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Mcity Provides a Testing Ground for Autonomous Vehicles

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Autonomous driving test facilities are few in number. The University of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Transportation have partnered to build Mcity, a facility where connected cars and autonomous driving can be put through the paces.

MCity
MCity, where autonomous driving is put through the paces.

It is understood that driverless vehicles will eventually become commonplace on America’s roads. What is not yet clear is when this will happen. Indeed, there are obstacles that may slow down the process, including state and federal regulations, insurance industry oversight, and consumer acceptance. The technology is there, but the barriers must be removed.

On Monday, the University of Michigan launched Mcity, its 32-acre controlled environment designed to advance connected car and autonomous vehicle technologies. The city within the city of Ann Arbor will provide a unique environment for manufacturers, regulators, suppliers and insurance companies to help make autonomous driving a reality.

State and Industry Cooperation

Mcity was founded by the University of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Together, the two invested more than $10 million in the test facility and 15 companies, including automotive manufacturers, insurance companies, technology companies and industry suppliers are contributing $1 million over the first three years. An additional 33 companies are contributing $150,000 over that span.

“We believe that this transformation to connected and automated mobility will be a game changer for safety, for efficiency, for energy, and for accessibility,” said Peter Sweatman, director of the U-M Mobility Transformation Center. “Our cities will be much better to live in, our suburbs will be much better to live in. These technologies truly open the door to 21st century mobility.”

Michigan remains the top state for producing cars as well as for research and development. The Wolverine State has also been at the forefront of connected vehicle technologies, something that Mcity is designed to advance.

“We’ve been a world leader in innovation, especially in terms of mobility,” said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. “We put the world on wheels. We transformed how the world moved. Michigan is uniquely positioned to continue to be a leader in mobility, and the University of Michigan’s new Mcity will play a critical role in that future.”

Real World Surroundings

Mcity was designed to mimic real world conditions. Thus, the environment includes a carefully designed network of roads along with traffic signs and signals, street lights, construction obstacles, sidewalks and, yes, building facades. The initiative was designed to provide surroundings that will allow emerging technologies to be tested in a controlled environment.

“There are many challenges ahead as automated vehicles are increasingly deployed on real roadways,” Sweatman said. “Mcity is a safe, controlled, and realistic environment where we are going to figure out how the incredible potential of connected and automated vehicles can be realized quickly, efficiently and safely.”

Mcity: Vehicle to Vehicle Communication

Mcity will permit vehicles to talk with each other, even around blind corners, as well as to the infrastructure. The locale will help vehicles determine when a person crosses the road in front of a car as well as detecting when a dog does likewise.

As important as Mcity is for building an autonomous vehicle network, it is only the first step that the University of Michigan, the UDOT and its partners will take. Real world deployment will expand to Ann Arbor proper where connected cars are already traversing the city’s streets. From there, the entire southeast region of the state will become the testing ground, simulating driving conditions throughout the country.

Thus, from a controlled environment with just scores of vehicles at work, the deployment will expand to as many as 9,000 vehicles in Ann Arbor to 20,000 vehicles in the southeast Michigan region. Further, a 2,000-vehicle mobility service of connected and automated vehicles will be deployed in Ann Arbor.

For more information, check out the U-M Mobility Transformation Center.

Autonomous Driving: Well, Not Exactly

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Autonomous driving is one of the buzzwords that piques the interest of futurists. Just the thought of driving from Point A to Point B while taking a nap has some people clamoring for the technology. Certainly the safety aspect is important too, thus insurers, regulators and manufacturers are also advocating for driverless cars.

One of the automotive executives at the forefront of advancing autonomous drive is Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. His self-driving vehicle pronouncements have been carefully followed, including what plans the Renault-Nissan alliance has to further this initiative.

Well, Ghosn has clarified his earlier remarks, dialing down expectations in the process. No Nissan-built model will drive itself in 2020, the year when Ghosn had earlier pegged for bringing the technology to the market.

Autonomous Driving Lite

Nissan autonomous drivingInstead, Nissan plans to offer automated lane controls and highway traffic management systems, what will be introduced over the next four years. In essence, Nissan is taking a more conservative approach as it progressively rolling out technologies in advance of full-scale driverless cars.

By the end of 2016, Nissan will make available the next two technologies under its autonomous drive strategy, said Mr. Ghosn. We are bringing to market a traffic-jam pilot, a technology enabling cars to drive autonomously – and safely – on congested highways. In the same timeframe, we will make fully-automated parking systems available across a wide range of vehicles.

Ghosn presented Nissan’s goals in a speech to the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, last Wed. He said that the initial technologies will be followed by intersection-autonomy, what will permit vehicles to “negotiate city cross-roads without driver intervention.” Even so, Ghosn noted that “self-driving cars remain a long way from commercial reality.”

Overcoming Regulatory Hurdles

The Nissan executive admitted that there are quite a few hurdles to overcome before full-blown autonomous driving can become a reality. He noted that a “regulatory minefield” remains a huge obstacle, one composed not just of many nations, but various states and local jurisdictions that each have their own say.

Choosing the term “regulatory minefield” speaks volumes as it sends a signal that even with the technology ready to go, government approval will slow it down.

Four Major Trends

Ghosn outlined what he says as “four major trends” that would drive demand for autonomous drive technologies, as well as increase interest in zero-emission vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF, and greater in-car connectivity. The four trends are:

“(First), …the rise of global mega-cities, which is increasing the need for innovations to ease congestion, reducing emissions and improve traffic management.

Second, demand is growing for in-car communications that meet or exceed the high expectations of the digital generation. Our vehicles must be as connected as the smartphones and tablets that this generation depends upon day in and day out.

Third, there is the need to bridge the generation gap by providing vehicles that appeal to the worlds growing population of seniors. These consumers want technologies and automated systems that enable them to drive safely, for longer.

“Fourth s the pressing need to embrace gender diversity. This means recognizing the vital role that women play as consumer-purchasers, decision-makers and managers throughout the car industry.

Enhanced Communications

For its part Nissan expects to equip more than 1.5 million of its vehicles with enhanced communications by next year, by making use of cloud-based systems that provide improved access to social media, entertainment apps, and voice recognition software.

Said Ghosn, “We will continue to make our cars more connected. We plan to lead in delivering Autonomous Drive vehicles. And, in every part of the business, we are recognizing the unique needs of elderly drivers and the impact and influence of female customers.

Related Autonomous Driving News

Autonomous Driving: Ford Collaborates with MIT, Stanford

Semi-autonomous Cadillac Possible by 2015

MIT Names Audi, Toyota As Disruptive Companies

2013 Cadillac XTS Throws Down the Safety Gauntlet

Cloud-Based Safety Systems and Your Car

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Volvo Cars
Volvo cars will soon communicate via the cloud.

At some point in the not too distant future, your car may be controlled by the cloud. No, not the cumulus or cirrus cloud drifting slowly by in the sky, rather by network-based systems running on servers located far from the road. Essentially, your car would contain a device that will communicate with a remote server, providing immediate, real-time response.Cloud-based technologies are ready to go, but certain vehicle modifications must be enabled first. Moreover, allowing outside control of your vehicle also means certain governing authorities must amend motoring laws to permit autonomous driving. Were not there yet, but driverless cars are on the way.

Volvos Scandinavian Initiative

Sweden and Norway will be doing just that thanks in cooperation with Volvo. In March 2014, the Swedish-based automaker announced a pilot project for autonomous driving, utilizing a cloud-based system approved by both Scandinavian governments. That project will capture road friction information from individual cars and share it with the system. Volvo has also promised that no personal driver information will be culled or stored an important vow in this day of NSA data mining.

For the initial leg of the program, vehicles will communicate with each other while on the road, sending out a warning when slippery winter pavement conditions are present. The moment that a project car detects slippery conditions, that information will be sent to the Volvo Car Group database along with an immediate warning provided to the affected car through the instrument cluster.

Simultaneously, warnings are sent to nearby vehicles approaching the affected area and to the road administrator. That administrator could then respond by dispatching equipment, such as a salt truck, to treat the road. One related benefit is that salt would be applied only as needed, minimizing the environmental impact sustained from broadcast treatment. Safer roads would be the intended result, courtesy of the cloud storage providers.

Safer Driving Thanks to the Cloud

Detecting slippery road conditions is just the beginning for what Volvo wants to achieve as it works toward pilotless cars. Other important information that could be shared with vehicles in the cloud-based network are receiving careful consideration, each with an eye toward providing a more comfortable drive, safer traffic, and improved traffic flow noted Erik Israelsson, Project Leader Cooperative ITS (Intelligent Transport System) at Volvo Car Corporation.

Volvo appears to be the the furthest along the road to create a cloud-based system or one that will presage full-time autonomous driving. Indeed, the project aligns with the automakers Vision 2020 plan that by 2020, nobody shall be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo. Thats an ambitious goal first announced in 2008 and reiterated by Volvo regularly.

By overriding driver behavior, Volvo claims that more than 90 percent of all vehicular accidents might be avoided. Thats a noble goal, one that will require much cooperation from drivers, other car manufacturers, and government authorities in Scandinavia as well as abroad.

US Autonomous Driving

In the United States, the state of Nevada has enacted legislation to permit autonomous driving for testing purposes only. Equipped vehicles must be outfitted with the appropriate technology, have already logged more than 10,000 road miles, and include a driving plan. Approved vehicles are outfitted with a pair of red license plates and motorists will be required to obtain a special driver license endorsement.

Pictograph courtesy of Volvo Cars Corporation.

Are Driverless Cars Really That Far-Fetched?

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In 1939, American theatrical designer Normal Bel Geddes put together his vision of the future at the New York World’s Fair. The showcase was called ‘Futurama’ and allowed Bel Geddes to highlight his vision of New York in 1959; featuring city roads filled with fully autonomous electric vehicles.

His vision went on to influence countless sci-fi films, TV shows and books in the ensuing years, but his dream has remained little more than a fantasy. However, all of that is about to change with eight different major companies each working on driverless car solutions.

So, who will be first company to bring a driverless car to the market?

Is Google Winning?

Google’s driverless car solution is undoubtedly the most high profile of them all. The Internet giant has been working on its concept since 2005 and has already completed 140,000 miles of on-the-road testing with a driverless Toyota Prius, with only one incident. That incident happened when the test car was hit from behind while stopped at a traffic light by another driver.

The Google solution uses a very prominent laser, GPS and a video camera solution on the roof of the vehicle which maps out the surrounding area and any other obstacles such as road users or pedestrians. This allows the vehicle to navigate safely to a set destination without incident.

Google has estimated that the technology will be made available to the general public between 2016 and 2018. However, there are many questions that remain unanswered regarding how the technology will implemented.

Will Google team up with a car manufacturer and supply them exclusively with Google driverless technology? Or, will this be a standalone device which all road users will be able to buy and fit to their existing vehicle? The largest profit potential probably lies with the second option and this would also undoubtedly have the biggest immediate affect on the motoring world.

Is Fully Autonomous the Right Way to Go?

Driverless cars offer many benefits. For one, driving standards would be significantly improved on the roads. This would not only reduce congestion issues sparked by increasingly frequent accidents, but also reduce car insurance premiums for motorists as it is likely that fewer claims would be made if human errors were eradicated from the equation.

However, not everyone is completely happy with the prospect of putting their lives in the hands of a computer; regardless of the success of the Google solution thus far. A number of manufacturers are therefore working on autonomous vehicle solutions which only work at low speeds.

Mercedes-Benz, for instance, has plans to release an S-Class model later this year which is equipped with a driverless car solution. The system will operate the car at speeds below 25 mph to aid with tedious inner city driving.

Mercedes is leading the way in the race to be first to market with this solution, but it is not quite as advanced at the moment as a solution being worked on General Motors. The American colossus is developing a solution which is capable of dropping off and picking up its owner, allowing motorists to go off to their meetings or go shopping while the car parks itself. The owner will then be able to specify a pick-up location and time using a smart phone app without actually being in the vehicle. General Motors is currently estimating that this very promising system will be available on its vehicles by 2015.

Will it Take Off?

There is widespread pessimism about driverless cars, with many people not being overly keen to rely on driverless cars at high speeds. The inner city and self-parking solutions being developed by General Motors might therefore be the right way to go at the moment; helping motorists avoid some of the aspects of driving which often prove to be the most frustrating.

Nevertheless, as with any innovation, it will still take a significant amount of time for driverless cars to become mainstream and it would, of course, only be available on cars produced by limited number of manufacturers.

The prospect of Google making this a standalone device which can be added to any existing vehicle offers perhaps the best chance that driverless cars have on becoming the norm over the next decade.

Driverless Car Infographic

MoneySupermarket has put together the following infographic, summarising all of these findings. However, perhaps the most surprising thing to come out of this is the realisation that driverless cars are far closer to becoming a reality than has been generally acknowledged.

driverless cars

Image Source: MoneySupermarket Car Insurance

Are Herbie and Knightrider Coming to a Dealership Near You?

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Television is famous for setting the standard for unthinkable automotive technology, but will Herbie and Knightrider be available for purchase soon? Well, no, but Stanley, Junior, Boss, and Shelley just might be within the next few decades. What are these unfamiliar names? They are the culmination of cutting edge technological innovation that is gracing our automotive industry right now—working toward a car that actually will drive itself.

A History Lesson

Autonomous Audi TT.
Autonomous Audi TT.
The Ford Model T first began to ply America’s streets in the year 1908—with few people of that time understanding that this vehicle would be the beginnings of a new age. The Industrial Revolution spawned the mass production of motor vehicles, allowing Detroit to rise as a manufacturing giant and putting rubber on the map in Akron, Ohio through companies such as Goodyear and Firestone. While almost all of these corporations are still around today, the post-industrial nature of the Western economy has turned to advanced engineering and technology to fuel the drive for new innovations.

What’s The Buzz?

I’m sure Henry Ford never imagined a car would ever operate without a driver, but today’s Tin Lizzie successors have much more competition these days. Concept cars coming from joint ventures between Stanford University and Volkswagen AG as well as one between the General Motors Company and Carnegie Mellon University, are working toward producing vehicles more akin to those featured in The Jetsons than the beloved antique motorcars forged from the imaginations of the Industrial Era.

Today’s driverless car revolution has its origins in a U.S. Department of Defense contest where participants were required to create the first autonomous car. The VW-Stanford team won the contest in 2005 with a Touareg named Stanley. In 2007, the title was stolen from the team—their Passat named Junior was pushed out of the running by the GM-Carnegie Mellon team’s Chevy Tahoe SUV named Boss.[1]

Following the competition both teams started working on more advanced technology, attempting to make these cars more efficient, compact and with more power. Indeed, Shelley is an Audi created by the team at Stanford that operates without a driver (it doesn’t even have physical controls) and recently completed an amazing journey up Pike’s Peak, completely alone.[2] That accomplishment may bring about a significant change in the automotive industry, allowing consumers to sit back and relax while the car does all the work for them. This will drastically change road-trips, as well as prevent some fender-benders.

Not So Risky Business

There is still a lot of speculation on how safe these autonomous vehicles are or how effective they will be in real-time traffic. However, there are other innovations being developed that aren’t quite so dramatic. One example is a Collision-Avoidance program being developed by researchers at Subaru, called EyeSight. This system is not intended to drive the car for you, but rather aid through limiting distractions on the road, overcoming blind spots or other factors that may impair a diver’s focus or vision.

Kinks are still being worked out and it is all speculation whether consumers will cede control of their cars to computers. In any case technological advances are introducing possibilities once deemed elaborate fantasies just one generation ago.

References

[1] DARPA: Urban Challenge

[2] MSNBC: Audi to Climb Pikes Peak Without a Driver

[3] CNET.com: Subaru’s New EyeSight Helps Drivers Watch Road

Article modified March 31, 2014.