In the U.K., where vehicle theft has been in a steep decline for the past 20 years, the most widespread advice given by police to car owners is: keep your car keys in your freezer. The most common source of vulnerability these days is the interception of RF signals between keyfobs and cars. For a time, several years ago, there was a rash… Read More
After the fatal Tesla crash, I still feel safe in my self-driving car
At first, the thought of letting my car drive itself seemed rather frightening. But the highway was almost empty and the lanes were clearly marked, so I took the risk and engaged the autopilot function in my new Tesla Model X. Yet I couldn’t let go of the steering wheel. I didn’t want to put my life in the hands of software. This was two … Read More
AVS 2016: Table Set for Tesla Tussle
As predicted, by me, the anti-Tesla and anti-autonomous vehicle forces are gathering in the wake of the recent fatal Tesla Model S crash in Florida. The rising resistance arrives one week in advance of next week’s Automated Vehicles Symposium in San Francisco – setting the stage for a spirited debate.… Read More
Safety Verification for Software
When automakers are thinking about the safety of an embedded system in a car, while it’s good to know the hardware has been comprehensively tested for safety-specific requirements, that isn’t much help if the software component of the system is not supplied with similarly robust guarantees.
The challenge is that the software … Read More
Autonomous Driving @ the Crossroads
One of the most terrifying moments one can experience as a driver or passenger in a Tesla Model S driving with autopilot turned on is the realization that the system cannot recognize intersections or traffic lights. It seems like such a basic and obvious requirement for automated driving but the Model S can’t hack it –… Read More
Car Sharing, Ride Hailing on Collision Course
Do car makers know what they are getting themselves into with car sharing? Car companies are lacing up their skates and venturing out on the thin ice of car sharing. General Motors’ Maven, with fledgling efforts in New York City and Ann Arbor, Mich., is the latest incarnation of this movement. The movement is pervasive and growing… Read More
NTSB Entry Raises the Stakes of Tesla Probe
The National Transportation Safety Board’s entry into the investigation of the first fatal crash of a Tesla Model S is a monumental turning point in the autonomous driving movement. While long-time observers of the NTSB note that it only gets involved in investigations where broader implications exist, the agency’s interest… Read More
Are Smart things making us smarter?
Nowadays, we don’t have to learn how to drive a car well because there are systems (automated braking, monitoring, etc.) in the car that is taking care of many things without our knowledge. We don’t have to remember whether we have switched off the lights before leaving the house. The smart home automation system will switch off the… Read More
Time for the ZeroDollar Car?
Bankrate.com came out with a report last week raising questions regarding new car pricing with a city-by-city breakdown of affordability. Bankrate’s key finding: a median-income household can not afford the average price of a new vehicle in any of the 50 largest cities in the U.S.… Read More
No Turning Back on Autonomous Driving
Politicians will tell you that Fridays are reserved for announcements (defeats, resignations, indictments) intended to be ignored or lost in the end of week news sink. In that context, the Friday before the U.S. Fourth of July three-day weekend may be regarded as second only to the Friday before Christmas as an ideal opportunity… Read More
Intel High NA Adoption