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Tuesday, October 10, 2017

NVIDIA Introduces a Computer for Level 5 Autonomous Cars

The chipmaker prepares automakers for the world of robotaxis.
As reported by Enadget: At the center of many of the semi-autonomous cars currently on the road is NVIDIA hardware. Once automakers realized that GPUs could power their latest features, the chipmaker, best known for the graphics cards that make your games look outstanding, became the darling of the car world.

 But while automakers are still dropping level 2 and sometimes level 3 vehicles into the market, NVIDIA's first AI computer, the NVIDIA Drive PX Pegasus, is apparently capable of level 5 autonomy. That means no pedals, no steering wheel, no need for anyone to ever take control.

 The new computer delivers 320 trillion operations per second, 10 times more than its predecessor. Before you start squirreling away cash for your own self-driving car, though, NVIDIA's senior director of automotive, Danny Shapiro, notes that it's likely going to be robotaxis that drive us around.

 In fact, the company said that over 25 of its partners are already working on fully autonomous taxis. The goal with this smaller, more powerful computer is to remove the huge computer arrays that sit in the prototype vehicles of OEMs, startups and any other company that's trying to crack the autonomous car nut.

 NVIDIA's announcement should make all those companies happy. The computing needed to power a self-driving car's AI and data-crunching, not to mention the huge amounts of data coming from potentially dozens of cameras, LiDAR sensors, short and long-range radar is staggering and usually means there's a small server room stored in the trunk. All that processing power sucks up a ton of power from the vehicle and as more cars are going electric, the last thing an automaker wants is a system that cuts into the range of their new car.


 The new NVIDIA Drive PX Pegasus AI computer is the size of a license plate and uses far less power than the current model. But it's going to be a while before anyone gets their hands one. The new computer will be available in the second half of 2018 with next generation GPUs that NVIDIA hasn't actually announced yet.

 There's already one institution that's ready to go autonomous: the Deutsche Post DHL. The delivery service is looking to deploy a pilot fleet with the current Drive PX in 2018. The idea is to have a car that is able to shadow its delivery people as they drop off packages. A driver could get out of the truck or van with a few packages for a block and when they are finished, the vehicle will be waiting for them outside the last house.

 The autonomous future isn't just about delivering people, it's also about delivering your online purchases.

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Monday, October 9, 2017

Elon Musk Offers to Rebuild Puerto Rico’s Power Grid Using Solar

As reported by The Verge: A casual comment on Twitter by Tesla CEO Elon Musk about rebuilding Puerto Rico’s power grid using solar technology is being treated seriously by the storm-ravaged island’s top elected officials.

 On Twitter, Musk said that his technology, which powers several smaller islands, could be scaled up to work for Puerto Rico. The island’s governor promptly responded: “Let’s talk.”

Tesla recently absorbed one of Musk’s other companies, SolarCity, which manufactures residential solar roofs and energy storage units. The company has been exploring ways to scale up its battery storage projects. A Twitter bet between Musk and an Australian software entrepreneur ultimately led to plans for the world’s largest lithium-ion battery facility in South Australia. The plant, which will cost $50 million, could provide electricity to more than 30,000 homes.
Musk has been known to offhandedly propose huge projects on Twitter, and occasionally he’s been known to follow through. His idea to speed up the tunnel boring process resulted in the creation of a new company and the green light to dig a two-mile tunnel under Los Angeles.

 So the question is whether Musk will follow up with Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello about his offer to rebuild the island’s power grid. And if so, what would a Tesla-backed solar power project on the still-recovering island look like. The company says it has powered small islands, such as Ta'u in American Samoa. There, it installed a solar grid which can power the entire island and store enough electricity for three days without any sun. (The Verge reached out to Musk with some follow-up questions, and we’ll update this story if we hear back.)

 The company is also working with residents on Kauai in the Hawaiian islands to find better ways to produce and — most importantly — store solar energy, so that it can reliably power homes on days when the sun may not be shining. In March, Tesla cut the ribbon on a grid-scale battery installation on the island, a key test of the viability of energy storage in making renewable energy a more reliable part of the grid.

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Saturday, September 23, 2017

Mercedes-Benz Will Spend $1 Billion to Build Electric Vehicles in the US

As reported by The Verge: Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, plans to offer electrified versions of all of its cars by 2022 under the new EQ sub-brand. And now the company has announced that many of those will be built in the United States.

 To do this, Daimler is pouring $1 billion into the 20-year-old factory the company runs just outside Tuscaloosa, Alabama. A 1-million-square-foot expansion will be added, with construction starting in 2018 and vehicle production expected to start in the early 2020s. Daimler is still hashing out details with the local governments, but the move is expected to create about 600 new jobs. Until now, the company had only built electric vehicles in its home country, according to Automotive News.

 The Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama mostly builds SUVs, so the company will focus on producing the electrified versions of those vehicles. And it’s important to remember here that “electrified” doesn’t necessarily mean “all-electric.” While some vehicles built at the Tuscaloosa plant will likely be all-electric, “electrified” refers to anything that uses an electric motor, meaning hybrids are included in that term as well.

 Mercedes will also build batteries in another new addition to the facility. That will give the company valuable proximity to the vehicle production line, but also could help it compete with Tesla in another new section of the energy market that it’s been testing lately: home batteries.

 Daimler is not the first major automaker to make a big push for electric vehicles. Ford announced a $4.5 billion investment into EV production back in 2015, Volkswagen announced a similar effort one year later while under pressure for its emissions scandal, and many other automakers have since followed suit as countries around the world move to ban or reduce the number of cars powered by fossil fuels. But there’s a long way to go to reach that goal. Combined, electric and hybrid vehicles made up just under 3 percent of cars sold in the US in 2016.

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Friday, September 22, 2017

Uber Just Lost its London Taxi License

As reported by Engadget: In a surprise announcement today, Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that it will not reissue Uber's private hire licence within the city. In a statement, the regulator said that the company's operations were not "fit and proper" and that has just a week (until September 30th) until its licence runs out. Uber will appeal the decision, which will allow its drivers to stay on the road until a final ruling is passed.

According to Transport for London, Uber's policies regarding the reporting of serious criminal offences, how it obtains medical certificates and performs driver checks did not meet its standards. It also noted Uber's use of its "Greyball" software, which allowed the company to evade authorities all over the world by tagging known officials and serving up dummy versions of the app that were populated with ghost cars.

"3.5 million Londoners who use our app, and more than 40,000 licensed drivers who rely on Uber to make a living, will be astounded by this decision," said Tom Elvidge, General Manager of Uber in London. "By wanting to ban our app from the capital Transport for London and the Mayor have caved in to a small number of people who want to restrict consumer choice. If this decision stands, it will put more than 40,000 licensed drivers out of work and deprive Londoners of a convenient and affordable form of transport."

Uber denies TfL's claim that the company utilized Greyball in London: "We have always followed TfL rules on reporting serious incidents and have a dedicated team who work closely with the Metropolitan Police. As we have already told TfL, an independent review has found that 'greyball' has never been used or considered in the UK for the purposes cited by TfL."

"Drivers who use Uber are licensed by Transport for London and have been through the same enhanced DBS background checks as black cab drivers. Our pioneering technology has gone further to enhance safety with every trip tracked and recorded by GPS," Eldridge added. "Uber operates in more than 600 cities around the world, including more than 40 towns and cities here in the UK. This ban would show the world that, far from being open, London is closed to innovative companies who bring choice to consumers."

The decision comes after officials decided to extend Uber's licence by just four months back in May. It wanted time to decide whether Uber warranted another five year extension as it faced criticism from politicians and established taxi trades. At the same time, it also proposed a significant hike in operator fees for private hire companies, like Uber, across the capital.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan supports TfL's decision, stating that any private hire company operating in London "needs to play by the rules":
Uber considers its 40,000+ drivers as independent contractors, not employees. Its drivers disagree. With help from the GMB union, they won an employment tribunal case in October 2016 that made them entitled to holiday pay, paid rest breaks and the National Minimum Wage. In recent months, the company attempted to silence its critics by partnering with the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE)to offer sickness and injury cover, jury cover and occupational accident cover.

Uber's rivals are delighted at the news. Some have gone as far to celebrate by slashing the cost of their own services:
For now, Uber will continue to operate within the capital. As per the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998, companies have the right to appeal a decision within 21 days. Uber noted in its statement that it will fight TfL in the courts, which would enable drivers to operate in London until a final judgement is passed, which could be many months away.


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