Coches autónomos

[Cadavre Exquis]

A pesar del largo camino que queda por delante hasta que la tecnología , es evidente que el coche autónomo es ya una realidad.

He decidido crear este nuevo hilo con el objetivo de reunir en él todas las noticias que vayan apareciendo en relación con este nuevo medio de transporte.

Aunque todos conocemos ya los famosos seis niveles de autonomía, traigo al hilo algunas de las páginas del estandard J3016-202104 creado por la SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) en la que define Taxonomía y definiciones de términos relacionados con los sistemas de automatización de la conducción para vehículos de motor en carretera.

Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles J3016_202104

This document describes [motor] vehicle driving automation systems that perform part or all of the dynamic driving task (DDT) on a sustained basis. It provides a taxonomy with detailed definitions for six levels of driving automation, ranging from no driving automation (Level 0) to full driving automation (Level 5), in the context of [motor] vehicles (hereafter also referred to as “vehicle” or “vehicles”) and their operation on roadways:

• Level 0:
  No Driving Automation
• Level 1:
  Driver Assistance
• Level 2:
  Partial Driving Automation
• Level 3:
  Conditional Driving Automation
• Level 4:
  High Driving Automation
• Level 5:
  Full Driving Automation

These level definitions, along with additional supporting terms and definitions provided herein, can be used to describe the full range of driving automation features equipped on [motor] vehicles in a functionally consistent and coherent manner. “On-road” refers to publicly accessible roadways (including parking areas and private campuses that permit public access) that collectively serve all road users, including cyclists, pedestrians, and users of vehicles with and without driving automation features.

The levels apply to the driving automation feature(s) that are engaged in any given instance of on-road operation of an equipped vehicle. As such, although a given vehicle may be equipped with a driving automation system that is capable of delivering multiple driving automation features that perform at different levels, the level of driving automation exhibited in any given instance is determined by the feature(s) that are engaged.

This document also refers to three primary actors in driving: the (human) user, the driving automation system, and other vehicle systems and components. These other vehicle systems and components (or the vehicle in general terms) do not include the driving automation system in this model, even though as a practical matter a driving automation system may actually share hardware and software components with other vehicle systems, such as a processing module(s) or operating code.

The levels of driving automation are defined by reference to the specific role played by each of the three primary actors in performance of the DDT and/or DDT fallback. “Role” in this context refers to the expected role of a given primary actor, based on the design of the driving automation system in question and not necessarily to the actual performance of a given primary actor. For example, a driver who fails to monitor the roadway during engagement of a Level 1 adaptive cruise control (ACC) system still has the role of driver, even while s/he is neglecting it.

Active safety systems, such as electronic stability control (ESC) and automatic emergency braking (AEB), and certain types of driver assistance systems, such as lane keeping assistance (LKA), are excluded from the scope of this driving automation taxonomy because they do not perform part or all of the DDT on a sustained basis, but rather provide momentary intervention during potentially hazardous situations. Due to the momentary nature of the actions of active safety systems, their intervention does not change or eliminate the role of the driver in performing part or all of the DDT, and thus are not considered to be driving automation, even though they perform automated functions. In addition, systems that inform, alert, or warn the driver about hazards in the driving environment are also outside the scope of this driving automation taxonomy, as they neither automate part or all of the DDT, nor change the driver’s role in performance of the DDT (see 8.13).

It should be noted, however, that crash avoidance features, including intervention-type active safety systems, may be included in vehicles equipped with driving automation systems at any level. For automated driving system (ADS) features (i.e., Levels 3 to 5) that perform the complete DDT, crash mitigation and avoidance capability is part of ADS functionality (see also 8.13).

●●●

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Gartner Hype Cycle Reveals Rising Adoption and Fast-Growing Market for Advanced Mobile Robots for Supply Chains
STAMFORD, Conn., November 12, 2024

Focus on Artificial Intelligence and Automation Driving Innovation of Mobile Robotics in Supply Chain

Several mobile robotics technologies for supply chains will mature within the next two to five years, creating an accelerating market for increasingly capable mobile robots and drones, according to Gartner, Inc.

Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones is a graphical depiction of a common pattern that arises with each new technology or other innovation through five phases of maturity and adoption. Chief supply chain officers can use this research to find robotic solutions that meet their needs.

Technologies that have passed the Trough of Disillusionment and are progressing on the Slope of Enlightenment include: autonomous mobile robots for transport, collaborative in-aisle picking robots and mobile robotic goods to person systems (see Figure 1). The progression points to the benefits of these technologies becoming more widely understood.

“As organizations look to further improve logistic operations, support automation and augment humans in various jobs, supply chain leaders have turned to mobile robots to support their strategy,” said Dwight Klappich, VP Analyst and Gartner Fellow with the Gartner Supply Chain practice. “Mobile robots are continuing to evolve, becoming more powerful and practical, thus paving the way for continued technology innovation.”

Figure 1: Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones, 2024

Source: Gartner (November 2024)

Expanding Use of Automation and AI-Enabled Systems

On the rise this year are automation and AI solutions, such as autonomous data collection and inspection technologies, which are approaching the Peak of Inflated Expectations and expected to deliver benefits over the next five to 10 years.

Leveraging indoor-flying drones and mobile robots to autonomously capture data, the solutions use technologies like AI-enabled vision or RFID to supplement time-consuming inventory management, inspection and surveillance tasks. The technology can also alleviate safety concerns that arise in warehouses, such as workers counting inventory in hard-to-reach places.

“Automating labor-intensive tasks can provide notable benefits,” added Klappich. “With AI capabilities increasingly embedded in mobile robots and drones, the potential to function unaided and adapt to environments will make it possible to support a growing number of use cases.”

Humanoid Robots Demonstrate Potential for Further Automation

This year, humanoid robots have entered the Innovation Trigger on the Hype Cycle and are expected to have a transformational impact on supply chain. However, mainstream adoption may take 10 years or more.

Exploiting the human form factor and powered by AI, this generation of humanoid robots is striving to achieve the adaptability of the human workforce, flexibly supporting the needs of the business by dynamically moving between processes and taking on new activities without special programming.

“For supply chains with high-volume and predictable processes, humanoid robots have the potential to enhance or supplement the supply chain workforce,” Klappich noted. “However, while the pace of innovation is encouraging, the industry is years away from general-purpose humanoid robots being used in more complex retail and industrial environments.”

Gartner clients can read more in: Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones, 2024. Nonclients can learn more in: Supply Chain AI.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Where Can You Order a Robotaxi?
Katharina Buchholz · 202.10.10

Self-driving cars - in real-world applications as of now limited to robotaxis - are simultaneously existing and scary as technological and ethical implications around the subject are plentiful and recent accidents - for example of a Cruise robotaxi in San Francisco - have caused some hesitation among lawmakers and the public.

While aformentioned Cruise by GM has suspended operations in six U.S. cities after the October incident, competitor Waymo by Alphabet is still operating limited public operations of driverless taxis in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and new-addition Austin, Texas. A Las Vegas service by Motional was suspended in May.

In Chinese cities, it is already somewhat more normal to be able to board a robotaxi (or robobus) as several operators are vying for dominance and have expanded fleets. Apollo Go by Chinese tech company Baidu, one of the larger operators, currently has as many as 400 robotaxis on the road in the city of Wuhan. Several companies are operating public trials and services in the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. Smaller cities are also being included by some companies and they are also often where companies launched their first trial services. While initial trials were often free and even on an application basis, new low fare structures for robotaxis in China have already ruffled feathers with taxi drivers.

While reassessing Cruise was supposed to service Dubai, Chinese provider WeRide has run a public trial in Abu Dhabi. Singapore has a robobus service by the same company.

Many current robotaxis are limited to specific areas, times of day or distances and might have a remote safety operator, who under Chinese law can look after as many as three taxis. Some operations in China also include on-board safety drivers, which are present but are not needed for any specific maneuvers of the vehicle.

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Should Waymo Robotaxis Always Stop For Pedestrians In Crosswalks?
Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday January 04, 2025 @06:41PM from the don't-walk dept.

"My feet are already in the crosswalk," says Geoffrey A. Fowler, a San Francisco-based tech columnist for the Washington Post. In a video he takes one step from the curb, then stops to see if Waymo robotaxis will stop for him. And they often didn't.

Waymo's position? Their cars consider "signals of pedestrian intent" including forward motion when deciding whether to stop — as well as other vehicles' speed and proximity. ("Do they seem like they're about to cross or are they just sort of milling around waiting for someone?") And Waymo "also said its car might decide not to stop if adjacent cars don't yield."

Fowler counters that California law says cars must always stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. ("It's classic Silicon Valley hubris to assume Waymo's ability to predict my behavior supersedes a law designed to protect me.") And Phil Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University professor who conducts research on autonomous-vehicle safety, agrees that the Waymos should be stopping. "Instead of arguing that they shouldn't stop if human drivers are not going to stop, they could conspicuously stop for pedestrians who are standing on road pavement on a marked crosswalk. That might improve things for everyone by encouraging other drivers to do the same."

From Fowler's video:
I tried

crossing in front of Waymos here more than 20 times. About three in ten times the Waymo would stop for me, but I couldn't figure out what made it change its mind. Heavy traffic vs light, crossing with two people, sticking one foot out — all would cause it to stop only sometimes. I could make it stop by darting out into the street — but that's not how my mama taught me to use a crosswalk...

Look, I know many human drivers don't stop for pedestrians either. But isn't the whole point of having artificial intelligence robot drivers that they're safer because they actually follow the laws?

Waymo would not admit breaking any laws, but acknowledged "opportunity for continued improvement in how it interacts with pedestrians."

In an article accompanying the video, Fowler calls it "a cautionary tale about how AI, intended to make us more safe, also needs to learn how to coexist with us."
Waymo cars don't behave this way at all intersections. Some friends report that the cars are too careful on quiet streets, while others say the vehicles are too aggressive around schools... No

Waymo car has hit me, or any other person walking in a San Francisco crosswalk — at least so far. (It did strike a cyclist earlier this year.) The company touts that, as of October, its cars have 57 percent fewer police-reported crashes compared with a human driving the same distance in the cities where it operates.

Other interesting details from the article:

• Fowler suggests a way his crosswalk could be made safer: "a flashing light beacon there could let me flag my intent to both humans and robots."
• The article points out that Waymo is also under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "for driving in an unexpected and disruptive manner, including around traffic control devices (which includes road markings)."

At the same time, Fowler also acknowledges that "I generally find riding in a Waymo to be smooth and relaxing, and I have long assumed its self-driving technology is a net benefit for the city." His conclusion? "The experience has taught my family that the safest place around an autonomous vehicle is inside it, not walking around it."

And he says living in San Francisco lately puts him "in a game of chicken with cars driven by nothing but artificial intelligence."

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Man Trapped in Circling Waymo on Way to Airport
Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday January 05, 2025 @08:49PM from the I-love-L.A. dept.

It "felt like a Disneyland ride," reports CBS News. A man took a Waymo takes to the airport — only to discover the car "wouldn't stop driving around a parking lot in circles." And because the car was in motion, he also couldn't get out.

Still stuck in the car, Michael Johns — a tech-industry worker — then phoned Waymo for help. ("Has this been hacked? What's going on? I feel like I'm in the movies. Is somebody playing a joke on me?") But he also filmed the incident...

"Why is this thing going in a circle? I'm getting dizzy," Johns said in a video posted on social media that has since gone viral, garnering more than two million views and interactions....

The Waymo representative was finally able to get the car under control after a few minutes, allowing him to get to the airport just in time to catch his flight back to LA. He says that the lack of empathy from the representative who attempted to help him, on top of the point that he's unsure if he was talking to a human or AI, are major concerns. "Where's the empathy? Where's the human connection to this?" Johns said while speaking with CBS News Los Angeles. "It's just, again, a case of today's digital world. A half-baked product and nobody meeting the customer, the consumers, in the middle."

Johns, who ironically works in the tech industry himself, says he would love to see services like Waymo succeed, but he has no plans to hop in for a ride until he's sure that the kinks have been fixed. In the meantime, he's still waiting for someone from Waymo to contact him in regards to his concerns, which hasn't yet happened despite how much attention his video has attracted since last week.

"My Monday was fine till i got into one of Waymo 's 'humanless' cars," he posted on LinkedIn. "I get in, buckle up ( safety first) and the saga begins.... [T]he car just went around in circles, eight circles at that..."

A Waymo spokesperson admitted they'd added about five minutes to his travel time, but then "said the software glitch had since been resolved," reports the Los Angeles Times, "and that Johns was not charged for the ride."

One final irony? According to his LinkedIn profile, Johns is a CES Innovations Awards judge.

Saludos.

[Saturio]

Should Waymo Robotaxis Always Stop For Pedestrians In Crosswalks?
Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday January 04, 2025 @06:41PM from the don't-walk dept.

"My feet are already in the crosswalk," says Geoffrey A. Fowler, a San Francisco-based tech columnist for the Washington Post. In a video he takes one step from the curb, then stops to see if Waymo robotaxis will stop for him. And they often didn't.

Waymo's position? Their cars consider "signals of pedestrian intent" including forward motion when deciding whether to stop — as well as other vehicles' speed and proximity. ("Do they seem like they're about to cross or are they just sort of milling around waiting for someone?") And Waymo "also said its car might decide not to stop if adjacent cars don't yield."

Fowler counters that California law says cars must always stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. ("It's classic Silicon Valley hubris to assume Waymo's ability to predict my behavior supersedes a law designed to protect me.") And Phil Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University professor who conducts research on autonomous-vehicle safety, agrees that the Waymos should be stopping. "Instead of arguing that they shouldn't stop if human drivers are not going to stop, they could conspicuously stop for pedestrians who are standing on road pavement on a marked crosswalk. That might improve things for everyone by encouraging other drivers to do the same."

From Fowler's video:
I tried

crossing in front of Waymos here more than 20 times. About three in ten times the Waymo would stop for me, but I couldn't figure out what made it change its mind. Heavy traffic vs light, crossing with two people, sticking one foot out — all would cause it to stop only sometimes. I could make it stop by darting out into the street — but that's not how my mama taught me to use a crosswalk...

Look, I know many human drivers don't stop for pedestrians either. But isn't the whole point of having artificial intelligence robot drivers that they're safer because they actually follow the laws?

Waymo would not admit breaking any laws, but acknowledged "opportunity for continued improvement in how it interacts with pedestrians."

In an article accompanying the video, Fowler calls it "a cautionary tale about how AI, intended to make us more safe, also needs to learn how to coexist with us."
Waymo cars don't behave this way at all intersections. Some friends report that the cars are too careful on quiet streets, while others say the vehicles are too aggressive around schools... No

Waymo car has hit me, or any other person walking in a San Francisco crosswalk — at least so far. (It did strike a cyclist earlier this year.) The company touts that, as of October, its cars have 57 percent fewer police-reported crashes compared with a human driving the same distance in the cities where it operates.

Other interesting details from the article:

• Fowler suggests a way his crosswalk could be made safer: "a flashing light beacon there could let me flag my intent to both humans and robots."
• The article points out that Waymo is also under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "for driving in an unexpected and disruptive manner, including around traffic control devices (which includes road markings)."

At the same time, Fowler also acknowledges that "I generally find riding in a Waymo to be smooth and relaxing, and I have long assumed its self-driving technology is a net benefit for the city." His conclusion? "The experience has taught my family that the safest place around an autonomous vehicle is inside it, not walking around it."

And he says living in San Francisco lately puts him "in a game of chicken with cars driven by nothing but artificial intelligence."

Saludos.

Qué problema más curioso. Sabemos que la IA incumple, por lo tanto permitimos que un determinado número de conductores robóticos incumplan. Sin embargo de los conductores humanos se supone que cumplen siempre hasta que se demuestre lo contrario.

[Cadavre Exquis]

https://www.pressreader.com/spain/expansion-nacional/20250108/page/12/textview

Nvidia busca liderar la IA en robótica y vehículos autónomos

Saludos.

[Cadavre Exquis]

Waymo lands first Chinese EV in the US to beat Tesla Cybercab to the punch with Nvidia Thor-powered Zeekr RT
The first passenger vehicle that is purpose-built for autonomy from the ground up won't come in the US from Tesla but rather Waymo and Zeekr.

Daniel Zlatev, · 2025.01.09

First Chinese EV brand to make it in the US will be Waymo's RT robovan (Image source: Zeekr)

Waymo will score both the first mass-produced autonomous passenger vehicle and what might be the first electric vehicle from a Chinese company to officially make it to the US in numbers.

This became clear from Zeekr's CES 2025 expo announcements, where it revealed that the first robotic minivan built for autonomy from the ground up is based on its Mix passenger vehicle that has been on sale since October. It comes with 76 kWh battery and fast 13-minute charging, as well as numerous flexible seating and cargo configurations.

The Mix-based Zeekr RT (for Robotic Taxi) will also beat the Tesla Robovan that Elon Musk teased during the Cybercab unveiling event to the punch, joining the Waymo fleet of autonomous vehicles for testing en masse later this year. Tesla's Robovan, on the other hand, doesn't even have a release date, while the Cybercab only has a tentative one for 2026, so the Zeekr RT could be the only viable alternative in the US until then.

Zeekr is trying to make Waymo's approval process for putting the RT on public roads as smooth as possible by equipping it with redundant steering, braking, and power supply, as well as failsafe operation algorithms in the US. This is in stark contrast with the Cybercab that Tesla is now trying to get approved without a steering wheel, pedals, or charging port.

The Zeekr robotaxi display at the Petersen Automotive Museum, however, says that it plans to remove the steering wheel and pedals from Waymo's RT robovan when federal regulations allow it "in the future."

Besides being the first robotaxi in mass production, the RT will also be powered by the first custom vehicle autonomy kit that Zeekr based on the new Nvidia Thor self-driving chip architecture. Nvidia says that the Thor Blackwell processor is capable of 1,000 TFLOPS of AI computing power, which can be flexibly distributed between self-driving and in-car infotainment duties according to the manufacturer's needs.

The Zeekr RT robovan is based on the $39,000 Zeekr Mix passenger minivan that it also brought to the ongoing CES 2025 expo in Las Vegas for all visitors to see and test.

Waymo's robovan by Zeekr would be the first Chinese EV brand to make it to the US

Zeekr plans to remove the steering wheel and pedals from Waymo's RT robovan when federal regulations allow it

Zeekr's custom self-driving domain controller with NVIDIA Thor AI chip

Saludos.