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News Roundup: A Semi-Autonomous Motorcycle, Driverless Cars Hit Public Roads in England, and More

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Jennifer van der Kleut

A roundup of some of the most interesting news to come out of the driverless, connected-car world this week:

BMW says helmets won’t be needed with their self-balancing motorcycle

While most of the world is focused on semi-autonomous features that can make cars safer, BMW has been quietly focusing on a semi-autonomous motorcycle. This week, the auto manufacturer unveiled its design for the Vision Next 100 bike, with features like semi-autonomous steering and self-balancing wheels. Instead of a helmet, the bike will come with a visor that has an internal display super-imposed over the road and surrounding environment. The bike’s connected-vehicle system will give alerts about obstacles and risks on that display. BMW says the self-balancing wheels are so effective, a rider won’t even need to put their feet down on the ground when they stop, and it will be so hard to crash the bike, traditional helmets and padded, protective clothing won’t be necessary. Read more about the Vision Next 100 on CNNMoney.

Driverless cars tested on UK public roads for the first time

As Britain keeps moving toward its goal of having driverless cars on the road by 2020, a test car hit the public streets of Milton Keynes for the first time on Tuesday. Traveling at about 5 km per hour, the small two-seater driverless pod car navigated the streets of the largely pedestrianized southern town, stopping for people that crossed in front of it and safely turning corners. The pod car, heavily adapted from a compact Renault car, was developed by the Oxford University spin-out Oxbotica. Read more about the driverless car’s first public trip from Reuters.

Lots of driverless news out of California this week

According to news outlets like Ars Technica, Wall Street Journal and Elektrek, things are really heating up in California, where the number of companies that have been issued permits to test autonomous vehicles has just climbed to 17, up by three just since the end of summer. The two newest permits were issued to Wheego, an electric vehicle powertrain engineering company, and Valeo, a familiar name in the industry as a longtime tier-one automotive supplier. Also recently, Chinese tech firm Baidu received a testing permit. In other California news, Elektrek was one of the first to spot prototypes of Google’s long-awaited self-driving Chrysler Pacific mini-vans in Mountain View last weekend, and published a few somewhat grainy photos. Read more recent industry news from Ars Technica.

Image: Vision Next 100 semi-autonomous motorcycle prototype, by BMW.

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News Roundup: Apple Secures First Vehicle Patent, Google Driverless Exec Quits, and More

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Jennifer van der Kleut

A roundup of headlines from the driverless and connected-car worlds so far this week:

Apple finally secures its first vehicle patent - but it’s not what we expected

After much of the industry has been holding its breath, waiting for the first real, confirmed news of an Apple car, news finally came on Tuesday-but it’s not what any of us expected. Apple’s new patent is for an “articulated vehicle,” and as oApple-articulated-vehicle-patent-2ne reporter described the plans, it looks like a European-style “bendy bus” with a pivoting mechanism connecting the front and back cabins. Some are saying this could help vehicles steer more efficiently in ice and snow, and would help funnel brake fluid, hydraulics, cardan shaft or other important components through a large vehicle. So while it’s not the self-driving smart car many in the industry were hoping for, as one Gizmodo reporter said, “at least we know Apple engineers are working on things like how vehicles are controlled.” Read the full article on Gizmodo.

Big news from Google: Self-driving car exec leaving the project

Reuters reported big news on Monday: Chris Urmson, who has led Google’s self-driving car initiative for the past seven and a half years, announced Friday will be his last day with the project. Reuters said he has been considering the departure for a while and now is making the move. Urmson said on Twitter he is ready for a “fresh challenge” and the chance to gain some perspective from outside of Google. This is the latest in many departures from Google’s self-driving car project-Anthony Levandowski, the project manager, left earlier this year to launch his own startup with two other former Google employees. Read Reuters’ full story.

Israeli autonomous car Lidar manufacturer raises $9 million

Innoviz, an Israeli company that manufacturers Lidar sensors for autonomous cars, announced this week it has secured $9 million in funding to continue its work. The company’s technology is called High Definition Solid State Lidar and, according to the company, it enables a high level of performance and accuracy compared with other current mechanical solutions. Innoviz says this technology will serve as the basis for the entire sensing system required for autonomous driving. Read more about Innoviz from Globes English.

 

Data

A Roadblock to Self-Driving Cars: Who Owns the Data?

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One question that may be holding back progress toward autonomous cars - who will own the data?

As more automakers look toward partnerships with technology companies to develop their cars into self-driving transportation vehicles, one wrench in the wheel appears to be a disagreement over who will own the data garnered from the vehicle.

As some of the earliest self-driving car models come into reality, the data gathered from those early cars-mapping, sensor data, traffic data, efficiency, and much more-is incredibly valuable to many parties.

However, other data collected could be on the drivers themselves-where they eat, where they shop, what movies they like to see and more, explains TheStreet.com, especially as in-car shopping and entertainment systems become more popular.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that the question of the ownership of such data is a very big deal.

In fact, determining that ownership is what several news outlets report put the brakes on partnership talks between General Motors and Google previously, as well as talks between Ford and Google. TheStreet reports the point of contention could also be complicating GM’s recent acquisition of San Francisco-based self-driving car tech firm Cruise Automation.

“Automakers don’t want to relinquish control of data in return for access to computer code; at least, not now,” TheStreet said.

Now, Google has confirmed it will be partnering with Fiat-Chrysler. Google’s technology will be put into 100 Chrysler Pacifica mini-vans for testing on public roads.

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne recently told Reuters that the question of who will own the data from the prototype vans has yet to be determined, but it seems that talks are going amicably. TheStreet speculated, “More than likely, [Fiat-Chrysler] had to agree to respect Google’s boundaries pertaining to software and intellectual property.”

Marchionne said to Reuters, though, before they get that far, they need to get the vans up and working.

“We need to get to a stage where the car is viable so we can discuss the spoils of that work. We’re not there,” he told Reuters.

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Hyundai Teams Up With Cisco Systems for Connected-Car Tech, Vehicle Driving Simulation

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Jennifer van der Kleut

If there’s one Silicon Valley company that knows high-speed data, it’s Cisco Systems. So, it’s no surprise that when popular South Korea-based automaker Hyundai was looking for a data specialist to team up with to develop the next generation of Internet-connected cars, they chose Cisco.

News outlets began reporting the new partnership this week.

Fortune Magazine reports that the partnership “will focus on a network that will speed up and improve the transfer of large amounts of data within the vehicle,” and that it is “part of Hyundai’s wider strategy of working with tech firms to create a connected-car platform for its vehicles.”

The network will aim to make communication between the various systems within the car more effective-and the two companies say, not only will that goal help optimize the car’s connectivity, but it will lend itself well to future self-driving tech as well.

“For autonomous driving to progress, [the car’s systems] have to communicate efficiently with each other and the driver in real time,” Fortune says.

Essentially, Reuters reports, Hyundai plans to create “high-performing computers on wheels.”

Fortune reports that the two entities will also combine forces on research into a test environment for vehicle driving simulation.

“Hyundai Motor says it will invest in cloud, big data analytics, and connected car security technologies,” Fortune explains.

Image Courtesy of Hyundai.

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Google Expands Self-Driving Car Tests to Phoenix, Arizona

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Jennifer van der Kleut

News outlets are reporting this week that Google’s Alphabet Inc. is expanding its self-driving car program to the Phoenix, Arizona Metro area.

This makes the fourth U.S. location one can find Google’s famous self-driving pod cars being tested on public roads.

Google cars have been logging mile after mile in Mountain View, California near Google’s headquarters for more than six years; recently, Google added Austin, Texas, and just two months ago, Kirkland, Washington.

Multiple news outlets reported in February that Google was eyeing four new cities to expand driverless testing to after a Federal Communications Commission document indicated the company was applying for the necessary permits, though the locations of the new cities were redacted. Kirkland and Phoenix appear to be the first two of the four new cities.

In addition, Google executives admitted earlier this month that they are eyeing the United Kingdom for potential testing in the future, as the British government has been lobbying the tech giant for some time.

So, why Phoenix? Google representatives told AutoNews.com that Phoenix’s proximity to desert and the resulting dry, dusty air make Phoenix an important place to test their driverless cars.

“Arizona is known as a place where research and development is welcome, innovation can thrive, and companies can set up roots,” said Jennifer Haroon, head of business operations for the Google Self-Driving Car project. “[And] the Phoenix area has distinct desert conditions, which will help us better understand how our sensors and cars handle extreme temperatures and dust in the air.”

Reuters and Venture Beat report that Google test car operators have already hit the streets of Phoenix in four Lexus RX450h SUVs, and are busy creating “a detailed map of streets, lane markers, traffic signals and curb heights.”

Google has been an integral part of the federal government’s process toward ironing out a consistent national policy for driverless and connected vehicle technology. Most recently, Chris Urmson wrote the Department of Transportation a letter proposing that the company, as well as any other companies working on developing autonomous cars, should be allowed to sell driverless cars to consumers if they can pass a federal safety test.

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Google, GM, Lyft to Testify Before Congress on Importance of Autonomous Car Technology and What Government’s Role Should Be

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Jennifer van der Kleut

Executives from some of the biggest names in the autonomous car race will testify on Capitol Hill next week on the importance of autonomous car technology in making driving safer, as well as offer advice on what the government’s role should be in crafting appropriate legislation to help America get there.

According to Reuters, Chris Urmson, the head of Google’s self-driving car project, along with executives from General Motors (GM), Delphi Automotive and ride-hailing app Lyft will be speaking before a Senate committee led by Senator John Thune, a South Dakota Republican that heads the Senate Commerce Committee.

Inverse reports that representatives from two Duke University departments-the Humans and Autonomy Lab and Duke Robotics-will also be joining them at the hearing.

Reuters reports that the committee wants to hear from these company reps on “advancements in autonomous vehicle technology and its anticipated benefits for Americans.”

In addition, the committee wants to hear their thoughts “on the appropriate role of government in promoting innovation, including removing unnecessary hurdles, and their strategy to grow consumer adoption of this new technology.”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in January of this year that his goal was for the federal government to remove legislative obstacles to the development of autonomous and connected-car technology, and to develop a consistent national policy for testing within six months.

At the same time, the Obama Administration announced $4 billion in funding for autonomous and connected-car testing along designated corridors nationwide.

For more information about the hearing as well as a link where you can stream the hearing live, visit the Senate committee’s website.

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Study: Self-Driving Cars Will Disrupt Auto Sales More Than Car-Sharing Services

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Jennifer van der Kleut

A new study by Boston Consulting Group suggests car manufacturers should be more worried about the introduction of self-driving cars than of car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.

According to the study, as reported by Reuters, North American auto manufacturers can expect to lose about 52,000 car sales a year to people who decide to opt instead for hailing rides through car-sharing services. However, the study also says they will gain back 44,000 of those sales by selling cars to the car-sharing services.

And, major manufacturers like Ford and General Motors (GM) are reacting smartly to such predictions and investing in car-sharing companies to recoup some of that lost revenue. For example, GM made the major announcement a few weeks ago that it was investing half a billion in Lyft.

GM is also looking even farther forward to its own ride-sharing service using its own cars, to be called Maven. Maven is already operating in Ann Arbor, Michigan-a smart decision considering it’s a major college town where kids like to party, where they may not have the funds to own their own cars, and where parking can sometimes be scarce-and planning to add New York and Chicago to the list soon.

Therefore, the study concludes that self-driving cars will be much more of a “game-changer” than car sharing, with the biggest impact being felt around 2027, Reuters explains.

Self-driving car technology will “trigger the convergence of car-sharing and ride-hailing.”

In other words, the onset of the technology will act as the biggest encouragement for people to ditch the idea of owning a car altogether.

“…Self-driving cars will change the game, erasing the distinction between car-sharing and ride-hailing while providing users with a significant edge in the total cost of ownership,” says Reuters.

Some reports, like one from Barclays published just last month, predict the cost of hailing a self-driving car could be as low as 29 cents per mile, much cheaper than the cost of buying and maintaining one’s own car, not to mention filling it with gas regularly.

Experts say we can expect to see which predictions are accurate within the next five to 10 years.

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NHTSA: Google’s Artificial Intelligence System Counts as a ‘Driver’ for Self-Driving Cars

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Jennifer van der Kleut

You may remember the big upset a few months ago, when California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) proposed new legislation that would require all vehicles-even self-driving ones-to include a human driver, steering wheel and pedals.

Naturally, Google was quite unhappy about the proposed law, since its large fleet of self-driving test cars feature neither steering wheels nor pedals, and though employees are always in the cars to collect data, the eventual idea is that the cars would be fully autonomous.

Therefore, it was big news this month when the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) went in the other direction and said that Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) system could satisfy the requirement for a “driver.”

In other words, a car’s “driver” doesn’t have to be human.

“This is a critical first step for Google towards commercializing self-driving cars—a goal it wants to meet by 2020,” said Fortune Magazine.

At this point, though, the victory is still only in theory. As Fortune points out, the challenge now will be for Google to prove that its AI meets the same high standards as human controls.

“NHTSA’s interpretation doesn’t mean fully autonomous vehicles are legal for public use. The next question is whether, and how, Google could certify that the self-driving system meets a standard that currently applies to vehicles with a human driver, says NHTSA’s chief counsel Paul A. Hemmersbaugh in a letter,” Fortune writes. “This, in turn, leads to the next obvious hurdle: NHTSA must first test or find some way to verify such compliance.”

Karl Brauer, senior analyst for the Kelley Blue Book automotive research firm, told Reuters that though he believes there are still important legal questions that need to be answered before autonomous cars can go mainstream, NHTSA’s declaration could help that process.

“If NHTSA is prepared to name artificial intelligence as a viable alternative to human-controlled vehicles, it could substantially streamline the process of putting autonomous vehicles on the road,” Brauer said.

Industry experts and Google reps appear to be cautiously optimistic about NHTSA’s declaration.

“In general, NHTSA’s determination seems to be a victory for Google, letting it go forward with its intended self-driving vehicle design,” said the folks at CNET. “However, individual state rules will still apply as to how Google’s cars can be operated on public roads.”

Google Exec: ‘Google does not intend to become a carmaker’ despite fleet of self-driving test cars

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Reuters