DRIVERLESS CARS

Mcity Provides a Testing Ground for Autonomous Vehicles

July 21, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

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.

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

July 21, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

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 driving Instead, 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.