From the Editors
We have been very busy in the AV space for the last while, which is why the October issue of AV Update is being published in early November. We apologize for the delay.

In Canada, there have been a number of announcements in the last few weeks. In summary, they are:
  • The Federal Minister of Transport has announced a Canadian Smart Cities Challenge that includes AVs and CVs.
  • At the City of Ottawa, Councillor Marianne Wilkinson introduced a motion on AVs, moving the City towards an AV software Centre of Excellence and AV testing in the city. CAVCOE is referenced in the motion which is available here. The motion was passed by Council.
  • The City of Toronto has appointed a person full-time on the AV file -- a first for any municipality in Canada.In July,
  • In Winnipeg, Councillor Matt Allard authored a motion to examine the implications for the City of Winnipeg for land use planning, transportation planning, and other areas, based on the imminent arrival of self driving vehicles on the streets of Winnipeg.
  • A discussion has started in Edmonton on the relative roles of AVs and transit, including the impact on the new LRT. A video interview with CAVCOE's Paul Godsmark is included in this link.
  • There have been other municipal initiatives earlier this year in Canada in Vancouver, Calgary, and Stratford.
  • The Conference Board of Canada has announced more details on its conference: Automated Vehicles 2017: Planning the Next Disruptive Technology, to be held in Toronto in April 2017. CAVCOE is a sponsor and knowledge partner.
  • The level of interest in AVs is growing exponentially. Barrie Kirk has spoken at 32 private and public conferences so far in 2016; Paul Godsmark has done many more, and we have done 6 media interviews in the past week.
More details on some of the these activities are provided below. And there are various other things happening behind the scenes that we cannot talk about just yet. Stay tuned!
 
All this indicates a significant increase in the activities related to AVs, which is excellent.
 

The Automakers, Tier1s and AV Developers
To ramp up its efforts to deploy autonomous vehicle programs, Google is equipping 100 Chrysler Pacifica vans with sensors to add to its existing vehicles undergoing testing. A few prototypes have already been spotted on streets. Here’s the Electrek article to read more.

Tesla recently announced that it is developing its own computer vision framework, Tesla Vision, to replace Mobileye’s system. The new system is expected to take data from camera sensors and run its own image processing while working in tandem with Tesla’s radar processing technology. Here’s the Electrek article to read more on this advancement.

Key automotive and telecommunication companies have come together to form the 5G Automotive Association in order to develop connected mobility worldwide. 5G has the potential to enhance vehicle-to-everything communications and deliver the required vehicle and passenger safety. You can read more on Traffic Technology Today.

SpotHero, a service that allows drivers to prepay for a parking space in a garage via an app, recently raised $20 million in Series B financing.

Google has applied for a patent for emergency vehicle detection system to go with their self-driving tech. This will tell the driverless car what kind of action (such as pulling over) needs to be taken on detecting an emergency vehicle. Here’s the Car Scoops article on the same.

The UK has started its self-driving car testing this month when an AV, a two-seater LUTZ Pathfinder cruised around the pedestrian areas of Milton Keynes, and interacted with walkers and cyclists during the run. A photo is shown above and there is an article in The Guardian that provides more information.

Delphi’s driverless taxi testing operations will be conducted in Singapore next year. However, the company is aiming to expand its testing initiatives to other cities, such as Amsterdam, London, Shanghai. The news of expected partnerships with other municipalities is likely to come by the end of this year. Here’s the Automotive News article to read more.

Bosch is using the Tesla Model S Self Driving prototype for the purpose of testing its autonomous driving software. It is also believed to be Australia’s first locally developed self-driving car. Here’s the Electrek article to read more.

Automotive AI startup Comma.ai unveiled its first product at TechCruch Disrupt SF this year. The $999 add-on product will enable a journey to be made from Mountain View to San Francisco without requiring a driver to do anything. Here is the TechCruch article for more information.

Didi Chuxing, after buying Uber’s China business, is planning to develop its own self-driving cars. The company is in talks with Gansha Wu, former Director of Intel Labs, and a Beijing based startup UiSee Technology..Here’s the article posted on The Verge.

This article in Semiconductor Engineering is an excellent summary of the initiatives in the aftermarket world of AVs. Otto, Peleton, Comma.ai are just some of the companies grabbing the headlines this month.
 

AV Regulations
This article from The Hill describes the new US driverless car guidelines. The key takeaways include:
  • Fully autonomous cars won’t need steering wheels.
  • Cybersecurity and privacy issues are a concern.
  • States and cities may revisit their own policies.
  • Feds are banking on data-sharing .
  • The DOT may seek new powers from Congress.
The full Federal Automated Vehicles Policy can be found here.

US Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx, has come up with an innovative way to push (or modify) the regulatory structure to embrace the technology. U.S. DOT has established a 60-day comment period for stakeholders to voice their concerns. Please refer to this The Hill article to know more about how to voice your opinion.

Earlier this month, Valeo and Wheego were issued self-driving car testing permits by California.

And earlier in the year, Cruise Automation also received a permit before GM acquired the company. These advancements are a clear sign of heated autonomous vehicle space. Read more about in this Wall Street Journal article.

This Automotive article discusses the regulatory changes that may be needed as the definition of “driver” in the autonomous vehicle context gets clearer with time.
 

Other AV Articles
In the run up to the TU-Automotive ADAS & Autonomous USA Conference & Exhibition 2016 (Novi, October 3-4), a white paper was prepared that comprehensively reviews the progress of automated driving systems. Here’s a link to the document.

This Quartz article talks about one particular recent incident when Uber’s Self-Driving Car turned to go down wrong way on a one way road in Pittsburgh.

The ITS World Congress was recently held in Melbourne. Here’s a news release from the event listing some podcasts on a wide range of ITS issues.

This Traffic Safety Score article is an excellent refresher on the impact of autonomous vehicles on the insurance industry. The general opinion right now shows amazing contrast, as some suggest insurance premiums will plummet with the arrival of AVs, whereas others feel the impact may not be as huge as expected. (In CAVCOE's presentations, we predict that during the 2020s, the auto insurance industry will significantly contract, some companies will go under, and there will be other disruptions.)

The City Lab article talks about the impact of AVs on existing rail infrastructure. A study by Boston Consulting Group on “Will Autonomous Vehicles Derail Trains” and its findings have been summarized in the article, which quite intriguingly bring to light the enormous shakedown effects that AV industry can bring on the rail industry.

A recent article in the Las Vegas Sun reports on a recent AV conference there. The article features Paul Godsmark and comments from public sector officials in Las Vegas and southern Nevada.
 

Upcoming AV Related Events

Nov 18, 2016: Transport Futures - Mobility Pricing and Automated Vehicles Conference; Toronto, Ontario, Canada. AV Update subscribers are eligible for a 10% conference discount; use discount code CAVC5 in the "DC" box.

Nov 29-Dec 1, 2016: SAE 2016 From ADAS to Automated Driving; Munich, Germany.

February 27-28, 2017: Conference Board of Canada: Cyber Security 2017: Securing the Smart City of the Future; Ottawa, Canada

Apr 4-6, 2017: SAE 2017 World Congress and Exhibition; Detroit, Michigan, USA.

April 19-20, 2017: Conference Board of Canada: Automated Vehicles 2017: Planning the Next Disruptive Technology; Toronto, Ontario, Canada. AV Update subscribers can register using promotional code PRM2 to save $400 off the total conference rate. CAVCOE is a sponsor and knowledge partner.

May 15-17, 2017: UITP Global Public Transport Summit; Montreal, Canada.

Oct 29-Nov 2, 2017: ITS World Congress; Montreal, Canada.
AV Update is a free, monthly roundup of news and analysis in the world of automated vehicles and their impact on all levels of government and the private sector.

Chief Editor: Geetansh Kakkar
Editors: Barrie Kirk, Paul Godsmark

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