"The car is made intelligent by the data and analytics we can offer through the cloud," Frank said. "It improves your experience as an owner."
Vehicles capable of all that should be available by 2020, he said.

by: freep.com


Soon Your Car May Be Updateable Like Your iPhone............................. www.redlineautosales.ca/soon-your-car-may-be-updateable-like-your-iphone.htm

World's first self-driving taxis debut in Singapore

The world's first self-driving taxis began picking up passengers in Singapore starting Thursday.

Select members of the public can hail a free ride through their smartphones in taxis operated by nuTonomy, an autonomous vehicle software startup. While multiple companies, including Google and Volvo, have been testing self-driving cars on public roads for several years, nuTonomy says is the first to offer rides to the public.

Its launch in Singapore is beating ride-hailing service Uber, which plans to offer rides in autonomous cars in Pittsburgh, by a few weeks.

NuTonomy is starting small - six cars now, growing to a dozen by the end of the year. The ultimate goal, company executives say, is to have a fully self-driving taxi fleet in Singapore by 2018, to help cut the number of cars on Singapore's congested roads. Eventually, the model could be adopted in cities around the world, nuTonomy hopes.

For now, the taxis only run in a 2.5-square-mile (6.5 square kilometre) business and residential district called "one-north," and pick-ups and drop-offs are limited to specified locations. Riders must have an invitation from nuTonomy to use the service. The company says dozens have signed up for the launch, and it plans to expand that list to thousands of people within a few months.

The cars - modified Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electrics - have a driver in front who is prepared to take back the wheel and a researcher in back who watches the car's computers. Each car is fitted with six sets of Lidar - a detection system that uses lasers to operate like radar - including one that constantly spins on the roof. There are also two cameras on the dashboard to scan for obstacles and detect changes in traffic lights.

The testing time-frame is open-ended, said nuTonomy CEO Karl Iagnemma. Eventually, riders may start paying for the service, and more pick-up and drop-off points will be added. NuTonomy also is working on testing similar taxi services in other Asian cities, the U.S. and Europe, but he wouldn't say when.

"I don't expect there to be a time where we say, 'We've learned enough,"' Iagnemma said.

Doug Parker, nuTonomy's chief operating officer, said autonomous taxis could ultimately reduce the number of cars on Singapore's roads from 900,000 to 300,000.

"When you are able to take that many cars off the road, it creates a lot of possibilities. You can create smaller roads, you can create much smaller car parks," Parker said. "I think it will change how people interact with the city going forward."

NuTonomy, a 50-person company with offices in Massachusetts and Singapore, was formed in 2013 by Iagnemma and Emilio Frazzoli, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers who were studying robotics and developing autonomous vehicles for the Defence Department. Earlier this year, the company was the first to win approval from Singapore's government to test self-driving cars in one-north. NuTonomy announced a research partnership with Singapore's Land Transport Authority earlier this month.

Singapore is ideal because it has good weather, great infrastructure and drivers who tend to obey traffic rules, Iagnemma says. As a land-locked island, the city of 5.4 million people is seeking creative ways to grow its economy, so it's been supportive of autonomous vehicle research.

Auto supplier Delphi Corp., which also is working on autonomous vehicle software, was recently selected to test autonomous vehicles on the island and plans to start next year.

"We face constraints in land and manpower. We want to take advantage of self-driving technology to overcome such constraints," said Pang Kin Keong, Singapore's Permanent Secretary for Transport and the chairman of its committee on autonomous driving.

Olivia Seow, 25, works in startup partnerships in one-north and is one of the riders nuTonomy selected, took a test ride of less than a mile on Monday. She said she was nervous when she got into the car, and then surprised as she watched the steering wheel turn by itself.

"It felt like there was a ghost or something," she said.

But she quickly relaxed. The ride was smooth and controlled, she said, and she was relieved to see that the car recognized even small obstacles like birds and motorcycles parked in the distance.

"I couldn't see them with my human eye, but the car could, so I knew that I could trust the car," said Seow, who hopes to use the time freed up during her commute, thanks to the technology, or use the service to help her father get around town as he grows older.

An Associated Press reporter taking a ride Wednesday saw the safety driver step on the brakes once, when a car was obstructing the test car's lane and another vehicle, which had appeared to be parked, suddenly began moving in the oncoming lane.

Iagnemma said the company is confident that its software can make good decisions. The company hopes its head start in autonomous driving will eventually lead to partnerships with automakers, tech companies, logistics companies and others.

"What we're finding is the number of interested parties is really overwhelming," he said.

by: theglobeandmail.com

World's First Self Driving Taxis Debut in Singapore..................................... www.redlineautosales.ca/world-s-first-self-driving-taxis-debut-in-singapore.htm