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eTrans Systems, a leading developer of software solutions for connected and automated vehicles, has launched VSDP, a revolutionary new V2X Software Development Platform.
VSDP provides tools for the rapid development, testing and maintenance of cutting-edge V-to-Everything (V2X) and Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) solutions. It features robust apps for DSRC messaging, input data generation, simulation, and resulting data analysis.
VSDP allows for applications to be coded once for a variety of hardware platforms including Renesas, Cohda Wireless, and Arada/Lear.
Users can apply VSDP’s integrated test environment for testing in the lab, over the air and on the road. This translates into a fast turnaround of system changes. In addition, a variety of display options means quick insight into what is happening within your application.
“With VSDP, companies can cut down their development and test time by over 50 percent,” says Robert Baily, eTrans Systems CTO. “That means faster time to market and lower costs.”
Fairfax, Virginia-based eTrans Systems specializes in the development of secure, connected vehicle systems for driverless cars, connected vehicles, and other technologies. Company founders each have over twenty years of experience in software solutions, software development and testing.
The VSDP consists of three main components:
eTrans’ VSDP is configurable and flexible, and can be installed locally or via the Cloud. Built-in tools allow for communication to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s warehouse and clearinghouse.
It’s not called March for nothing.
The U.S. Army this month actively pushed its robotics and autonomous vehicle programs as it tests new equipment and looks for ways to replace men with machines.
Here’s a roundup:
The leader of the army’s robotics group argued that a ‘robotics vanguard’ could replace human soldiers during certain offensive maneuvers.
“There’s no reason why the first contact with an enemy force should be with a man-platform, because it means that platform is at the greatest risk,” Dr. Bob Sadowski said at a robotics conference in March in Springfield, Va., the Army reported.
Sadowski is the robotics leader with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center, (TARDEC), in Warren, Mich.
TARDEC oversees the Army’s manned and unmanned ground vehicle systems, and combat service support equipment.
A first offense robot could save lives while providing intelligence on enemy positions, Sadowski said.
TWO ARMS ARE BETTER THAN ONE
The conference also saw a display of a two-armed robot that can diffuse bombs.
Hau Do, leader of a TARDEC robotics development team, noted his group is working with Carnegie Mellon spinoff RE2 Robotics on the project.
The Army now uses one-armed robots to diffuse bombs but they leave a little to be desired.
“Have you ever tried unscrewing a water bottle cap with one arm? You can’t,” Hau Do told the Army press office.
Partners will be able to catch up at TARDEC Industry Days April 26-27, in Warren, Mich.
EQUIPMENT TRANSPORT
The Army is reviewing the Squad Maneuver Equipment Transport (SMET), an autonomous or semi-autonomous, vehicle that carries the equipment soldiers need on a 72-hour patrol. The SMET might also be used for perimeter defense once a base is established.
Precise specs haven’t been written, but the vehicle will be powered by a rechargeable battery that can also charge the soldiers equipment as necessary.
The vehicle must be large enough to carry the equipment but small enough to fit in a helicopter, and move through a jungle.
SILICON VALLEY COLLABORATION
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter visited Silicon Valley in March as the Pentagon sought to strengthen its ties with the tech industry. Carter has promoted the 3rd Offset Strategy that relies on new technology to offset enemy advantages in troop size or other strengths.
Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google parent Alphabet, was named the chief of an advisory panel that will provide the Defense Department with innovative ideas being developed in the Valley.
Schmidt, who was the only announced panelist, said he had a list of possible members to call.
Carter also gave a boost to collaborative industry/military projects launched last year under the ARCYBER name. These are designed to counter social media threats by various enemies.
One new approach is the teaming of 10 Army cyber (hence ARCYBER) experts with their Silicon Valley counterparts.
In April, a Hacking4Defense program will begin at Stanford University. Students will work with reps from the DoD and various intelligence agencies to apply ‘lean startup principals’ when creating social media products.
Last year’s Army Cyber Innovation Challenge led to vendors supplying defensive infrastructure kits that protect Army cyber protection teams. This month, the Army plans to begin a challenge designed to foment new software that will manage its cloud computing systems.
Auto parts supplier Sensata Technologies has partnered with leading LiDAR developer Quanergy Systems to expand sales of Quanergy’s sensor products.
The two announced in a joint press release that, “Together, Sensata and Quanergy will leverage Quanergy’s substantial intellectual property and current and future technology development to deliver LiDAR sensors that have substantially lower costs, higher reliability, improved capability, and lower power consumption when compared to traditional mechanical LiDAR sensors.”
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors are used extensively in autonomous vehicles, and for 3D mobile mapping, and vehicle safety systems. The sensors are commonly seen as the bulb-like devices sticking out from autonomous vehicles.
Quanergy’s LiDAR systems are marketed to auto OEMs and parts suppliers for use in consumer and fleet vehicles, and for digital mapping. Quanergy has partnerships with Mercedes, Hyundai, and Renault-Nissan.
It says its sensors have a 360 degree field of view, a several-hundred meter range, accuracy down to the centimeter, and a 30 Hertz scanning frequency.
Quanergy CEO Dr. Louay Eldada said in the release his firm will “benefit from Sensata’s new product launch and manufacturing expertise, deep customer relationships and global presence as the leading independent sensor supplier.”
The two reached a “strategic partnership and investment agreements” but no dollar value of an investment was released. Sensata will have a seat on Quanergy’s board following the deal.
CONSIDERABLY LARGER
Publicly-held Sensata (ST) is considerably larger than Quanergy.
Sensata is a Netherlands-based holding company and manufacturer and marketer of auto parts, HVAC systems, and other technology. Net revenues totaled $2.9 billion last year, up from $2.4 billion in 2014. Nearly 70 percent of revenues came from auto products in its fiscal 2015 year.
Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Quanergy is privately held.
It has raised $34.5 million through several invest rounds. A Series A funding round in November 2014 garnered $30 million from Rising Tide Fund, Wicklow Capital, Motus Ventures, Wardenclyffe Partners, and others.
Morgan Hill, Calif.-based Velodyne LiDAR is another major supplier of sensors. It introduced its smaller, lighter Puck Lite sensor last month.
Some heavy-duty truck makers are seeing a slowdown in North American sales just as platooning systems are getting closer to being road-ready.
Volvo this month predicted a decline of 14 percent in truck sales in North America and Brazil, according to Reuters. Germany’s Daimler sees a drop of 10 percent for class 6-8 trucks, while U.S. Paccar believes there will be a 12 percent drop for class 8 trucks.
The news comes as the American Trucking Associations trade group holds its meeting in Nashville.
The bad news may be tempered by technology that could lower fuel costs for operators.
Just last fall the Utah Department of Transportation was testing the truck-to-truck communications system from Peloton Technology.
The system allows trucks to connect, or platoon together, when they are about 50 feet apart.
Running this close together leads to better aerodynamics, and that leads to reduced fuel costs of 10 percent for the rear truck, and nearly 5 percent for the lead truck, Peloton reports.
The trucks travel safely due to direct communications that enable the rear truck to respond in kind as the front truck accelerates or brakes.
“We’ll have one truck driving ahead that is in complete control of the driving,” John Jacobs, a Peloton engineer, told the Desert News. “The rear vehicle uses a combination of sensors, including radar, high precision (global positioning satellites), a camera and two-way communications … to get a precise idea of the location of the front truck.”
Peloton also operates an operations center that monitors and shares local weather, vehicle, and traffic conditions with trucks participating in its system.
Peloton says a truck could save about $2,000 annually by using its system.
Peloton last month was named to the Global Cleantech 100 because of the promising impact of its technology. Peloton’s investors include Volvo, UPS, Denso, Intel, and Nokia.
MAJOR CHANGES COMING
The trucking industry sees major changes of this type on the horizon, according to a recent survey of company executives from Princeton Consulting, Trucking Info reports.
Princeton found that 28 percent of trucking leaders believe that autonomous trucks could have a medium or high impact on their industry in the next eight years.
This will happen in three phases, Princeton says.
First, the use of autopilot systems will expand in the heavy trucking. Second, platooning systems like that provided by Peloton will be operated on select highways. Eventually autonomous trucks will see widespread adoption on highways across the country.
Trucking executives also believe drones, a shift to Uber-style management by freight brokers, and greater use of data will all have major impacts on the industry, according to the survey.
Graphic by Linkoping Universitet.
State legislatures in Tennessee and Virginia are working methodically in their review of driverless technology laws.
For now, the focus is on ensuring that the language of any new law fits current definitions and statutes covering vehicle technology and driver requirements.
“There’s excitement and cautiousness. (People) get concerned when you talk about a fully autonomous vehicle,” said Del. Glenn Davis, a Republican in the Virginia General Assembly.
Right now states are hesitant to pass any rules on driverless technology, said Anne Teigen, a program principal, and policy specialist transportation, with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
“The challenge for the states is that they want to react but they don’t want to stifle innovation. They are trying to find a balance,” said Teigen.
Teigen in January updated the NCSL’s page devoted to autonomous legislation, noting there were then 32 proposals in state legislatures related to the vehicles. The website doesn’t cover connected vehicle activity.
In Tennessee, state Sen. Mark Green introduced SB 1561 that would allow road testing of the driverless vehicles. Green argues this will encourage auto manufacturers to start building the cars in the state.
GM, Nissan, and Volkswagen, and Tier 1 supplier Denso already operate manufacturing plants in Tennessee.
Green declined to share names but says he has had discussions with auto OEMs and suppliers on driverless testing in the Volunteer State.
The bill is far from a sure thing. Green must rewrite some of the language so a driverless vehicle operator meets the state’s definition of a vehicle driver. He plans to officially propose it to the Senate Transportation Committee in a few weeks.
This summer, the state’s DOT, its motor vehicle department, and others may designate a road corridor for testing vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, says Green.
OLD DOMINION STAYS NEW
In Virginia, the House and Senate have approved a proposal from Del. Davis that legalizes monitors showing live images in a vehicle when the vehicle is being operated autonomously.
The bill’s language is convoluted but it was necessary to override an existing law that fought distracted driving, said Davis.
“We needed to address this. This is a first step. We need to make sure the laws are safe both for standard mode (vehicles) and autonomous vehicles,” said Davis.
The proposal now goes to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe for his signature. McAuliffe last year launched Virginia Automated Corridors, a state initiative on the research and development of automated vehicles.
Davis also proposed a bill that would define autonomous vehicles but it got bottled up in committee and will probably expire when the state’s legislative session ends in March.
He might reintroduce the proposal next year, expanding it to include a definition of automated-vehicle technology, like lane assist and cruise control, along with that of autonomous vehicles.
That combination of familiar technology with cutting-edge driverless could sway more legislators to vote for the bill, says Davis.
“New vehicles are bringing this combination of automated technology and driver control,” said Davis. “Once people are comfortable with (lane assist), you will see more acceptance of (autonomous).”
While the states move slowly, the U.S. Department of Transportation is setting the pace on federal policy.
Its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) division will release this summer a policy foundation for autonomous vehicles. This will include a definition of the vehicles, testing policies, and guidance on their deployment and operation.
NHTSA will also release a model driverless car policy for the states.
The feds just may overtake the states on this one.
Graphic by brisray.com.
Autonomous cars could be the disruptive technology that disrupts just about everything.
A new conference in Canada, “Automated Vehicles: Planning the Next Disruptive Technology” is designed to update transportation experts on the technology and help them prepare for its impact.
The event from the Conference Board of Canada will run April 19-20 in the One King West Hotel in Toronto.
The conference will address autonomous technology and its impact on urban planning, security and privacy, transit, and the movement of commercial goods. See the agenda here.
The conference arises in part from a 2015 paper from the consultant Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellence (CAVCOE), and the Conference Board. (See “Autonomous Vehicles to Save Canada $54 Billion, Many Lives”).
One year later, the Conference Board is organizing the event and the timing is right, says Barrie Kirk, executive director of CAVCOE, a conference sponsor.
For instance, a test of autonomous vehicles on public roads began near Toronto in January, and the government just released its 10-year strategic transportation plan that includes some mention of autonomous technology. The Toronto test could bring driverless cars traveling on everything from Highway 401 to suburban side streets, according to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
“We’re seeing the winds of change blow through our federal government,” said Kirk. The newly-elected Liberal government “is more open. They seek partnerships. And policy groups are seeing disruptive technology coming.”
CAVCOE is taking advantage of the open mood to request that 1 percent of the 18 billion (Canadian) the nation spends on infrastructure be devoted to smart infrastructure, says Kirk. That 180 million Canadian converts to $133 million U.S.
Smart infrastructure covers a lot of ground, notes Kirk, including autonomous vehicles, emissions, data and privacy, cybersecurity, weather, and distracted drivers.
The conference is also sponsored by the Canadian Automobile Association and BlancRide, a Canadian carpooling service.
Photo by CAVCOE.
The U.S. Navy is expanding its work on unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) as part of the military’s focus on cyber-and electronic- warfare.
An unmanned craft from SeeByte uses its Neptune technology to share data with other unmanned vehicles and determine a collective response to a threat. A human operator sets the overall objective for a team of vehicles that use an algorithm to build a plan to meet the objective.
Britain’s Royal Navy also uses products from Edinburgh, Scotland-based SeeByte to operate UUVs developed by Canada and the UK.
The US applied short-range UUVs to gather intelligence in response to Iran’s plans to mine the Persian Gulf, according to the publication Breaking Defense.
The Pentagon’s emphasis on technology and unmanned systems is part of the Third Offset Strategy introduced in 2014 by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. In brief, the idea is to offset the enemy’s strength in one area with a strength of your own in a different area.
Some of the technologies falling under the Third Offset Strategy are robotics and system autonomy, miniaturization, and big data.
The Pentagon’s Long-Range Research and Development Planning Program also is looking to better collaborate with private industry on these technologies.
“We are knee-deep in the Third Offset Strategy discussion… along with our army and air force and DARPA leadership in supporting the (Defense Department’s) focus [on] man-machine interface with cyber, EW, and unmanned systems,” said Rear Admiral Mathias Winter, Breaking Defense reported.
The UUV technology remains in development, and the Pentagon is also working on adapting it to larger vessels operating on longer trips. The Navy plans to test these Long Diameter Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) this summer in an open ocean trip from San Diego to San Francisco.
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of Q&As with leaders in the automated, connected and driverless vehicle industry.
Stan Young is a research scientist with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) who has been active in automated transport systems for more than 20 years. He was critical to the growth of the Advanced Transit Association (ATRA), serving as president for six years, and conducted research on intelligent transportation systems as an engineer at the University of Maryland. At NREL Stan is helping to initiate research into the sustainability implications of emerging automated vehicles and the services they enable.
What is your role at the NREL, a division of the Department of Energy that promotes sustainable energy?
NREL recognized that as vehicles become automated, there may be drastic changes in how vehicles are used, and how people make trips. Trip making patterns have really not changed much for several decades. Over the past few decades vehicle energy consumption has largely been a straight forward accounting problem -track the fuel economy for each type of vehicle, estimate the portion of each type of vehicle owned by individuals, and estimate miles driven … then add it all up appropriately.
With the onset of fully connected and automated vehicles (and the services they enable), how we access our jobs and recreation will likely drastically change. We are seeing the front edge of this wave of change in services like Uber, Lyft, car-sharing, and ride-sharing. These have all been enabled by the information revolution. Coupled with the automation revolution, well … hang on for an interesting ride.
In the long run, many of the common trips we take like driving to work, or the grocery store, may be served by an automated taxi that chauffeurs you the entire way, without the hassle of parking, fueling, or ever having to go to the DMV, and do so at a cost that is less than what we typically pay for our private vehicles now on a cost per mile basis.
NREL recognized it needed to understand mobility from a behavioral modeling perspective, and understand how automation can and will change trip making patterns in order to understand how surface energy (and greenhouse gas emissions) may be impacted. That is my role with NREL, bringing the more traditional mobility modeling into the mix to complement their vehicle drivetrain expertise.
You’ve also been involved with the Advanced Transit Association (ATRA) and Personal Rapid Transit. Why is PRT important?
Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) was envisioned in the 1960s and demo systems were built in the 1970s. Even as recently as the 2000’s some PRT systems were put into service, but it has never proliferated due to the expense of building exclusive roadways or guideways for its operation.
The mobility service provided by PRT is very similar to that envisioned with automated taxis – small vehicles providing individualized service for people. As such, many of the system studies and lessons learned in PRT demonstrations and research inform planners and researchers on the scope of service that can be anticipated from automated vehicles harnessed for public mobility.
Although the PRT industry continues to move forward, recently adopting the term Automated Transit Networks, they do not receive the attention that concepts emerging from automated vehicles have received in recent years.
How does advanced transit overlap with autonomous and connected vehicles? Are these transit vehicles driverless?
The two worlds are merging. Technology and business barriers from legacy operations are dissolving. ‘Transit systems’ are traditionally thought of as municipally-owned and operated services, while ‘vehicles’ are traditionally thought of as individually-owned and operated.
Recent advances in shared vehicles and shared rides, combined with ubiquitous communications through smart-phone yielding services like Uber and Lyft, have already disrupted these old paradigms. So that when we think of automated vehicles – many people are considering what the impact would be if they were managed as a fleet to provide point-to-point connectivity.
That idea is similar to the concepts of PRT that have been fostered for decades.
What current/recent projects do you see as leading the way in showing the capabilities of driverless transit?
Google’s pod cars are by far the forerunner. There are industry rumors that Google will introduce a campus or district system, meaning their automated vehicles will be confined to a specific area within a city. At the 2016 CES show Ford President Mark Fields said that he expects full Level Four automated vehicle capability to be available before the end of the decade in ‘geo-fenced areas’, meaning specific districts/campus/pre-defined locations.
There are several shuttle systems, such as the vendors supporting CityMobil, that are working toward the same concept, providing fully automated transit shuttles on public streets. Demonstrations and initial projects are expected before the end of the decade.
Reducing the use of fossil fuels and shifting to sustainable mobility is an important part of advanced transit theory. How do you convince transit vehicle OEMs to build electric powered driverless vehicles?
Electrification has made in-roads, but is still a tough sell. If there is a fleet of vehicles providing individual automated taxi service within a district, that fleet will be optimized by the fleet manager for efficiency, cost, and customer satisfaction. That is where there may be opportunities for alternative fuels that are more sustainable – be it electric, hybrid, fuel-cell, and so on.
The size of fleet vehicles will likely match the demand better than what current private ownership does, and the fleet is more easily managed for re-fueling, maintenance, etc., items that are critical in introducing alternative fuels into the market.
My sense is Americans will be less open to this kind of transit than Europeans. Is that a fair assumption?
Hmmmm … I think it is more a demographic and generational divide. Most of the momentum in the U.S. is for urban and city areas, similar to Europe. In these areas, everyone is looking for better connectivity, something to relieve the congestion, and make life more convenient. I think it will be awhile before we see any of these services in less densely developed areas. That is where automated driving of the more traditional variety (individually-owned vehicles) will likely see inroads.
I mention a generational divide because many younger people see vehicle ownership as a burden and are seeking better mobility.
How do you convince commuters to switch to a driverless bus or train?
Just provide them a better service than what they currently experience. I do not want to force anyone out of their car, I just want to get them to their end destination faster, safer, more conveniently while using less energy.
Thanks Stan.
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