A new collaboration between digital map-makers, the OneMap Alliance, has set itself the challenge of developing a global HD map for autonomous cars by 2020. The project - which is also inviting other companies to get involved - hopes to offer automakers and other companies developing driverless vehicles a single, consistent HD map across different regions.
Autonomous cars are the future and promise safer roads and fewer accidents, but they are far from perfect right now. Uber's autonomous car killed a pedestrian recently and now an autonomous ride from Mobileye, a company owned by Intel, has run a red light and the driver failed to stop the car. The incident happened while testing in Jerusalem in a Mobileye car that lacks radars and lasers used by other companies.
Uber suspended its self-driving car tests in March following a fatal collision with a pedestrian. News later surfaced that the company wouldn't be renewing its testing permit with California, but according to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, the tests may resume later on this year. The revelation was made during the company's Elevate event in LA today, though specifics weren't provided.
Alphabet has announced plans to launch a Waymo self-driving car service later this year. The service will be launching first in Phoenix, Arizona, where residents and visitors will be able to order a fully autonomous car using the mobile app. Though Waymo isn't the first company to launch a self-driving car service for the public, it does offer a twist: there won't be a human safety driver in the vehicles.
The fatal collision involving Uber's autonomous car in Arizona earlier this year saw the vehicle's systems intentionally avoid swerving, insiders claim, having reportedly been programmed with a higher tolerance for unexpected items in the lane ahead. The crash took place in Tempe, AZ, in March of this year, with a driverless car in self-driving mode colliding with a pedestrian who stepped out unexpectedly into the road.
Starting this summer, autonomous car company Drive.ai will roll out an autonomous car service pilot program in Frisco, Texas. The company plans to offer more than 10,000 rides to the public as part of the pilot program, one being done in cooperation with the Frisco Transportation Management Association. Though the pilot will start modestly, the company has already revealed some of its plans for expansion.
Waymo's computers may not have been at the wheel during the Arizona car crash last Friday, but eventually autonomous car developers will have to figure out just how human they dare let their AI drivers behave. While plenty of attention has been given to the technological barriers to self-driving cars, and a reasonable amount to the insurance and regulatory implications, there's a big black hole in one other key element. That's driverless car ethics.
Waymo has released a video from the driverless car involved in a collision in Arizona today, suggesting there was little either the vehicle or the safety driver could have done to avoid the crash. The incident took place in Chandler, Arizona, one of the cities in which Alphabet-owned Waymo is running trials of its autonomous vehicle technology.
A Waymo self-driving minivan was involved in a crash in Arizona this afternoon, though initial reports suggest the autonomous prototype was not to blame for the collision. Waymo is one of a number of companies running driverless car trials in the state, after efforts by Arizona's governor to encourage high-tech investment with easier regulations.
Aptiv has announced the launch of 30 self-driving cars in Las Vegas, all of them operating under the Lyft ridesharing network. The general public will have access to these cars via Lyft, though the autonomous technology itself comes from Aptiv. However, riders have to opt-in to self-driving rides before the app will allow them to hail one of the vehicles.
Toyota is opening a 60 acre test site for autonomous vehicles, with the Michigan facility being used for trials considered too risky for public roads. Expected to open by October this year, the site at Michigan Technical Resource Park will be managed by the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), the group at the automaker focused on developing both autonomous safety systems and self-driving vehicles for convenience.
Alphabet's self-driving division Waymo has applied to test driverless autonomous cars on California roads, the company has confirmed. The application was submitted earlier this week with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Assuming sources expanding on the matter are correct, Waymo plans to start its testing in Mountain View and expand into the Bay Area later on.