self-driving cars

Exploring What Autonomous Vehicles Mean for Left Turns

October 6, 2023 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Autonomous vehicles, commonly referred to as self-driving cars, seem to be poised to change the automotive industry in the years to come. In previous posts, we discussed how new technology, including self-driving cars, have the potential to change the way we approach safety when it comes to left turns. In this post, we will take a deeper dive into self-driving cars in the context of left turns and the potential applications for safety. We will discuss how autonomous vehicles might approach complex maneuvers like left turns using various sensors and detection methods.

The Advantage of Autonomous Vehicles:

When it comes to the intricate task of navigating left turns, autonomous vehicles still need to make improvements. However, some manufacturers have made significant gains in tackling these maneuvers as some self-driving cars can make left turns fairly competently. As this technology continues to improve, autonomous vehicles may eventually be far safer than human drivers when it comes to left turns. Self-driving cars rely on some core technologies to make left turns:

Precise Sensor Technology: Self-driving cars employ various sensor technologies, including radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, and GPS, to form a virtual map of the surrounding traffic and hazards. A combination of sensors is not only able to detect the location of vehicles, but also the speed and direction of traffic.
Predictive Algorithms: Predictive algorithms are designed to allow autonomous vehicles to make accurate real-time predictions about traffic patterns and traffic infrastructure. Advancements in AI will play a large role in helping self-driving cars to make accurate predictions based on road schematics.

Enhanced Safety:

A focal point of the movement to develop self-driving cars is the idea that autonomous vehicles have significant advantages when it comes to safety. Here are some of the ways self-driving cars may be able to approach left turns more safely:

Eliminating Human Error: Many left turn accidents are caused by the misjudgment of oncoming traffic, making a turn too hastily or impulsively, or failing to consider pedestrians in the left crosswalk. These types of human errors are potentially solvable through self-driving technology, as sensors may be able to form a more accurate map of the surrounding traffic to make better decisions.
Optimized Turn Timing: The speed and distance of oncoming traffic can easily be misjudged by human drivers which can lead to catastrophic accidents. Timing a safe gap in oncoming traffic may eventually be easier for autonomous vehicles. Additionally, drivers attempting to execute a left turn often face pressure from the vehicles behind them to make the turn quickly. Self-driving cars will not make a hasty turn in response to pressure.

Communication and Coordination:

When it comes to left turns, awareness of the surrounding traffic is key. One huge advantage of self-driving cars is the ability to communicate with other autonomous vehicles and increase that awareness. Additionally, self-driving cars will also be able to communicate with traffic infrastructure to aid in signal timing to create seamless left turns:

Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V): Self-driving cars will be able to communicate their intentions with other vehicles on the road, but that’s not the only potential application. They will also be able to relay information about road conditions to make left turns as safe as possible.
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) Integration: Left turns can be quite stressful when the intersection is highly congested. Self-driving cars will be able to communicate with traffic signals in order to time signal for minimal congestion, creating conditions for a much less risky left turn.

Prioritizing Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety:

Drivers making left turns must remain aware of pedestrians in the left crosswalk that may be in their turn path. Self-driving cars are designed to detect these pedestrians to prevent a catastrophic collision:

Enhanced Detection: Visibility is often limited in congested intersections, and self-driving cars are designed to solve that problem. Advanced sensors will be able to detect pedestrians even in low light or foggy conditions. Although many self-driving vehicles have faced issues with their sensor technology in foggy conditions, improvements are being made to make these sensors more accurate.
Predictive Braking and Acceleration: Not only will sensors be able to detect pedestrian activity, but algorithms will be able to predict their movements to allow for the safest turn. Autonomous vehicles can react quickly, and will have a better chance of braking in time to prevent a collision.

The Future of Left Turns with Autonomous Vehicles:

Looking ahead, autonomous vehicle technology is moving in a positive direction for safety. When it comes to left turns, there may come a time when autonomous vehicles can perform these maneuvers more safely than any human driver. As more self-driving cars hit the streets, the communication between vehicles will allow for less congestion and more predictable traffic flows.

However, it is important to remember that this technology is still in its early stages and should not be relied upon for the time being. More improvements need to be made before our dream of perfectly safe left turns can be finally achieved.

Self-Driving Vehicle Bill Reintroduced in House of Reps

July 10, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The U.S. House of Representatives is once again considering a bill that would boost autonomous vehicle access throughout the United States. The Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research in Vehicle Evolution (SELF DRIVE) Act was recently introduced by Representative Bob Latta of Ohio and will work to implement federal standards that would help deploy autonomous vehicle service through a variety of industries and agencies.

In recent congressional sessions, Latta has brought up the importance of this potential legislation.

“Self-driving cars have the potential to reduce traffic accidents and deaths, increase mobility, and improve quality of life,” Latta said during the session, “Autonomous vehicle technology can protect millions of Americans, while at the same time, providing seniors and those living with disabilities a way to live their [lives] outside of their homes.”

To make this a viable option, Latta explained that a federal standard framework is the key.

“In order for the United States to lead on this cutting-edge technology, we need a framework that allows industry to innovate while ensuring high safety standards,” he continued. “I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to work with me on this bill to better ensure that all Americans are safer while on the road and have increased access to mobility.”

In an effort to boost the development, testing, and implementation of autonomous vehicle technology, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has made it a priority to focus on this legislation. Luckily, the SELF DRIVE Act has, thanks to transportation policy advancement through Congress, been receiving strong backing from lawmakers throughout the country.

“Recent developments in autonomous vehicle technology have prompted the real need for a national [autonomous vehicle] standard to ensure passenger safety and incentivize continued investment in driverless capabilities,” explained Representative Fred Upton of Michigan. “As the auto capital of our nation, Michigan will play a pivotal role in deploying driverless vehicles and propelling our autonomous fleets into the future.”

Upton also urged Congress to finally implement a federal standard for this kind of technology.

“This critical technology requires a clear national standard, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to set up the necessary infrastructure to continue this important work,” he added.

The legislation’s backers have widely consisted of autonomous vehicle tech supporters throughout the industry, such as Ariel Wolf, who currently serves as General Counsel for the Self-Driving Coalition. Wolf noted the benefits of dedication from policymakers on this subject, and their “continued commitment to autonomous vehicles as a transformative technology that will dramatically improve safety, enhance mobility, and spur economic growth.”

Wolf said this kind of support will change the transportation industry for good–a change that has been long-needed.

“Federal policies that encourage AV development with clear federal and state roles while promoting and protecting American innovation can help to revolutionize how passengers and goods are transported,” he continued. “We encourage Congress to quickly provide a federal framework that can accelerate the deployment of AVs on U.S. roads.”

In fact, autonomous vehicle tech may be able to transform the United States’ entire mobility landscape as we know it, according to Senators Gary Peters of Michigan and John Thune of South Dakota (who co-authored recent autonomous vehicle-related Senate legislation). The tech could indeed change the ways in which drivers obtain connectivity resources, as well as overall freight and passenger corridor access and utilization.

“One of the most important opportunities we can seize is autonomous vehicle technologies,” said Senator Peters. “We know that autonomous vehicles save lives, since 90% of accidents are caused by human error. We know that these technologies are also rapidly emerging and are already impacting the workforce.”

To catch up with other tech-forward countries, America really needs to get on board with AV, he added.

“We know that our competitors on a global stage, especially China, are recognizing the benefits of these technologies,” he explained. “And let’s be clear–let’s be absolutely clear–these technologies are coming inevitably.”

AV Legislation Returns to House, While Some Supporters Say Reconsideration Unlikely

January 7, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill that would allow car manufacturing companies to distribute up to 100,000 self-driving vehicles. The legislation, called the SELF DRIVE Act, has received little-to-no attention over the last few years. It was passed unanimously in 2017 by the House, but failed within the Senate. Democrats and trial lawyers both worried about potential lawsuits that could arise if someone is injured or killed in an autonomous vehicle.

The measure would give the Secretary of Transportation the ability to make federal motor vehicle rule exemptions regarding a car’s need to have a human operator on board. 25,000 cars per carmaker could be operated initially if a company can show it meets traditional vehicle safety standards.

Following a period of one year, a manufacturer’s exemptions would rise to 50,000 and then to 100,000 in the two following years. States would not be able to limit sales more than the federal statute with any new laws. Right now, a car manufacturer can produce 2,500 self-driving vehicles for testing.

Ohio Representative Bob Latta believes the self-driving measure should resurface in Congress after the House’s major backing in 2017.

“This is a very good bill,” Latta said. “Not only for safety–we had over 37,000 people killed in traffic accidents–but also for the bipartisan work that was done.”

However, Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell said she won’t support the revisited measure, although she was a proponent of the 2017 version, because she doesn’t believe it will reach proper reconsideration in committee or within Congress before the end of the term.

“The Congress should have considered autonomous vehicle legislation, but for a variety of reasons, that has not occurred,” she explained.

Latta’s “desire to see action by our colleagues” is respectable, Dingell said, and agrees that immediate action on the matter of AV is necessary. She also expects 2021 to include many bipartisan discussions on self-driving legislation, and that she has already received Democratic leader commitment to making the issue a priority if the democrats continue their control of the House.

Bringing back the legislation was a “cynical” move for lawmakers who have seemed nonchalant in regards to AV regulation, said Center for Auto Safety executive director, Jason Levine.

“As a reminder, this bill contains no regulatory or testing requirements to improve public confidence in the long-term safety of driverless vehicles,” he said. “Instead, the SELF DRIVE Act protects auto manufacturers and technology companies from legal responsibility when their unregulated products put consumers at risk.”

This news comes shortly after major trucking company Daimler Trucks purchased a majority share in Torc Robotics in efforts to work toward Level 4 autonomous truck development. The companies see the path to AV trucking as a marathon rather than a sprint, and believe they can bring automated trucks to mainstream transportation by 2030.

SAE Level 4 is the name for a truck’s ability to operate without driver assistance or input during certain conditions or in specific areas.

The companies have also been urging Tier 2 suppliers for additional safety tech, and announced that Daimler’s Autonomous Technology Group would build headquarters in Albuquerque. The center will boost testing capabilities and data collection for the use of innovative vehicle technology on public roads.

Torc Robotics CEO Michael Fleming noted that there are still many obstacles ahead, and that safety-focused technology is not quite ready for commercial deployment.

“We have been engaging Tier 1 suppliers with new requirements, trying to push the envelope on radar, lidar, and cameras, and also compute systems at the same time,” he explained. “At the end of the day, when we bring product to market, it has to be cost-effective, meet the performance specifications to address not only safety, but ensuring we can drive efficiently to the destination and deliver goods in a timely fashion…There isn’t, in my opinion, automated vehicle hardware commercially available that meets all three today.”

Still, collaboration is key to pushing new methods of safety technology forward, Fleming said.

“Daimler’s commitment to safety, innovation leadership of truck technology, and foundational knowledge of on-road scenarios that truckers encounter has moved our system faster than we could have done alone as a technology firm.”

Public Trust Key to Future of Autonomous Delivery Vehicles, Experts Say

November 30, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Public trust in automated vehicle technology is the key to the future of e-commerce, experts say. Especially as stay-at-home orders continue and the pandemic limits in-person shopping capabilities, people who rely more heavily than ever on contactless delivery should begin learning what AV tech has to offer.

Head of policy at Nuro–a robotics company that focuses on autonomous vehicle deployment for last-mile deliveries–Matthew Lipka, explained that this public trust is extremely important, and AV systems could in fact be regularly delivering someone’s pizza sooner than we think.

“I think that’s really, really critical,” said Lipka of public confidence around AV tech. “We need to get out there and talk to people and introduce them to the technology. I think delivery technology is a way of building that public trust.”

Alia Verloes of infrastructure and transportation-focused consulting group Steer said community engagement and outreach will help to address any common concerns and also help progress a conversation about how this tech can help in the midst of the pandemic.

“Let’s involve communities at the local level [and] county level to better understand the specific concerns,” said Verloes. “Outreach means many things, but here, it’s about listening.”

The coronavirus pandemic has also brought about a “greater appetite” for delivery services, Verloes noted. She also explained that e-commerce as an industry has seen huge growth in areas like grocery shopping, but it is hard to tell if this pattern is here to stay.

We recently reported on the revealing of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Freight Strategic Plan, which aims to boost infrastructure planning and freight movement efficiency. The plan will work toward improving overall freight system safety, as well as the modernization of infrastructure and the development and implementation of innovative technology.

Building a strong infrastructure network involves strong economic competitiveness, according to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and investment in safer and modernized infrastructure and technology could very well include boosted efforts to support autonomous delivery vehicles.

According to the National Freight Strategic Plan, e-commerce shopping habits were already growing extremely quickly even before the pandemic began. Between the fourth quarters of 2018 and 2019, e-commerce sales grew 16.7%, as shown in U.S. Census Bureau data, and has skyrocketed since. The 118-page plan also identified that e-commerce has become a major issue for current freight movement efficiency, as the industry has contributed greatly to the increase of overall truck traffic and curb space competition.

“The rise of e-commerce has disrupted our supply chains and increased demand for last-mile deliveries in areas that are already heavily congested,” said Chao at the announcement of the plan. “This National Freight Strategic Plan will help us invest strategically in our country’s future and turn these challenges into opportunities.”

Verloes explained that AV technology could not only save customers time, but it could also save lives. Shifting toward more regular AV utilization could help commuters avoid 244,000 injury-causing road crashes between 2025 and 2035. Additionally, if AV deployment is implemented during this time period, around 21 billion hours of driving for errand-related purposes would be saved for road travelers.

Because these particular automated vehicles would not accommodate people, they would not need the same hyper-focus on design as autonomous passenger vehicles have, including designs regarding driver and passenger comfort and safety.

“With no driver or passengers to worry about, our vehicle has been engineered from the ground up to keep what’s outside even safer than what’s inside,” said Nuro on its website.

Nuro’s R2 vehicle is designed strictly to transport goods and has been designated to a pilot grocery delivery program in Scottsdale, Arizona. According to Lipka, because the vehicle won’t hold any occupants, it is able to stop and move abruptly without any safety concerns.

Ground-based AV systems also have the ability to transport and carry a variety of items, whereas other mobile technology, like drones, does not. Drones, Lipka said, can deliver anti-venom for snakebites in an emergency, but can’t drive two gallons of milk to a shopper’s curbside.

Lipka also explained that transitioning to automated delivery vehicles in lieu of traditional fleets will need to be a careful and deliberate move, as this technology must operate at “automotive-grade reliability.”

“[They’re] not like scooters, where you’re just going to wake up one morning, and there’s 1,000 delivery robots on your street,” he said.

Uber Vows to Make AV Test Data Public and Boost Safety Efforts After NTSB Backlash

October 22, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

After the National Transportation Safety Board blamed Uber Technologies Inc.’s policies for a fatal 2018 crash involving a self-driving vehicle, Uber has promised to prioritize publicizing safety information regarding its self-driving technology efforts.

Uber updated its voluntary safety assessment, sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on August 28th, with its new pledge. This is the company’s first effort against criticism regarding its autonomous driving program since the NTSB first published its beliefs about the first fatal pedestrian accident involving a self-driving vehicle–one of Uber’s–in Tempe, Arizona in 2018.

“We support the idea of transparency and making the public understand what we do,” said Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group head of safety, Nat Beuse. This new voluntary safety assessment is a “complete update” regarding what Uber originally told regulators in 2018.

The March 18th, 2018 incident involved an inattentive Uber safety operator in an autonomous vehicle that hit and killed a 49-year-old pedestrian crossing a dimly-lit roadway. The vehicle was in self-drive mode while the safety operator sat behind the wheel.

This accident caused nation-wide backlash against self-driving cars, although police say the vehicle was operating for testing purposes only.

The NTSB declared that the driver had failed to act safely while distracted by his or her cellphone, and that Uber was at fault for having subpar safety risk assessment procedures, inadequate vehicle operator oversight, and a lack of any mechanism addressing complacency by operators.

Cell phone distraction or otherwise tuning out has been considered a major issue surrounding AV technology, and more researchers are studying just how much advanced driving systems create worse human drivers. Still, many AV supporters believe any current issues will be solved once self-driving tech improves to the point where, hopefully, car crashes will be eliminated.

In its assessment, Uber points out current “enhancements,” such as a new “Safety Case Framework” it claims will allow for open-sourced peer reviews. Additionally, the company said new internal safety management regulations and an independent Safety and Responsibility Advisory Board will be put in place.

Still, safety advocates have spoken against the Trump Administration’s implementation of voluntary approaches to self-driving vehicle regulation, saying voluntary reports are more like marketing brochures instead of formal regulatory filing submissions.

After Uber’s fatal incident, the legislation being considered in Washington to boost the number of autonomous vehicles manufacturers could produce began being heavily debated. All self-driving car testing was suspended by Uber for four months, and its Arizona driverless testing program was also shut down, causing the layoffs of 300 employees.

Currently, 23 various companies have made public their own self-driving safety assessments, including Apple Inc., Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co., Lyft Inc., Mercedes-Benz AG, Toyota Motor Corp., and Waymo. Uber is one of a few that have begun updating voluntary assessments, Beuse noted.

Advocates of consumer safety are using this example to push for stricter self-driving car regulations and more frequent consumer-focused safety assessment reports. Many have also criticized government agencies for being too lenient on the firms working to improve vehicle autonomy, and on voluntary reporting itself.

“It’s nice that Uber has decided this is the right time to update its so-called report, but a consumer-focused agency would have long ago mandated all driverless vehicle manufacturers regularly submit useful safety details regarding their public road tests,” said Center for Auto Safety executive director, Jason Levine.

The major problem with autonomous vehicle testing is weak federal oversight, said Ensar Becic, an NTSB project manager. He explained that even a regulated, basic self-driving vehicle test, “be it an obstacle course, a perceptual test, or tangible requirements such as testing for miles or adherence to development standards” is not common enough for safe, widespread testing.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s automated vehicle guidance has just 12 testing safety suggestions, and although the NHTSA encourages AV companies to submit self-assessments regarding these 12 elements, few do. Additionally, the AV guidance has no given metrics for autonomous driving system developers to understand whether or not they have effectively achieved all safety goals related to those 12 areas.

Although NTSB members are glad Uber is currently cooperating with the investigation after the incident’s findings were released late last year, they believe Uber has an overall “ineffective safety culture” that led to the fatal crash.

A First Look into Kodiak Robotics’ Self-Driving Longhaul Trucks

August 16, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Kodiak Robotics, a self-driving truck company based out of San Francisco, has finally detailed its recent approach to the challenge of giving long-haul trucks self-driving technology after its 350th commercial delivery.

The company has released a 49-page safety self-assessment report demonstrating its commitment to public safety. The report gives a detailed explanation of how the startup operates and programs its autonomous vehicle technology.

“We believe it’s critical that we begin the process of explaining to the general public not just how we are safely testing our vehicles, but how we’re going to prove, mathematically and in plain English, that our vehicles are comprehensively safe even without a person behind the wheel,” said Kodiak co-founders Paz Eshel and Don Burnette.

This candid self-assessment aims to soothe any skepticism among the public and build trust and rapport with other motorists on the road.

“Given our progress, we think it’s time for Kodiak to start talking more about our unique, truck-focused technology,” said Burnette, who has previously worked for companies such as Otto, Uber, and Google.

Kodiak uses computer simulation and test track runs to examine and analyze its technology. The company was founded in April of 2018, had its first on-road test the following March, and made its very first delivery in July of 2019. Now, it has a fleet of 10 trucks hauling commercial freight throughout the state of Texas. Kodiak is also one of only a few trucking startups working to bring automation technology to long-haul trucking.

The startup’s technology often mimics how human drivers operate vehicles, such as within its ability to use lane markings as visual cues, rather than built-in map programming. This system within the “Kodiak Driver” allows for the vehicle to respond to and avoid unexpected obstacles on the road, like construction projects, even when the program’s maps don’t show them.

This ability is referred to as “perception over priors–i.e., that the Kodiak Driver trusts its eyes, not its memory, and we believe it represents a significant step forward for the AV industry,” said the company.

In its safety assessment, the Kodiak team shares its reasoning for focusing heavily on “structure highway driving” rather than city driving, as well as how its specifically-designed systems benefit heavy-duty trucks.

“We optimize our driving for safety, not comfort: paper towels don’t care if they get jostled a bit, whereas a rideshare passenger expects a smooth ride,” said the company.

In 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released “Voluntary Guidance–Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety,” which included a suggestion for any companies aligned with automated driving systems to provide a public assessment of their approaches to safety.

Since this recommendation, nearly two dozen companies have submitted these assessments, including other automated commercial vehicle competitors of Kodiak, like Waymo, TuSimple, and Starsky Robotics–although Starsky has since gone out of business.

“At Kodiak, we are strategic about every mile we drive,” said the company in its report. “We never drive our trucks for the sake of just logging more miles. Of course, this disciplined approach means we will probably never log as many test miles as some of our competitors. We see our lower mileage count not as a risk, but as a sign of our commitment to safety.”

Also present in Kodiak’s report was its explanation of its commercial-grade steering column “designed specifically for trucks,” which will eventually expand into dual-redundant electric motors that will allow the automated system to stay easily controlled if one motor fails. The system’s sensors also have “overlapping fields of view, so that every region around the truck is seen by multiple sensors,” which will allow the Kodiak Driver to always know the details of its surroundings, even if a sensor might fail. The AV technology will actuate the vehicle on “redundant, fault-tolerant computers,” that will run independently from the main computer. “These computers always know how to bring the truck to a safe stop, so that if the main computer should ever fail, they can safely achieve a Minimal Risk Condition,” the report stated.

Still, deploying a fleet of self-driving trucks without a safety driver on board is not likely to happen within the next year, Burnette explained.

“The fact is, once people get used to them, self-driving trucks will actually be pretty boring,” he said. “They’ll largely stay in the right lane, they’ll never weave in and out of traffic, and they’ll never speed.”

Supporters of automated vehicles within the commercial truck industry say these trucks will be much safer than human drivers, who often run red lights, text, fall asleep at the wheel, or otherwise become dangerously distracted while on the road.

“Our mission is to build the world’s most efficient, reliable, and respected freight carrier, using our autonomous technology,” explained Burnette. “Operating as a carrier will allow us to design our technology to meet shippers’ needs, and ultimately allow us to build a better product.”