Netease Technology News June 26 news, according to reports today in the United States, driverless cars can be said to be the carrier of complex sensors, these sensors can generate large amounts of data, and are powerful computer analysis. However, the success of this transportation revolution now depends on materials with very low technological content—paint. This is because when the US infrastructure is ready to support driverless traffic, the most critical upgrade is to ensure that its 6.4 million kilometers of national highways are solid and bright so that they can be detected by computer vision equipment. Kirk Steudle, the director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, said: "The driverless car company is actually making sure that you have a good paint line. For that, where there are paint lines, we must Make sure they are good enough."
Today, the United States conducts investigations in more than a dozen states in the United States and explores the different levels of preparation for these places to accommodate the arrival of unmanned cars and trucks. Because local officials are facing a huge shift in mobility, they are unwilling to use limited infrastructure funds in the wrong direction. The recent guidelines issued by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association reflect this attitude.
Although some states (such as California, Michigan, Arizona, and Ohio) are eager to test unmanned cars and begin to upgrade road facilities to suit unmanned vehicles. However, other states are taking more measures to deal with this emerging industry. Mark Kopko, head of advanced vehicle technology at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said: "I want to see manufacturers succeed because my ultimate goal is to ensure public safety on the highway."
Two tiankeng facing the driverless car
For these states, there are two factors that are preventing them from improving the concrete infrastructure, whether it is drawing paint strips or implanting sensors in highways or traffic signs.
The first is the lack of a national vision of driverless cars. In last year's general election, President Trump had promised to spend 1 trillion US dollars to meet the needs of infrastructure construction. However, so far, there is no relevant road map for disbursing this fund, or how this fund will be deployed, whether it includes the reconstruction of relevant facilities for driverless cars. The Obama administration has given guidance to help companies effectively self-regulate. US Department of Transportation Minister Elaine Chao recently stated in Detroit that the Trump administration is evaluating and upgrading this policy and making improvements based on the suggestions of many stakeholders.
Second, several senators submitted a framework to the federal legislature on June 14th, hoping to completely change the Federal Motor Vehicle Management Regulations. This framework is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration in the coming weeks. Dan Ammann, president of General Motors, said in February: “We are working closely with the federal government, state governments, and several municipalities, but we need to ensure that this technology works in the current environment. To that end, We don't all rely on infrastructure improvements.†Ken Washington, vice president of R&D and advanced engineering at Ford Motor Co., also said smart roads will give more power to driverless cars, but you cannot Counting on it, our technology is to build a fully capable car.
The challenge is like a car instead of a carriage
Such a strategy cannot confuse many state-level officials. Tennessee Department of Transportation official John Schroer said: "I think the challenge we face is like the car replacing the carriage. I don't want the road that I built now to be completely outdated after 10 years." However, in order not to miss With this huge traffic revolution opportunity and the financial and quality of life improvements it brings, Tennessee is working with several other states to secure fiber-optic lines on the road, and they can send dangerous warnings and other information to the car, which is believed to be Driverless cars are very important for sensing the surrounding environment. These "vehicle-to-infrastructure" systems allow cars to warn each other of their relative positions to avoid collisions.
Cadillac first installed "car-to-car" sensors on its 2017 CTS, but this type of on-board technology has limited practical use and has not reached the critical point of sharing road information with each other. Although there are many imminent conflicts, many states and cities are still trying to prepare new traffic visual technologies to help the roads become more secure. The statistic most commonly quoted by driverless car developers is 40,000, which is the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents in 2016, which increased by 14% in 2014 after years of decline.
Distracted driving is considered to be one of the main causes of traffic accidents. This may also explain why so many companies are developing driverless cars. In their presentations, the driverless car was shown to handle all driving problems. Passengers can concentrate on conversations or use laptops to concentrate on their work. This is the highest level of driverless cars, also known as automated level 5. Greg Larson, who is in charge of transport operations at the California Department of Transportation, said: “This is the tragedy that will ultimately be resolved. We believe that driverless cars can help us to achieve our goal of zero traffic mortality first.â€
California is setting the tone
In 2016, the number of road accident deaths in California accounted for 10% of the country's total. So far, the California Motor Vehicle Authority has licensed 30 companies to allow them to conduct driverless car testing in the state. This effort has helped the state’s people become familiar with driverless car technology. In the city of Palo Alto in the center of Silicon Valley, California has 11 technology intersections that provide traffic information for connected cars, such as adjusting each green light for speed limits. In Bishop Ranch, a large office park in eastern San Francisco, employees can now use fully self-driving buses.
Alexander Mehran, CEO of Sunset Development Company, which is responsible for operating unmanned buses, said: “The main reason we do this is to help the public get acquainted with the technology and eliminate their fears. In addition, the bus system is the largest The cost of the driver is the driver. Driverless technology can help reduce expenses."
While promoting urban development through science and technology, state governments are also steadily making plans to ensure that they are prepared for the upcoming changes. Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan are all busy investing in fiber optic cable, smart traffic signals, and other sensors. Manufacturers are also busy developing unmanned vehicles and pushing them to the highway for testing.
In Ohio, progress has been rapid. Optical fiber cables have been buried under the 388-kilometer-long toll road in the state. Short-range sensors more than one meter high are being erected near Cleveland and Akron. Soon, 40 conservation vehicles will be installed after installing sensors that can accumulate and send weather, traffic, and other data.
Randy Cole, director of the Ohio Turnpike, hopes the state will soon be able to provide hundreds of kilometers of unmanned vehicle test areas that are looking to use vehicle-to-infrastructure data to enhance onboard technology. Cole said that the key is not that there is no suitable sensor, but the ability to process all collected information in real time. He said: "No one really talks about it, but we need to have a database, and the key behind the software is to provide the services that the public needs."
Arizona and Nevada are very welcoming to driverless car companies, which previously supported Uber and Waymo teams for testing.
Driverless trucks are ready
Trucks are regarded as the main target for the application of driverless technology. Long-distance routes usually require a fixed speed, which is quite easy for driverless software. Many states are experimenting with fleet technology, which uses technology to drive several unmanned trucks in dense formations, which saves fuel. In addition, experts say that if all vehicles on the road use sophisticated drone technology, highway officers can build narrower lanes and park more vehicles on the road. Formation of all vehicles can also maximize the use of existing highway facilities.
Good weather makes testing driverless cars easier, for which many companies are testing in sunny places. Phoenix is ​​not only testing hundreds of Waymo driverless cars for taxi services, it is also testing connected car technologies. At the University of Nevada Reno, researchers are developing laser radar sensors that can scan past unconnected vehicles to enhance intersection safety.
The Nevada Department of Transportation also issued a statewide transportation plan called the One Nevada Transportation Plan to assess the various aspects of infrastructure needed for the state’s driverless vehicles. The mission of this plan is to look forward to the changes in the transportation industry in Nevada over the next 20 years, some of which are related to emerging technologies such as driverless cars and connected cars.
96,000 kilometers of gravel road
Even in states that are committed to investing in infrastructure, the challenges ahead are still daunting. Take Michigan as an example. Here are the homes of many automakers. Business leaders and legislators are very active in ensuring that the state is once again the birthplace of transportation revival. However, progress in policies, innovative projects, and test spaces for driverless cars is still slow. Today, only about half of the nearly 200,000 kilometers of roads in Michigan have been laid, and the rest are gravel roads. Michigan's summer road conditions are excellent, and winters are quite bad. This situation will continue for months.
This is a very real world. A world around the functioning of road infrastructure, driverless cars must first prove their value and be supported by the entire country in order to prosper. The only way for the national infrastructure to respond effectively to the rise of driverless cars is to allow constant and frequent dialogue among key facilities, including cities, states, federal officials, and manufacturers.
Andrew Cuomo of New York State recently announced that Audi has become the first car manufacturer in the state to be tested for driverless cars. In a statement, he said: "We are taking a cautious and balanced approach, and we hope that driverless cars can reduce dangerous driving habits, accidental deaths, and save more lives on the New York State Highway."
Michael Replogle, deputy director of the New York City Department of Transportation’s Director of Policy, said: “This is a good move. The only way to effectively address these challenges is to ensure that we can make rules for driverless cars. Occupy a place." (Small)