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Led by NVIDIA, D20 Leaps to Record High

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In a nearly across the board sweep, nineteen price gainers and one unchanged stock drove the D20 to new heights this week.  The D20 jumped 5.2 percent, closing at a record high of 223.51.  The D20 easily outpaced the Dow, which gained 1 percent and the S&P 500 which added 1.4 percent and closed at 2459.27.

As the D20’s leading price percentage gainer this week, NVIDIA (NVDA) continues to hit new records and stun the market with its meteoric price rise.  Its partnership with Baidu continues to enchant the market causing its price to rise 12.4 percent this week and closing at $164.95 per share.  Because of its staggering share price run, gaining 625 percent since August 2015, NVIDIA is now 24% of the total value of the D20.  This week’s 12.4 percent gain accounted for the more than half of the D20’s 5.2 percent increase.

The lone non-gainer of the week was Nissan (NSANY).  It remained unchanged at $20.23 per share.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

Up and Comers:

Cortica, founded in Israel, is building AI systems based on analysis of how human and animal cortical networks process natural stimuli.   Cortica is now applying those AI methods to “teach” autonomous vehicles with unsupervised learning.

Hear From Elected Officials and Tech Innovators and Take Test Rides at Fairfax County, Virginia’s Autonomous Vehicle Event

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Jennifer van der Kleut

Fairfax County, Virginia is working on positioning itself at the forefront of transportation technology by hosting an autonomous and connected vehicle event.

On Wednesday, May 3 the county will bring together elected officials, transportation experts and technology developers to discuss the future of transportation in the region in a moderated panel as well as offer demonstration rides.

Among the elected officials attending will be Chairman Sharon Bulova and Supervisor John Foust from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

“Virginia has positioned itself as a leader for technological innovation,” Bulova said this week. “With top researchers road testing their products here, local companies have already begun investing in and advancing this technology and contributing to growth in our economy.”

Among the other panelists will be representatives from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). The institute operates one of the commonwealth’s largest “smart roads,” which is 2.2 miles long and includes three bridges, and allows developers to test autonomous and connected vehicles. Controlled weather stations and varying pavement conditions allow for testing in abnormal conditions.

Many Fairfax County officials say they think innovative technology such as self-driving capabilities and vehicle-to-vehicle communications could benefit the local region in countless ways.

“I think it’s an open road when it comes to how driverless cars will impact the county and country as a whole,” said Supervisor Foust, who chairs Fairfax County’s Economic Advisory Commission. “There are huge economic, safety, environmental and mobility benefits.”

There are many experts who theorize that driverless cars can reduce congestion, reduce the need for so much parking in busier cities, and help reduce the mounting costs brought about by thousands of vehicle accidents each year.

“I’ve seen reports that say the economic impact could be upwards of $1 trillion. Self-driving cars could also improve safety, reducing insurance rates. And, this technology could save millions in fuel consumption,” Foust added. “We’re also hopeful that this technology will benefit the mobility needs of our seniors and people with disabilities.”

Members of the public are invited to come out to the Fairfax County Government Center, located at 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax, on Wednesday, May 3 from 12-5 p.m. The event will offer refreshments and networking opportunities at the start, followed by the panel, open discussions, and demonstration rides in test vehicles at both the start and finish.

Among the featured panelists will be John Estrada, the CEO of eTrans Systems, a Fairfax-based company that manufacturers connected-vehicle software and technology. Estrada is also the founder of DriverlessTransportation.com. Estrada will be displaying and demonstrating some of eTrans Systems’ connected-vehicle technology and offering demo rides during the event.

Space is limited, so advance registration is recommended. People can register through the Fairfax County government website.

Renesas, eTrans Systems Partner Up to Debut Connected Parking App at CES 2017

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eTrans Systems

FAIRFAX, Va. — eTrans Systems, a leading developer of software solutions for connected and automated vehicles, today announced their collaboration with semiconductor solutions provider Renesas Electronics America Inc. by delivering a parking availability solution using dedicated short range communications (DSRC) to help enable both autonomous and driver-based vehicles to easily find open parking spots.

This technology will be showcased on Renesas’ automotive fleet of vehicles during CES 2017 (Consumer Electronics Show).  This collaboration brings together the expertise of the world’s leading automotive semiconductor provider along with an innovative startup company specifically focused on Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) technology solutions.

Why is this technology important?

In cities throughout the world, parking is a major issue.  It has been estimated that upwards of 30 percent of urban drivers are at any one time looking for available parking. This is a tremendous waste of both time and fuel.  eTrans’ new DSRC Parking Solution can help to eliminate this waste.

How does the DSRC Parking Solution app work?

Sensors in the parking lot can detect the availability of open spaces. When spots are available, the sensors notify the DSRC Road Side Unit (RSU), which in turn broadcasts out availability.  On-Board Units (OBUs) in the car receive the messages and then notify either the driver or the vehicle’s autonomous driving system.

“Renesas is very excited about this application, “ said Amrit Vivekanand, vice president, of Renesas Electronics America’s automotive business unit. ” We see this as an interesting use of our automobile technology in the Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) market, which is a market that Renesas is looking to further expand into.”

eTrans representatives said they look forward to try and solve the world’s parking woes together with Renesas.

“At eTrans, we see the DSRC Parking Solution as the next major piece in our Vehicle to Infrastructure application suite,” said John Estrada, CEO of eTrans Systems. “It provides an additional benefit from Connected Vehicle technology and is the foundation for solving a major urban problem.”

eTrans and Renesas plan to unveil this solution at CES 2017. For more details on the demonstration, contact John Estrada at jestrada@eTransSystems.com.

About eTrans Systems

eTrans Systems specializes in the development and deployment of autonomous and connected vehicle systems.  eTrans solutions include safety applications, mobility applications and vehicle management applications. eTrans clients include automobile OEMs, tier-1 auto suppliers and state and local governments.

eTrans Systems to Show Off Its Latest Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Tech at Auto Shows This Month

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FAIRFAX, Va. — eTrans Systems announced today that it will be demonstrating its latest technology at both the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (January 5-8) and during the AutoMobili-D exhibit at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (January 8-12).  eTrans specializes in autonomous and connected vehicle solutions.

The technologies eTrans will be displaying include:

FLOS – Fleet Operating System (FLOS) is eTrans Systems’ solution for autonomous vehicle fleet management.  The FLOS app allows customers to request a ride, monitor the progress of their trip and control what is happening in the vehicle.  The FLOS Central Controller provides real-time fleetetrans-flos monitoring functions, robust fleet maintenance capabilities, analytics and optimization.  The Central Controller provides interfaces to external systems and to the FLOS user app and FLOS Vehicle components.  The FLOS Vehicle component provides the interface to the autonomous vehicle engine to enable it to send commands and receive status information.  Additionally, the V2x Sensor functionality allows the vehicle to interact with DSRC-enabled vehicles and infrastructure to increase safety and mobility.

 

etrans-pnp-rsuPnP RSU - eTrans’ Plug-n-Play (PnP) Roadside Unit (RSU) has the ability to transmit DSRC messages controlled from the cloud.  These messages can be dynamically formed and new messages deployed without the installation of new software.  In addition, the PnP RSU has the ability to receive and analyze incoming messages from vehicles that pass by.  The eTrans PnP RSU supports all the latest 2016 IEEE and SAE standards.  The messages it supports include BSM, SPaT, MAP and TIM.  Additional message types can easily be added.

 

eTrans DSRC Parking Solution provides parking availability information using dedicated etrans-dsrc-parking-solutionsshort-range communications (DSRC) to help enable both autonomous and driven vehicles to easily find open parking spots.  In cities throughout the world, parking is a major issue.  It has been estimated that upwards of 30 percent of urban drivers are at any one time looking for parking.  This is a tremendous waste of both time and energy.  The eTrans DSRC Parking Solution can help to eliminate this waste.  Sensors in the parking lot detect the availability of spaces.  When spots are available the sensors notify the DSRC Road Side Unit (RSU), which in turn broadcasts that availability.  On-Board Units (OBUs) in the car receive the messages and then notify either the driver or the vehicle’s autonomous driving system.

 

Connected Vehicle Autonomous Sensor Solution

etrans-connected-vehicle-autonomous-sensor-solutionThe eTrans Connected Vehicle Autonomous Sensor Solution allows autonomous driving systems to use V2x connected vehicle data as another sensor to optimize the driving of the vehicle. A Connected Vehicle V2x sensor complements the other autonomous sensors such as cameras and Lidar by providing functionality, such as:

  • Non-line of site vehicle and pedestrian detection
  • Info on braking vehicles before they can be seen
  • Infrastructure data such as the time remaining until a traffic light will change

The connected vehicle data is transmitted to an On-Board Unit (OBU) in the vehicle using the Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) protocol.  Upon receipt, the eTrans solution then processes the data and publishes it through the Polysync middleware platform like any other sensor.  This interface is designed such that the protocol can be used with a variety of autonomous vehicle systems and middleware solutions.  The technology is built using Google’s Protobuf which is a language-neutral, platform-neutral, extensible mechanism for serializing structured data.

 

Connected Vehicle Applications and Platform

The eTrans Connected Vehicle Platform provides for Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) safety and mobility applications.

These applications include:etrans-connected-vehicle-apps-and-platforms

  • Forward Collision Warning
  • Emergency Electronic Brake Lights
  • Red Light Violation Warnings
  • Over Speed Warnings
  • Curve Speed Warnings
  • Camera-Based Pedestrian Warnings
  • Construction Zone Warnings
  • Emergency Communications

These applications have been developed using the eTrans V2x Software Development Platform (VSDP) which provides a framework for the rapid development of Connected Vehicle applications and has been tested using eTrans’ V2x Comprehensive Analysis Platform (VCAP).

 

At CES, eTrans will be in the Renesas tent in the Gold Parking Lot.  At AutoMobilli-D - eTrans will be in booth 32.

About eTrans Systems:  eTrans Systems specializes in the development and deployment of autonomous and connected vehicle systems.  eTrans’ solutions include safety applications, mobility applications and vehicle management applications. eTrans clients include automobile OEMs, tier-1 auto suppliers and state and local governments.

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NHTSA Issues New Proposed Policy on V2V Technology, Connected Vehicles

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Jennifer van der Kleut

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) on Tuesday proposed a new national policy that, among other things, would mandate that connected vehicle technology (V2V) be included in all new light-weight vehicles that are manufactured, establish standards for vehicle-to-vehicle messages and transmissions, and mandate that data be made available to the federal government.

The agency released an announcement in the form of a Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM) that detailed the ins and outs of the new policy, should be it officially adopted by the U.S. government.

Highlights of the proposed policy include:

  • The requiring of all automakers to include connected-vehicle technology (V2V) in all new light-weight vehicles;
  • A mandate that all V2V devices would use dedicated short range communications (DSRC) to transmit data, such as location, direction and speed, to nearby vehicles;
  • The mandating of across-the-board standards for vehicle-to-vehicle communications, to ensure all vehicles “speak the same language;” and
  • Rules that ensure that V2V data being transmitted is protected by strong cybersecurity measures, and not “linkable to any individual.”

NHTSA officials said the Federal Highway Institute plans to issue more formal guidance on V2V communications soon.

Federal officials said in the NPRM announcement that they felt this policy was necessary to help speed up the adoption of connected-vehicle technology to help save lives, and also to help guide auto manufacturers in how to best and most quickly begin implementing the technology into their vehicles.

“This will create an information environment in which vehicle and device manufacturers can create and implement applications to improve safety, mobility, and the environment. Without a mandate to require and standardize V2V communications, the agency believes that manufacturers will not be able to move forward in an efficient way, and that a critical mass of equipped vehicles would take many years to develop, if ever,” the NPRM stated.

“Implementation of the new standard will enable vehicle manufacturers to develop safety applications that employ V2V communications as an input, two of which are estimated to prevent hundreds of thousands of crashes and prevent over one thousand fatalities annually,” the announcement continued.

Read the full announcement online.

Read the proposed policy in its entirety online.

 

 

Wyoming, Home of America’s Deadliest Highway, Hopes Connected Vehicle Pilot Will Reduce Crashes

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Jennifer van der Kleut

One state’s Department of Transportation thinks connected vehicle technology could be the solution to solving the problem of one of the country’s deadliest highways.

Officials say Wyoming’s I-80 is one of the most dangerous highways in America. According to the Wyoming Business Report,  there were 50 injuries and one death on I-80 in April 2015 alone. In June, a family of three was killed on the same road.

Therefore, Wyoming’s DOT (WYDOT) announced this month it is turning to connected vehicle technology to try and improve safety on the highway.

The state is currently preparing for tests of a connected vehicle pilot program, in connection with USDOT. Test cars will be outfitted with technology that will allow the cars to communicate with each other, as well as with state infrastructure.

The Business Report says WYDOT is partnering with the University of Wyoming, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Transportation Technology, and Trihydro, an environmental engineering and consulting firm.

Part of the project will consist of installing short-wave communication devices in test vehicles that will allow them to send and receive safety messages.

The second phase of the program will involve installing technology in commercial trucks.

The information they can transmit will include the direction of travel, how fast it is traveling, and whether the vehicle is approaching a dangerous situation, explained WYDOT project manager Ali Ragan.

Though officials say the technology may not be able to eliminate all crashes on I-80 or other similar roads, it may at least help reduce the severity of crashes.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports the technology will also be added to WYDOT’s mobile app, so that even if certain vehicles don’t have the special technology installed, they can view the safety messages through the app.

The first phase of the project is already underway and will continue through September, when the second phase will begin and is expected to last around 20 months. Then a third phase will begin, which will mostly involve analysis of the testing and evaluation of data collected.

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