I was had planned to do a long post on self-driving cars a quite long time. I was planning to do one this spring, but I might not do that, because it seems that predictions that self-driving cars would be here in 2020 were far too rosy. Five years ago, several companies including Nissan and Toyota promised self-driving cars in 2020. So it may be wise to take any new forecasts with a grain of salt. Hare is a worth to check out article of the current status of self-driving cars:
Surprise! 2020 Is Not the Year for Self-Driving Cars
https://spectrum.ieee.org/transportation/self-driving/surprise-2020-is-not-the-year-for-selfdriving-cars
In March, because of the coronavirus, self-driving car companies, including Argo, Aurora, Cruise, Pony, and Waymo, suspended vehicle testing and operations that involved a human driver. Around the same time, Waymo and Ford released open data sets of information collected during autonomous-vehicle tests and challenged developers to use them to come up with faster and smarter self-driving algorithms.
It seems that the self-driving car industry still hopes to make meaningful progress on autonomous vehicles (AVs) this year, but the industry is slowed by the pandemic and facing a set of very hard problems that have gotten no easier to solve over the years.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
China’s Geely to deploy Mobileye’s ‘Hands-Free’ ADAS
https://www.eetimes.com/chinas-geely-to-deploy-mobileyes-hands-free-adas/
China’s Geely Auto Group will deploy Mobileye’s “full stack,” 360-degree camera-only ADAS solution to power Level 2+ electric vehicles, starting in 2021. Mobileye (part of Intel), made the announcement Thursday.
Mobileye said Geely will be using the technology, called SuperVision, in “high volume.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
First 4D Imaging Radar Sensors for ADAS to Ship in Vehicles in 2021
https://www.eetimes.com/first-4d-imaging-radar-sensors-for-adas-to-ship-in-vehicles-in-2021/
Continental announced it is using Xilinx FPGAs to deploy the automotive industry’s first production-ready 4D imaging radar, expected to ship in passenger vehicles in 2021. Continental’s new advanced radar sensor (ARS) 540 will use the Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC platform, enabling vehicles equipped with the sensor to realize SAE J3016 Level 2 functionalities, paving the way toward eventual Level 5 autonomous driving systems.
4D imaging radar determines an object’s location in range, azimuth, elevation, and relative speed to provide detailed information about the driving environment. Earlier automotive radar systems capture only speed and azimuth.
Continental’s ARS540 is a long-range 4D imaging radar with high resolution and 300-meter range. Its ±60° field-of-view enables multi-hypothesis tracking for prediction while driving, which is critical for managing complex driving scenarios, such as the detection of a traffic jam under a bridge.
In addition, the ARS540 system’s high horizontal and vertical resolution enables detection of potentially hazardous objects on the road and responds appropriately. By supporting SAE Level 2 where the human driver is responsible for supervising vehicle control, and extending to fully autonomous Level 5, the ARS540 showcases the scalable usage of the sensor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Simplify manufacturability using Bluetooth car access auto-addressing
https://www.edn.com/simplify-manufacturability-using-bluetooth-car-access-auto-addressing/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNWeekly-20200924
Car access systems that use Bluetooth Low Energy typically have a central module and multiple satellite modules/nodes, which communicate through either a controller area network (CAN) bus or local interconnect network (LIN) buses. The satellite modules are physically distributed around the car to improve the Bluetooth communication range.
System designers would like to improve satellite module manufacturability by designing one PCB with identical software so that installation in the car is agnostic of the position of the Bluetooth node. However, since the hardware and software of each satellite node at installation time is identical, a scheme is needed to allow the central module to assign a unique CAN or LIN address to each satellite node after the modules are installed in the vehicle.
One option is to use a dedicated LIN daisy-chain network to share CAN IDs to the modules during manufacturing. In this scenario, the central module uses the LIN interface to address each satellite module, but the LIN interface will not be used again for the life of the vehicle. Another option replaces the dedicated LIN bus with a discrete implementation that reduces bill of materials (BOM) costs. To further trim the system costs, a true wireless option using Bluetooth only, and no extra hardware, repurposes the Bluetooth infrastructure already available on the nodes to address the modules.
Ultimately, the wireless method reduces BOM, system wiring, and the cost of stocking, managing, and assembling the now-unnecessary components. This article presents an overview of wired auto-addressing methods before taking a more in-depth look at the wireless method.
Automotive car access systems have been trending toward using Bluetooth Low Energy for phone-as-a-key or other digital-key capabilities. These systems operate similarly to passive-entry passive-start systems but add the ability to use the driver’s smartphone as the key, thus replacing traditional key fobs. Phone-as-a-key-compatible vehicles implement a central module or smart key module and multiple satellite modules, each capable of receiving a Bluetooth signal from a smartphone or key fob. A typical system might have between six and 12 satellite modules, in addition to the central module
Consumers need the phone-as-a-key system to be able to determine when the phone or key fob is within the unlocking zone of the vehicle. To approximate the location of the smartphone or key fob, the system triangulates the signals received by various satellite modules, which are distributed throughout the car in places such as the passenger side door, rocker panel, trunk, or bumpers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
EyeVi Technologies is developing the in-car mapping technology that automatically creates accurate 3D maps for self-driving cars as well as detects road markings and surface defects. EyeVi has been already implemented on AUVE TECH’s self-driving buses in #Estonia, #Finland and #Greece.
Estonia’s EyeVi Technologies developing an in-car road mapping tool for self-driving cars
https://investinestonia.com/estonias-eyevi-technologies-developing-an-in-car-road-mapping-tool-for-self-driving-cars/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=socialmedia&utm_content=estonias-eyevi-technologies-developing-an-in-car-road-mapping-tool-for-self-driving-cars
EyeVi Technologies is developing the in-car mapping technology that automatically creates accurate 3D maps for self-driving cars as well as detects road markings and surface defects. EyeVi has been already implemented on AuveTech’s self-driving buses in Estonia, Finland and Greece.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intelligent tires support #ConnectedCar applications #automotive #IoT #5G #AI #EVs
How intelligent tires support connected-car applications
https://www.edn.com/how-intelligent-tires-support-connected-car-applications/?utm_content=buffercaa2a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=edn_facebook&utm_campaign=buffer
The early tires were rather primitive—just solid rubber strips. Then, Charles Goodyear’s invention of vulcanized rubber allowed Robert Thomson to patent the vulcanized rubber pneumatic tire in 1846, four decades before the advent of motor vehicles and his lost patent battle with John Dunlop. Detachable tires swiftly followed, thanks to the Michelin brothers, and by the 1970s, the pneumatic radial tire with a tread—still used on most cars today—became standard.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A new autonomous driving system could make it easier and less costly for car manufacturers to convert to AVs.
https://innovate.ieee.org/innovation-spotlight/new-system-could-bring-autonomous-technology-to-more-vehicles/#utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Innovation&utm_content=autonomous%20vehicles?LT=CMH_WB_2020_LM_XIS_Paid_Social
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/power-management/whitepaper/21142256/will-biofuels-drive-innovations-in-distributed-generation-equipment-part-1?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS200922063&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.edn.com/how-intelligent-tires-support-connected-car-applications/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNFunFriday-20200925
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.designnews.com/automotive-engineering/build-your-own-soapbox-derby-racer-courtesy-hyundai?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=14501&elq_cid=876648
Tomi Engdahl says:
The State of California has banned the selling of new vehicles with gasoline-powered internal combustion engines (ICE) by 2035. All new passenger cars sold in 15 years in California will be zero emission cars, according to an executive order signed by the state’s governor.
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-auto-security-pervasive-computing-34/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel Mobileye’s SuperVision surround-view advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) with over-the-air (OTA) update capabilities is being used in Lynk & Co CoPilot, the ADAS in a new high-end electric vehicle, the Zero Concept. The Zero Concept is a Lynk & Co branded vehicle from China-based Geely Auto Group. Mobileye, based in Israel, also is now working with the United Arab Emirates-based Al Habtoor Group (AHG) on deploying autonomous vehicles and mobility services in Dubai, UAE.
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-auto-security-pervasive-computing-34/
Tomi Engdahl says:
New System Could Bring Autonomous Technology to More Vehicles
https://innovate.ieee.org/innovation-spotlight/new-system-could-bring-autonomous-technology-to-more-vehicles/
Autonomous vehicles have gone from hype to reality in recent years, and many companies are now looking to hop on the driverless bandwagon. However, most of today’s auto market is still comprised of legacy vehicles that are unable to handle the high-end computational hardware and software needed in self-driving cars while maintaining reliability and overall performance. Now, a global research team has developed an efficient and economical deep-learning model for autonomous driving that it says can be implemented in most types of vehicles.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9094331/;jsessionid=lDTU6Bvm1LjOqH9AZ05v0d94hofIvCrfJk44KUmVt2U34RdDnIMM!450393446
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tesla’s new battery tech promises a road to a cheap self-driving electric car
New battery manufacturing tech could lead to big jumps in electric vehicle efficiency if everything works out.
https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/tesla-battery-day-cheap-electric-self-driving-car/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tesla’s full self-driving Autopilot beta coming in ‘a month or so’
Tesla’s CEO shared that its engineers have fully overhauled the Autopilot software stack and are almost ready to share a dramatic upgrade.
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-full-self-driving-autopilot-elon-musk/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.kauppalehti.fi/uutiset/tassako-maailman-nopein-sarjatuotantoauto-tesla-lupaa-uuden-model-s-version-kiihtyvan-satasen-kieppeille-alle-kahden-sekunnin/aa96a493-48a5-45af-9806-d1393f8820ac
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tesla Has A Cheaper, Bigger Battery Cell–But Needs Time To Reach ‘Terawatt-Hour’ Production
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2020/09/22/tesla-has-cheaper-bigger-battery-and-terawatt-hour-output-planbut-needs-time-to-make-them/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tesla ‘Battery Day’ Promises 56% Reduction In Battery Cost And Much More
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradtempleton/2020/09/22/tesla-battery-day-promises-56-reduction-in-battery-cost-and-much-more/
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Software Keeps Self-Driving Cars on a Safe Path
https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/stories/blog/37748?utm_source=TB_Main_News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200929&oly_enc_id=2460E0071134A8V
At a busy intersection of cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, anything is possible. New software from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) aims to predict all of those possibilities, so that self-driving vehicles will never get into accidents.
The TUM software module permanently analyzes and predicts events while driving, using vehicle sensor data that is being gathered and evaluated at every millisecond.
The software calculates all possible movements for every traffic participant — provided the cars are adhering to the road traffic regulations.
By understanding each variation in the scenario, the system, in its own way, can sense a maneuver in advance: a car pulling out from a stop sign, for example.
While the system determines a variety of movement options for the vehicle, the program simultaneously calculates potential emergency maneuvers in which the vehicle can be moved out of harm’s way (without endangering others) by accelerating or braking. The autonomous vehicle may only follow routes that are free of foreseeable collisions and for which an emergency maneuver option has been identified.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lucid Air Debuts with Class-Leading 500-mile Range and Car-to-Car Charging
Lucid Motors is pressing the advantages of its much-newer technology to steal Tesla’s thunder.
https://www.designnews.com/automotive-engineering/lucid-air-debuts-class-leading-500-mile-range-and-car-car-charging?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=14537&elq_cid=876648
Tomi Engdahl says:
AV Software Driver vs. Human Driver
https://www.eetimes.com/av-software-driver-vs-human-driver/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 Trends Propel Vehicle Electrification
https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/21143239/3-trends-propel-vehicle-electrification?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS200924060&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Sponsored by Texas Instruments: The automotive industry is pursuing initiatives related to 48-V battery systems, wireless battery management, and electric-vehicle combo-box architectures.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hardening the Automotive Processor Architecture
New automotive processors developed by Arm are intended to deliver more intelligent cars in single-chip solutions.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/21143315/hardening-the-automotive-processor-architecture
Arm’s latest automotive processor announcement comes on the heels of the release of the Cortex-R82, a real-time processor platform. This new announcement encompasses the Cortex-A78E, the Mali-G78AE GPU, and the Mail-C71AE image signal processor (ISP). They’re designed for high reliability and safety applications in the automotive space with features like Split/Lock, which was introduced with the Cortex-A76AE. They’re typically combined into a system-on-chip (SoC) that may include other platforms like the Cortex-R82 and Arm’s Ethos neural processing unit (NPU)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can We Trust A.I.? Modeling Tool Quantifies How Much a Machine Doesn’t Know
https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/stories/blog/37695
Autonomous vehicles like the Waymo self-driving car shown here need to make split-second decisions, based on neural networks and machine learning. (Image Credit: Waymo)
A self-driving car needs to make quick decisions as it detects its surroundings. But can you trust a vehicle’s ability to make sound choices within fractions of a second — especially when conflicting information is coming from the car’s cameras, LiDAR, and radar?
“There is hope,” begins the title of a USC engineering team’s research paper.
A new modeling tool from USC indicates when predictions from A.I. algorithms are trustworthy.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Guarantee Autonomous Driving Levels — When Vision is Obstructed
https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/stories/blog/37423
Waymo launched its taxi service, Waymo One, in December 2018. The service operates in the Phoenix area, both with autonomous vehicles and cars with trained safety drivers. (Image Credit: Waymo)
Billy Hurley, Digital Editorial Manager
There are five autonomous driving levels , beginning with the Level 1 single function controls like lane-assist and cruise control, and ending with Level 5 (no driver!)
In between the tiers, we find “Level 4,” where fully autonomous vehicles also allow human operators to intervene when necessary.
With the help of sensors and cameras, many manufacturers are already developing Level-4 vehicles that operate within closed areas and at limited speeds. In 2018, for example, Alphabet’s Waymo, began a self-driving taxi service in Phoenix, Arizona called “Waymo One.”
But how safe are autonomous cars when their vision systems are obstructed by the elements?
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Software Keeps Self-Driving Cars on a Safe Path
https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/stories/blog/37748
The technology verifies whether intended trajectories comply with legal safety and provide fallback solutions (shown in red) in safety-critical situations. “Nature Machine Intelligence / Springer”.
Billy Hurley, Digital Editorial Manager
At a busy intersection of cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, anything is possible. New software from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) aims to predict all of those possibilities, so that self-driving vehicles will never get into accidents.
The TUM software module permanently analyzes and predicts events while driving, using vehicle sensor data that is being gathered and evaluated at every millisecond.
The software calculates all possible movements for every traffic participant — provided the cars are adhering to the road traffic regulations.
By understanding each variation in the scenario, the system, in its own way, can sense a maneuver in advance: a car pulling out from a stop sign, for example.
While the system determines a variety of movement options for the vehicle, the program simultaneously calculates potential emergency maneuvers in which the vehicle can be moved out of harm’s way (without endangering others) by accelerating or braking. The autonomous vehicle may only follow routes that are free of foreseeable collisions and for which an emergency maneuver option has been identified.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Autonomous Driving Demo Uses Just a 5G Remote Backup Driver
After successfully demonstrating its 5G-powered “Remote Driving Service,” Baidu predicted autonomous-driving technology will realize full commercialization in 2025.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/21142997/autonomous-driving-demo-uses-just-a-5g-remote-backup-driver?utm_source=EG+ED+Auto+Electronics&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS200928041&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
At its annual Baidu World 2020 tech conference in Beijing, Zhenyu Li, Corporate Vice President of Baidu and General Manager of its Intelligent Driving Group (IDG), demonstrated the firm’s fully automated robo-taxis operating without human safety drivers behind the wheel. The driverless vehicles will be used in Baidu’s “Apollo Go” robo-taxi service.
Instead of having safety drivers in the Apollo Go vehicles, the safe operation of the robo-taxis is backed up by a 5G-powered “Remote Driving Service” developed by Baidu. It allows human operators to remotely access the Apollo Go vehicles in the case of any emergencies or when the vehicle’s software can’t handle the current situation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cybersecurity is Imperative for Connected Cars
With the explosion of electronics—from ECUs to interfaces—making their way into vehicles, how can manufacturers protect their designs against cyberattacks?
https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/21143151/cybersecurity-is-imperative-for-connected-cars?utm_source=EG+ED+Auto+Electronics&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS200928041&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Today’s vehicles are essentially software on wheels, comprising complex and often interrelated collections of automotive systems such as braking, power locks, steering, entertainment, window controls, and so on. In addition to those cool capabilities, next-generation cars are adding a plethora of features, from autonomous operation to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), which only increase the overall complexity. Overall, the skyrocketing amount of electronic control units (ECUs) in vehicles and addition of new communication interfaces presents a rich field of opportunities for hackers
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mercury Earns Patent for CAN Cyber Protection
A U.S. patent has been awarded to Mercury Systems for techniques that protect controller area networks (CANs) against malicious cyberattacks.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/systems/article/21140030/mercury-earns-patent-for-can-cyber-protection
Mercury Systems has earned a U.S. patent covering various methods for protecting controller-area networks (CANs) from malicious cyberattacks. The patent bolsters an already hearty intellectual property (IP) portfolio of more than 80 patents issued to Mercury Systems. The patent relates to a wide range of applications using CAN-based systems, such as electronic control units (ECU) in automotive electronics or avionics systems. Cyberattacks on the electronic systems for avionics and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) automotive equipment can put drivers and passengers at risk. Mercury’s broadcast bus frame filter protects ECUs against hacking attempts with zero latency and can be used with any system with a CAN bus, including automotive, commercial, industrial, and military systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Algorithm Makes It Possible to See through Thick Fog by Tracing the Paths of Photons
Researchers from Stanford have developed an algorithm that works with a LIDAR-esque system to see through thick fog and even foam.
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-algorithm-makes-it-possible-to-see-through-thick-fog-by-tracing-the-paths-of-photons-ad23422ec4a8
the sensors and cameras, along with the computer vision systems used to interpret their data, can have difficulty in unusual scenarios. Simple fog, for example, can render LIDAR sensors useless. That’s why researchers from Stanford University have developed an algorithm that can see through thick fog and even foam.
Stanford researchers devise way to see through clouds and fog
https://news.stanford.edu/2020/09/09/seeing-objects-clouds-fog/
Using a new algorithm, Stanford researchers have reconstructed the movements of individual particles of light to see through clouds, fog and other obstructions.
Working with hardware similar to what enables autonomous cars to “see” the world around them, the researchers enhanced their system with a highly efficient algorithm that can reconstruct three-dimensional hidden scenes based on the movement of individual particles of light, or photons. In tests, detailed in a paper published Sept. 9 in Nature Communications, their system successfully reconstructed shapes obscured by 1-inch-thick foam. To the human eye, it’s like seeing through walls.
Supersight from scattered light
In order to see through environments that scatter light every-which-way, the system pairs a laser with a super-sensitive photon detector that records every bit of laser light that hits it. As the laser scans an obstruction like a wall of foam, an occasional photon will manage to pass through the foam, hit the objects hidden behind it and pass back through the foam to reach the detector. The algorithm-supported software then uses those few photons – and information about where and when they hit the detector – to reconstruct the hidden objects in 3D.
“You couldn’t see through the foam with your own eyes, and even just looking at the photon measurements from the detector, you really don’t see anything,” said Lindell. “But, with just a handful of photons, the reconstruction algorithm can expose these objects – and you can see not only what they look like, but where they are in 3D space.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2020/10/01/raspberry-pi-helps-racer-master-the-track/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Battery monitors supervise voltage & cell #temperature in #BatteryManagement systems for EVs and HEVs Texas Instruments #ElectricVehicles #safety
Battery monitors improve safety in EVs and HEVs
https://www.edn.com/battery-monitors-improve-safety-in-evs-and-hevs/?utm_content=buffer16910&utm_medium=social&utm_source=edn_f
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using diesel to charge EVs in the outback is greener than you think
https://thedriven.io/2018/12/14/diesel-charge-evs-remote-locations-greener-than-you-think/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-auto-security-pervasive-computing-35/
Processor IP from Synopsys has now been certified for full ISO 26262 ASIL D compliance, based on SGS-TÜV Saar’s assessment. ASIL D compliance means the DesignWare ARC EM22FS functional safety processor IP meets random hardware fault detection and systematic functional safety development flow requirements. The IP has error-correcting code (ECC) for memories and interfaces, transient fault protection for internal registers, diagnostic error injection, and an integrated self-checking safety monitor.
Synopsys Delivers Industry’s First Processor IP Certified for Full ISO 26262 ASIL D Compliance
DesignWare ARC EM22FS Functional Safety Processor IP Meets ASIL D Random Plus ASIL D Systematic Compliance to Accelerate Automotive SoC-Level Certification
https://news.synopsys.com/2020-09-30-Synopsys-Delivers-Industrys-First-Processor-IP-Certified-for-Full-ISO-26262-ASIL-D-Compliance
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-auto-security-pervasive-computing-35/
Arm unveiled IP for autonomous systems in automotive and industrial markets. The IP is focused on safety, of different levels, for different use cases. The Cortex-A78AE is Arm’s highest performance CPU with safety, Arm Mali-G78AE is Arm’s first functional safety GPU, and Arm Mali-C71AE image signal processor (ISP) designed for vision use cases in safety-critical situations. The GPU has a new a partitioning system with up to four partitions so it can run different workloads separately with safety-related workloads on dedicated partitions with no contention for GPU resources and assured performance on-demand.
New Arm technologies enable safety-capable computing solutions for an autonomous future
https://www.arm.com/company/news/2020/09/new-arm-technologies-enable-safety-capable-computing-solutions
News Highlights:
New solutions offer a step change in compute for autonomous systems in automotive and industrial automation, which Arm believes will be an $8 billion silicon opportunity in 2030
Designed with safety first: Arm Cortex-A78AE is Arm’s highest performance CPU with safety, Arm Mali-G78AE is Arm’s first safety capable GPU, and Arm Mali-C71AE enables safety for vision use cases
The new IP enables solutions for autonomous applications, supported by the Arm ecosystem, software and tools, Safety Ready technology, System IP and Physical IP
Tomi Engdahl says:
Roborgtaxis: Are We All Willing to be Assimilated?
https://www.eetimes.com/roborgtaxis-are-we-all-willing-to-be-assimilated/
Roborgtaxis or Ultimate Driving Machines? Do you want to be moved around in soulless robotaxis operated by the Borg, or would rather take to the road in the Ultimate Driving Machine?
Robotaxi developers may well have spent many billions of dollars working towards technology that is functional, practical and predictable and yet just like the Borg, a complete turn-off. But resistance isn’t futile. All is not lost. There is another…
Tech Wars: Return of the Automaker
If the script involves AV tech assimilating the world, defeating the traditional automakers and human drivers surrendering their licenses to the evil AI Empire, no one told the Rebel Alliance led by BMW; nor for that matter a large portion of the tech industry which is focused on humanizing the automotive experience.
With so much focus in recent years on the use of AI and deep learning to replace human drivers with self-driving vehicles, little attention has been paid to the technology ecosystem that has developed to make human drivers into safer drivers and to enhance the in-cabin user experience.
Humanizing the automotive experience means the use of advanced augmented reality head-up displays (AR-HUD).
Human factors research, driver monitoring and eye tracking are key components for detecting driver state in human-driven vehicles and my research suggests Seeing Machines will be the provider for BMW. A summary of its technology development is shown below and the capability of its “State Monitoring Algorithms” remains a closely guarded secret.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tesla’s New Tabless Batteries Unlock New Levels Of Performance
https://hackaday.com/2020/10/05/teslas-new-tabless-batteries-unlock-new-levels-of-performance/
Telsa are one of the world’s biggest purchasers of batteries through their partnerships with manufacturers like Panasonic, LG and CATL. Their endless hunger for more cells is unlikely to be satiated anytime soon, as demand for electric cars and power storage continues to rise.
As announced at their Battery Day keynote, Tesla has been working hard on a broad spectrum of projects to take battery technology to the next level in order to reach their goal of 3 TWh annual production by 2030. One of the most interesting aspects of this was the announcement of Tesla’s new tabless 4680 battery, which will be manufactured by the company itself. Let’s take a look at what makes the 4680 so exciting, and why going tabless is such a big deal.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Tesla hacker has revealed what Tesla’s driver-facing camera in Model 3 and Model Y is looking for — hinting at driver monitoring feature.
https://electrek.co/2020/10/04/tesla-hacker-driver-facing-camera-looking-for/
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 Trends Propel Vehicle Electrification
https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/21143239/3-trends-propel-vehicle-electrification?utm_source=EG+ED+Auto+Electronics&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS201002054&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Bridging 12-V and 48-V Systems
The 12-V lead-acid battery has had a long run in the automotive industry. But in the face of increasingly strict emission regulations and growing power requirements driven by advanced electronics and the conversion from mechanical to electronic components, the 12-V system can no longer go it alone. In response, the industry has developed a 48-V lithium-ion battery-based system that can deliver higher power at lower currents.
Note that the 48-V system doesn’t replace the 12-V system, but rather works alongside it. While the 12-V system powers loads involving infotainment, lighting, and window controllers, the 48-V system can support heavier loads such as starter-generator units, air-conditioning compressors, active chassis systems, turbochargers, and regenerative braking.
Wireless BMS for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
The second trend toward vehicle electrification involves the evolution toward a wireless BMS, which promises improved reliability and reduced vehicle weight to boost efficiency. The traditional wired-BMS architecture connects battery packs in a daisy-chain configuration, posing manufacturing and maintenance challenges. In contrast, a wireless BMS employs wireless chipsets to communicate voltage and temperature data from each cell to the BMS microcontroller. The reduction in cables lowers weight and saves cost.
EV Combo-Box Architectures
The third trend involves the move toward an electric-vehicle powertrain combo-box architecture, which can improve power density, increase reliability, and optimize cost while simplifying design and assembly. It also provides the means to standardize and modularize.
Sponsored by Texas Instruments: The automotive industry is pursuing initiatives related to 48-V battery systems, wireless battery management, and electric-vehicle combo-box architectures.
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 basic facts about automotive #sensor degradation #safety #test #ADAS #AutonomousVehicles AutoSens
https://www.edn.com/three-basic-facts-about-automotive-sensor-degradation/?utm_content=buffer33a9f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=edn_facebook&utm_campaign=buffer
Tomi Engdahl says:
Top 10 EV Values in Dollars per Mile
https://www.designnews.com/automotive-engineering/top-10-ev-values-dollars-mile?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=14592&elq_cid=876648
Spoiler: Tesla is not number one in EV value!
Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers offer a wide variety of prices and potential driving range in their different models. The sticker price goes up with the size of the battery, so it can be challenging to tell whether it is a better deal to buy a cheaper car with a smaller battery and shorter driving range, or whether there is value is paying extra to drive further.
Not to worry, the people at VisualCapitalist.com have crunched the numbers for you, producing a list of EVs ranked by their miles of driving range per dollar of purchase price.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Battery monitors supervise voltage & cell #temperature in #BatteryManagement systems for EVs and HEVs Texas Instruments #ElectricVehicles #safety
https://buff.ly/3jCR0yi
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is AV Software Driver Detecting What We Are Seeing?
https://www.eetimes.com/is-av-software-driver-detecting-what-we-are-seeing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
BMW Uses Unity 3D to Create Virtual World for Autonomous Driving Development
As with crashing while driving the ‘Forza Horizon’ videogame, there’s no downside to autonomous vehicle mistakes in the virtual world.
https://www.designnews.com/automotive-engineering/bmw-uses-unity-3d-create-virtual-world-autonomous-driving-development?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=14608&elq_cid=876648
BMW needs to amass 150 million virtual miles of testing for its autonomous driving technology before it will be ready for customers, so the company is relying on Unity’s real-time 3D tools to produce the virtual world where it can test robot cars in complete safety.
Indeed, BMW does 95 percent of its autonomous vehicle testing in simulations rather than on the road. This means the company can do more testing in less time, in more conditions, for less cost, and at zero risk.
There’s no need to wait for darkness, fog, rain, or snow in the virtual world, where all of these things can be tested in infinite variations.
BMW does this work at its Autonomous Driving Campus in Unterschleissheim, Germany, just north of Munich.
“At BMW, we believe simulation is key for developing autonomous driving,” says Nicholas Dunning, Simulation Expert for Automated Driving Functions, BMW Group. “Unity plays a pivotal role in helping our team create, visualize, and evaluate the millions of virtual road trips needed to help us achieve our AD ambitions.”
Dunning works as part of the core 12-person development team that has built custom tools made with Unity to help the 1,800 autonomous driving developers at BMW’s campus visualize and advance their work.
BMW selected Unity 3D based on a number of benefits, reports Dunning. “We chose Unity 3D because of multiple factors, including previous work creating prototypes and proof-of-concept experiments within this environment as well as the ability to easily unit- and integration-test all of our code by clearly separating our code base into different layers of abstraction.”
BMW’s primary uses for Unity are to visualize raw data from simulations in an immediately understandable, true-to-life way, beyond graphs and charts, and then to evaluate the current state of the autonomous driving functions in a variety of simulated scenarios.
BMW used Unity to create a graphical editor that makes it easy to change test scenarios, with variations in the quantity and type of traffic, presence of pedestrians, traffic signs, the lay of the road, and its markings, as well as the environmental conditions for light and weather.
“Without our simulation tool, we would rely more heavily on other tools provided by the various communication protocols and middleware layers the Autonomous Driving code is built on,” explains Dunning. “This has the negative consequence that each time a change to these middleware applications is made, your tooling also has to change.”
These tests can run all night long, letting BMW’s developers examine logs in the morning that describe when functions failed during tests. They especially focus on edge-case scenarios such as encountered a traffic vehicle that runs a stop sign, because the resulting near-collisions are difficult and dangerous to stage in the real world.
“With more simulation-based testing, the coverage of different situations greatly increases, leading to overall safer end product for our customers,” Dunning says. “Every kilometer driven in simulation one that does not need to be driven on the road, as you, as an Autonomous Driving engineer, are already testing the change you make right away.”
When errors, or “incidents,” occur during a simulated drive, BMW engineers can quickly identify them and address the causes. “Our Virtual Endurance Testing setup allows us to drive between various cities in Germany and automatically detect situations where certain [Kilometers per Incident) drop below their acceptable thresholds,” Dunning explains. “This could be the distance kept to other traffic, or the deactivation of the Autonomous Driving function to name just a few.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sensor Fusion Challenges In Cars
https://semiengineering.com/sensor-fusion-challenges-in-cars/
As more pieces of the autonomous vehicle puzzle come into view, the enormity of the challenge grows.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AV Software Platforms: Cooperation & Competition
https://www.eetimes.com/av-software-platforms-cooperation-competition/
It is time to update my pictorial view of the competition and cooperation across the leading autonomous vehicle (AV) software platforms. The latest version is shown in the next figure and this is probably the tenth version due to the rapid changes in the AV industry. An earlier version that I did while working at IHS Markit is available in an article Junko Yoshida did in May 2020.
The AV software platform picture looks complex, but this is a simplification as there are many additional companies participating. The cooperation relationships are primarily drawn to main auto OEMs. A few relationships that have been cancelled are still marked with a dotted line and a red X.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Surfaces, Sensors, and the Future of Automotive HMI
https://www.eetimes.com/smart-surfaces-sensors-and-the-future-of-automotive-hmi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vallankumous alkaa: Robottirekka tuli kaupallisesti myyntiin
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11258-vallankumous-alkaa-robottirekka-tuli-kaupallisesti-myyntiin
Ruotsalainen Einride on ollut yksi autonomisten ajoneuvojen edelläkävijä ja yhtiö on kehittänyt Pod-robottirekkaansa pitkään. Nyt kehityksessä on otettu iso askel eteenpäin, kun Einride on tuonut neljä eri Pod-mallia kaupalliseti tarjolle.
Pod on siis sähkökäyttöinen rekannuppi, jolla ryhdyttiin viime vuonna ensimmäisenä maailmassa ajamaan täysin itsenäistä ja sähkökäyttöistä raskasta ajoneuvoa julkisella tiellä. Einride on testannut Podejaan suljetuilla alueilla eri puolilla Ruotsia.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2020/10/15/uusi-iot-alusta-yhdistaa-pian-yli-miljoona-autoa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11272-eu-toi-lisaa-taajuuksia-alyliikenteelle
Euroopan komissio on päättänyt, että älykkään liikenteen käyttöön varataan noin 60 megahertsin taajuusalue 5,9 giaghertsin alueelta. Kyse on ajoneuvojen väliseen datansiirrosta henkilöautojen, kuorma-autojen, linja-autojen, raitiovaunujen ja lähijunien välillä.
Kun ajoneuvot voivat vaihtaa tietoja esimerkiksi tieolosuhteista, tienrakennuksista ja onnettomuuksista, se vähentää liikenneonnettomuuksia ja kuolemia. Tähän mennessä taajuusalue 5,875 – 5,905 GHz on varattu tämäntyyppiseen viestintään. Nyt käytössä olevien taajuuksien määrä kaksinkertaistetaan siirtämällä yläraja 5,935 gigahertsiin.
Kaista on jaettu 10 MHz: n lohkoihin. Komissio ei ota kantaa siitä, millä tekniikalla yhteydet ajoneuvojen välillä pitää toteuttaa. Tämä tarkoittaa, että kisa 5G:n ja wifin välillä jatkuu.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Dangerous Are Burning Electric Vehicles?
Swiss researchers find out with experiments that set electric vehicle batteries on fire in various scenarios.
https://www.designnews.com/automotive-engineering/how-dangerous-are-burning-electric-vehicles?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=14685&elq_cid=876648
The dangers of lithium-ion batteries, like those used in smartphones and electric vehicles (EVs), catching fire or exploding has been well-publicized. But the true impact of an EV battery catching fire and the dangers that could result aren’t known on a wide scale, which remains a question mark as they become more widely adopted.
To find out, researchers in Switzerland set EV batteries on fire in a series of experiments to test the potential for damage and disaster in the case of EVs catching fire in parking structures or a tunnel.
What they discovered is that while in some cases, electric vehicle battery fires are no more dangerous than other types of car fires, the smoke and soot they give off contains toxic metal oxides that cause a messy clean-up operation and hazardous environment in the wake of the fire.
Researchers tested electric vehicle fires in three controlled scenarios: a fire in an enclosed space, a fire in a room with a sprinkler system, and a fire in a tunnel with ventilation to see what the effects would be.
Results and Conclusions
In terms of heat development, a burning EV is not any more hazardous than a burning car that uses traditional fossil fuels, researchers found, adding that fire brigades do not have to learn anything new to handle EV fires on the basis of the tests.
“The pollutants emitted by a burning vehicle have always been dangerous and possibly fatal,” according to the report. Moreover, the corrosive, toxic hydrofluoric acid produced by the battery fires did not cause any more ill effect than any other type of burning material, remaining below critical levels in the tunnel scenario.
Thus, they concluded that any parking structure with state-of-the-art ventilation can cope with a burning EV the same as it would with a gasoline or diesel vehicle fire, according to the report.
However, there were some hazardous results to the test unique to car fires when an EV is involved, the research found. One is that in the case of a situation in which a sprinkler system or extinguishing water is used to put out the fire, that water is toxic.
The analysis demonstrated that the chemical contamination of the extinguishing water exceeded the threshold values for industrial wastewater in Switzerland by a factor of 70, going up to even 100 times above these values, according to the report. This makes it essential that this water does not enter a local sewage system.
Moreover, any fire in which EVs are involved will require professional clean-up in protective gear because of the hazardous materials found in the soot and ash
“Do not try to clean up the soot and dirt yourself,” he said in a press statement. “The soot contains large amounts of cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, and manganese oxide. These heavy metals cause severe allergic reactions on unprotected skin.”
The experiment: Torching a battery – When electrical vehicles catch fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O07SIaxB08&feature=emb_title