Finland prepares for self-driving shuttle service this fall

Finland could be the first country to have a regular autonomous shuttle service, with city transportation officials aiming to debut the service this fall.

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Tests have been ongoing since August 2016, when the shuttle was first deployed on a quarter-mile course with 12 passengers on board.

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Since then, improvements have been made to the sensors and self-driving software. It is now able to run longer routes and could be used for multiple purposes, including last mile deliveries and as a taxi for the elderly.

Targeting six biggest Finnish cities

Sohjoa, the EU-backed project that counts Finland’s six most populated cities, Finnish universities and transport officials as members, will release finalized information on the route, schedule, and launch date later in the year, according to Curbed.

The autonomous shuttle aims to reduce car ownership by making public transportation quick, direct, and safe. Finland is already promoting several other projects that look to improve public transportation options and reduce carbon emissions.

Finland has become a hotspot for self-driving cars due to its transport laws not restricting the testing or deployment of autonomous vehicles. A car technically does not need a driver in Finland, meaning as long as the tech is safe, it has a place on the road.

UK Autodrive scheme to be tested on public roads this year

Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Motors are collaborating in the U.K. on a scheme called Autodrive, which is working on communication systems for self-driving cars.

The most recent test, held in Nuneaton, a town in Warwickshire, England, looked into several safety systems aimed at reducing accidents. These included emergency warning technology and collision warnings, displayed through sound or visual alerts to the driver. The cars also transmit warnings to other self-driving cars nearby.

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Other tests focused on communicating traffic light changes, showing free parking spaces in the nearby area, and telling cars behind that the car in front is breaking with force. Autodrive expects the introduction of these technologies, if adopted widely, to significantly reduce the amount of accidents on the road.

The next stop for Autodrive is Milton Keynes and Coventry, where it will continue to test the safety technologies on segregated sections of roads, according to Wired. The cars will move to public roads before the end of 2018, when the project is set to finish.

The U.K. has made several legislative changes to make the country more appealing to automakers that want to test self-driving technology. It legalized the testing of self-driving cars and, through the government’s innovation agency Innovate UK, has invested millions into startups and consortiums pursuing safer and cleaner transport solutions.

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Frankfurt commuters may soon jump aboard self-driving shuttles

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Continental, a German auto manufacturer, has announced plans to test a “robo-taxi” in Frankfurt. The CuBe (Continental Urban mobility Experience) will be a blueprint for the future development of autonomous shared transport in urban areas.

The CuBe will be fitted with driver assistance programs and sensors already embedded into Level 2 cars found on the road today, like the Tesla Model S. Continental is adding a laser sensor to the car, and will build self-driving software that is personalized for a shared experience.

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“The future of individual mobility in cities is autonomous and electric, and it will become part of the shared economy,” said Continental Executive Board member, Frank Jourdan. “This is why we’re developing cross-divisional solutions for driverless robo-taxis… we will be starting with practical testing this year.”

Continental in a perfect positon?

Jourdan thinks Continental is in a perfect position to be the leader in driverless pods, as it already supplies sensors, actuators, control units, and networking technology to automakers. Delphi, a rival parts supplier, is also working on its own self-driving system.

“The trials will be used to identify all the essential technical requirements that enable safe, driverless passenger transport in urban areas,” said head of the self-driving project, Dr. Andree Hohm. “This helps us to find answers to questions about our product strategy and to deliver leading technology for individual mobility in the future – including driverless systems.”

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Continental has not mentioned any tests outside of Frankfurt, although the company does cite the congestion in cities like Berlin and London as major issues, which could be fixed through robo-taxis.
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Ford patents removable wheel for self-driving vehicles

In the interim between semi-autonomous and self-driving, cars will need to be able to switch modes with relative ease. Ford has shown one possible way to move to self-driving mode, by making the steering wheel and brake pedals removable.

In a patent granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Ford shows how the wheel and pedals could be manually removed and refitted for testing the car. Customers would be able to move from autonomous to manual, simply by attaching the parts back to the car.

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Once removed, the parts that connect to the steering wheel are folded away inside the dashboard. An airbag is fitted inside the front dash, replacing the one in the steering wheel.

Ford’s patent looks to a future where customers are able to choose between manual and self-driving. This is expected to be between 2025 and 2050, a time when people will still be allowed to drive, but cities and metro areas begin to move to a fully driverless system.

Commuters from outside the city may drive into town, before switching to a driverless mode.

Ford is aiming for a self-driving vehicle on the road by 2021, though it is expected to be part of the company’s own ride-sharing app. Customers won’t be able to purchase the cars until at least 2026, according to the company’s head of research.

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What’s odd about the patent is Ford plans to skip Level 3 autonomy and go straight to Level 5, the highest level of self-driving. In that future, the computer will control the car in all environments.

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Fiat Chrysler joins BMW, Intel self-driving consortium

Fiat Chrysler has joined BMW’s growing consortium of automakers, tech companies, and suppliers, all working together to accelerate the creation of semi-autonomous and driverless vehicles.

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Alongside Fiat and Chrysler, FCA owns the Jeep, Maserati, and Dodge car brands, covering almost all consumer vehicle sizes. That should allow the consortium to modify self-driving software down to the type of car.

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“In order to advance autonomous driving technology, it is vital to form partnerships among automakers, technology providers and suppliers,” said FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne. “Joining this cooperation will enable FCA to directly benefit from the synergies and economies of scale that are possible when companies come together with a common vision and objective.”

It is not FCA’s first foray into the world of self-driving, the company has supplied over one hundred modified Chrysler Pacifica minivans to Waymo. It has reportedly also been in talks with Uber and Amazon, although nothing appears to have come of these meetings.

The eagerness to partner with others has not been matched by the company’s own self-driving research and development. FCA is estimated to be behind General Motors, Ford, and BMW, all three aim to have driverless vehicles on the road by 2025.

FCA may look to the consortium to fill in the gaps. Intel and Mobileye can supply the processing power, sensors, and connectivity. Suppliers Delphi and Continental are looking to have major stakes in the self-driving market, possibly supplying other essential parts.

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With Waymo working on the self-driving software, FCA may only need to manufacture the cars, same as what they do now, to be successful.

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Toyota to unveil self-driving cars at 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo

Toyota plans to show of its self-driving cars at the 2020 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo, a similar timeframe to most automakers. The Japanese government is hoping to have autonomous cars driving before that time, to help with the influx of visitors to the country.

Demonstrations will be held at the Odaiba waterfront area, where most of the Olympics will take place. Compared to the rest of Tokyo, the Odaiba area has large, straight boulevards and light traffic, making it the ideal place to preview and demonstrate the company’s self-driving capabilities.

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“We want to show a high-spec technology as a showcase,” said Toyota’s executive general manager of autonomous driving, Ken Koibuchi, to Automotive News.

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But how bold is Toyota?

Toyota expects the showcase to be a turning point for public perception of self-driving. At the moment, it does not see major public demonstrations as necessary, though the lack of publicity could haunt the company as consumers look to competitors that have actively promoted development for years.

That lack of boldness has not weakened Toyota’s pursuit, according to Lux Research, the company is rated as one of the leaders in self-driving. It has partnered with Stanford and MIT to accelerate the development of AI and robotics, critical to the development of driverless cars.

Earlier this year, the company also announced a new self-driving vehicle, outfitted with Lidar, radar, and other high-tech sensors.

Toyota is the largest automotive manufacturer in the world by sales, so it needs to be ahead when it comes to self-driving. Forrester researchers predict that self-driving could have a severe effect on the global economy by 2035, harming automakers that don’t pounce on the opportunities.

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Intel to deploy 100 self-driving vehicles worldwide by end of year

Intel will deploy 100 self-driving vehicles in Europe, Israel, and the United States by the end of the year. The cars will be used as demonstration vehicles for customers and regulators, as well as test vehicles for the company’s self-driving efforts.
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The announcement comes alongside the completion of its $15.3 billion Mobileye acquisition, which it announced in March this year. Mobileye will supply the sensors and computer vision, while Intel supplies the processing power and expertise in 5G and cloud communication.

See Also: Intel “eliminates” wearables division to focus on augmented reality

The cars will reach Level 4 autonomy, the second highest level in the SAE classification system.

“Building cars and testing them in real-world conditions provides immediate feedback and will accelerate delivery of technologies and solutions for highly and fully autonomous vehicles,” said senior vice president of Intel and future Mobileye executive, Amnon Shashua.

“Geographic diversity is very important as different regions have very diverse driving styles as well as different road conditions and signage. Our goal is to develop autonomous vehicle technology that can be deployed anywhere, which means we need to test and train the vehicles in varying locations.”

Intel plans to use different brands and vehicle types, making it a truly agnostic system.

The acquisition of Mobileye makes Intel a powerful player in the self-driving market, capable of selling the hardware, software, and data services to an automaker. It is already a partner in BMW’s consortium, alongside auto suppliers Delphi and Continental, which is aiming for a Level 5 autonomous car by 2021.

“Delivering 100 test cars very quickly will demonstrate how this hybrid system can be adapted to meet customer needs,” said Shashua. “Neither company could do this alone. Given resident skill-sets within the two companies, a standalone fleet of test vehicles is possible almost immediately.”

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Waymo patents collapsible self-driving car design

Google’s self-driving division, Waymo, has received a patent for an automotive design where the car loses rigidity before a crash, minimizing the damage to the rider and any other cars.

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Waymo would achieve this by reducing the tension of hood, panels and bumpers before an accident, according to Silicon Beat. The release of tension should, in theory, significantly reduce the damage to other cars or people.

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“The force of the vehicle’s impact is a primary factor in the amount of damage that is caused by the vehicle,” said Waymo in the patent. “Accordingly, it is desirable to design a vehicle that can reduce the force of impact experienced during a collision.”

As most car accidents happen due to human error, Waymo expects most of its crashes to be the fault of the driver or pedestrian. It should, hopefully, be able to spot potential hazards a few seconds before a crash, giving the system time to loosen the tension.

The patent does not detail what would happen to the person inside the car in this scenario. Waymo riders sit in the back seat usually, so the company may be looking to redesign the car to insulate the driver from crashes while reducing the overall damage.

It is not the first unorthodox patent for reducing damage we have seen from Waymo, a year ago the company filed an patent for a hood that would stick the pedestrian to the bonnet of the car.

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Waymo also recently tested its Chrysler Pacifica vans in Death Valley, making sure that even with the additional electrics the self-driving cars were able to function in extreme conditions.

Tesla working on autonomous platooning for electric semi-truck

Tesla is reportedly working on a platooning system for its upcoming electric semi-truck, set to be unveiled in September, which will connect several self-driving trucks to a leader vehicle.

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It is close to a prototype of the platooning system, according to email conversations between Tesla and the Nevada Department for Motor Vehicles (DMV), seen by Reuters. The emails talk about potential road tests in the state, which is a frequent destination for self-driving firms.

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See Also: Self-driving truck moves deep underground

Tesla has also spoken to California DMV officials this week on the same subject.

The introduction of an autonomous platooning system would put Tesla in competition with Uber, which acquired self-driving truck startup Otto for $680 million last year. Waymo is also working on trucks, although the company has not unveiled any partnerships.

European automakers Daimler, Volvo, and Volkswagen are also testing self-driving trucks.

The business-as-a-mobility industry could be worth $3 trillion by 2050, according to a report by Intel and Strategy Analytics, most of the value coming from long-haul trucking.

Long-haul shipping is one of the most dangerous jobs, with quite a high employee turnover rate. Even with the high salaries, truckers are turning away from the rather lonely post, leaving it open for autonomous vehicles that don’t need sleep, coffee, or company.

There is still a worry that, in Tesla’s case, electric trucks will not be able to complete multiple deliveries across the U.S. without range worries. We’ll have to wait until September to see if the electric car manufacturer has seen to these worries.

Apple R&D spends almost $3 billion on self-driving and AR

Apple increased its R&D investment to $2.94 billion in the third quarter of 2017, around 6.5 percent of the company’s total sales in the quarter. It is a large advancement on the past years, and shows Apple has a few things big planned in the coming years.

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The most talked about, at least by Apple executives, is augmented reality. At WWDC 2017, it announced ARkit, a new SDK for developers to build mixed reality apps on iPhone and iPad. IKEA is one of the launch partners on iOS 11, turning its entire catalogue to highly realistic 3D images.

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See Also: What are the scary ripple effects of autonomous mobility?

A patent for mixed reality glasses, able to pull real-time data on points of interest, show the potential next step for Apple. CEO Tim Cook said AR could be as big as the smartphone in an interview with The Independent, and reports suggest it is turning into a passion project for the company.

The company is moving into AR at a critical time, with Google relaunching Glass as a tool for workers and companies like HP, Microsoft, and Intel all launching hardware and software dedicated to mixed reality.

Self-driving is reportedly one of the biggest projects inside Apple, although some say the company has curtailed the scope in the past few months. Originally, reports said Apple was working on the complete solution: hardware, software, and services, but after a change up in leadership it has apparently moved towards the software side.

In interviews, the firm’s executives have hinted that cars are but one part of automation, leading people to believe it is looking into drones, pods, or new types of transport. That said, the company recently received a license to test three self-driving cars in California.

Other major investments, outside of the normal iPhone, iPad, Mac lineup, possibly include wearables that pass FDA approval. Fitbit and Jawbone, two of the first major wearable brands, are both pivoting to the health industry, Apple is expected to follow suit.