Blogs
Uber dares to return, Senate pushes law, and query about recharging scooters
Submitted by brad on Thu, 2018-12-06 13:49Some news items, and then some analysis of the energy needed to reposition and charge all the dockless scooters from Lime and Bird.
Waymo soft launches in Phoenix, but...
Submitted by brad on Wed, 2018-12-05 13:21
Waymo announced today they will begin commercial operations in the Phoenix area under the name "Waymo One." Waymo has promised that it would happen this year, and it is a huge milestone, but I can't avoid a small bit of disappointment.
A circuit breaker designed for electric cars to lower costs
Submitted by brad on Tue, 2018-12-04 13:38
While I was watching a rocket lifting some of my friend's satellites into space from my driveway yesterday, my new electric Tesla car was delivered to that driveway.
To discuss transportation, we must agree on what the goals of a transport system are
Submitted by brad on Tue, 2018-11-27 13:11
People want to get everywhere quickly, reliably, safely, affordably, comfortably and easily, any time, while not overly disrupting others. They also want to serve various specialized individual needs, from moving cargo to sightseeing.
Flying cars, robocars and more will rewrite the rural landscape, for good and ill
Submitted by brad on Mon, 2018-11-26 12:15How and where we live is governed most by transportation, and all the new mobility technologies are poised to cause big changes. Today, I want to look at the following technologies and how they will affect life outside the city. In many case, they will come last to the country, but in other cases, they may come first.
Uber's quest for a "smoother ride" brought them down
Submitted by brad on Wed, 2018-11-21 13:23
Where's a fireproof rescue vehicle?
Submitted by brad on Mon, 2018-11-19 15:35
Everybody here is in shock over the destruction and death from the recent California fires, and I, like many, have even fled the coast for the mountains as the air in the San Francisco Bay area remains unsafe. Videos of people escaping down burning streets send chills into those who watch them.
Nice summary of LIDAR technologies -- is it a "crutch?"
Submitted by brad on Thu, 2018-11-15 12:35
Earlier this year this nice summary of LIDAR companies was published. While it misses a few projects, I recommend it as a nice visual overview of the many LIDAR technologies in production and under development.
A plan to end the disproportionate power of small U.S. states by buying them out
Submitted by brad on Wed, 2018-11-14 12:03
After elections, Americans lament about the current structure of the Senate (and electoral college) because they are based on legacy, and do not follow the principle of one person one vote.
Sex in your robotaxi
Submitted by brad on Mon, 2018-11-12 12:35A Washington Post article suggests robotaxis may become popular for sex on wheels. In my talks I have often made the joke that while the auto industry quests for "Vision Zero" -- no automotive fatalities -- the robocar is the only technology that could result in people actually being created while driving.
Notes on Uber's "Please take us back" safety plan
Submitted by brad on Tue, 2018-11-06 12:54
reported earlier, Uber released a series of documents detailing safety strategy. It's their effort to restore their image in the world and get back on the road.
Uber declares itself devoted to safety
Submitted by brad on Mon, 2018-11-05 11:33This weekend, Uber released a long and detailed "safety report" with some of their learnings and new plans after their fatal error. I have not had time to read it all yet due to travel, and will offer more detailed comments later.
Study claims robocars increase polution; they could not be more wrong
Submitted by brad on Thu, 2018-11-01 12:59
Nutonomy President says "let's not compete on safety" since any crash hurts the whole industry
Submitted by brad on Wed, 2018-10-31 13:07
Waymo is first, but is Cruise second, and how can you tell?
Submitted by brad on Mon, 2018-10-29 12:43
Make robotaxis so cheap they can't even close their doors
Submitted by brad on Thu, 2018-10-18 12:23
A recent article on automatic closing doors for robocars argues that the car must be able to close the door, because the passenger might leave it open, and the car can't drive with an open door.
Cryptocurrency is the wrong name, and "crypto" is worse
Submitted by brad on Wed, 2018-10-17 11:00Like many people who have worked in cryptography for decades, and is used to the abbreviation "crypto" to refer to it, I wince when I see that term now being frequently used as a short for "cryptocurrency," ie. Bitcoin and its friends.
Replacing a car with ride-hail, and Lyft's $299/month subscription
Submitted by brad on Tue, 2018-10-16 12:58
Today, Lyft announced a $299/month subscription plan which isn't really very good, but it opens up the discussion of how people will switch to robotaxi service from car ownership, a subject I was already debating in my own household.





