Self driving technology Archives - Gizmochina

Self-Driving Trouble: You Can Be Responsible for Crimes Committed by Your Car

Oğuz Çakır — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 09:54:38 +0000

Autonomous driving technologies are becoming more widespread with each passing day. Today, many companies are testing their self-driving vehicles in cities where they have permission to operate. However, this technology also brings up some problems. For example, who is to blame when these not yet perfect cars make a mistake? In China’s Hangzhou province, there is growing concern about the increasing number of self-driving cars, authorities are considering the idea of penalizing vehicle owners or managers for traffic violations committed by these cars. Here are the details…

Who’s Responsible When Self-Driving Cars Breaks the Law?

As self-driving car technology continues to develop rapidly, fully autonomous driving is becoming increasingly popular. For example cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Beijing, and Hangzhou have even started self-driving car trials. But there’s a lingering question: If a self-driving car breaks a traffic rule, who’s to blame? The passenger or the car’s owner? Should they be fined?

A recent report reveals that the city of Hangzhou has submitted a draft proposal focused on the testing and use of smart, connected vehicles. This draft outlines two key points:

All smart, connected vehicles must link to a central management platform.
A liability framework is established to handle legal and regulatory issues.

If a self-driving vehicle without passengers commits a traffic violation, the owner or manager of the vehicle will be fined as per the law. Additionally, the organization responsible for testing and using the vehicle will have to cover the costs of any accidents they’re liable for. Of course, this idea is not new; in the U.S. car owners are already held responsible for any accidents caused by their self-driving technology. The rules in Hangzhou are still a draft and may change, but they show the city’s plan for regulating these vehicles.

However, the debate is not over. Some say it’s unfair to blame the owner for mistakes made by a car they’re not driving. Others argue that since the owner is in charge of the vehicle, they should be held accountable for any mistakes. It remains to be seen how these new rules in Hangzhou will actually work, but they’re a big step toward making self-driving cars safer for everyone. Especially when you consider how advanced China is in this area.

What are your thoughts on this subject? In the event of an accident, who do you think should be held responsible: the owner of the vehicle or the person who developed the technology?

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Bentley’s New Electric Car to Arrive in 2025 will Feature Self-Driving Tech

Anubhav — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 04:25:12 +0000

Bentley, the renowned British luxury car brand, is set to make a groundbreaking leap into the realm of electric vehicles (EVs) with its first pure electric car. According to a report by the British car magazine “AutoCar,” Bentley’s CEO, Adrian Hallmark, has revealed that the forthcoming electric vehicle will be equipped with cutting-edge self-driving technology.

The Electric Car’s power output will be equivalent to 1400 Horsepower

The electric Bentley will utilize Mobileye’s SuperVision system, which comprises an impressive array of 11 cameras. Interestingly, this system will also be featured in Porsche‘s upcoming Macan EV. Initially, the Bentley EV will possess the capability to drive partially autonomously on highways. However, the company has long-term plans to achieve full autonomous driving capabilities through over-the-air (OTA) software updates in the future.

Anticipated to be officially unveiled in 2025, Bentley’s debut electric car is rumoured to have a sports coupe design. Hallmark previously stated that the upcoming electric vehicle would boast a power output of up to 1,400 horsepower and could achieve acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour in a mere 1.5 seconds. These performance figures are insane. However, Hallmark assured prospective customers that a “slower” version would be available for those who found the speed too overpowering or intimidating.

It’s quite interesting to see that Bentley has ambitious plans for the electric era, aiming to introduce a new electric vehicle each year from 2025 to 2030. To support this ambitious venture, the company has committed a massive investment of $3 billion to revamp its Crewe factory, enabling it to be future-proof for the EV competition that is currently ramping up.

In another electric supercar development, Rolls-Royce, another prominent British luxury automaker, is preparing to unveil its inaugural electric car, the Specter, later this year. The Specter, a luxurious coupe, shares its platform with Rolls-Royce’s renowned models, the Phantom and Cullinan.

With both Bentley and Rolls-Royce embracing electric mobility, the future of the luxury automotive industry is sure to witness a profound change in R&D for other major car manufacturers. Companies such as Chrysler and Acura should take this as a sign of a shifting landscape in the EV industry.

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Russia’s Yandex to start tests for Self Driving Taxis in Moscow

Sean — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 09:26:33 +0000

Yandex is planning on starting field tests for its self driving taxis in Moscow, Russia. This would allow the people living in the Capital city to experience the future by taking a ride in the new autonomous vehicles later this year.

The Russian tech based firm made the announced earlier this week, revealing its plans for a late 2021 testing phase. For those unaware, Yandex runs a vast majority of services in the region, ranging from online search to even food delivery, and for the past three years, the company is also looking to test self driving technology in Russia, Israel, and even the United States of America.

According to the tech giant, Robotaxis will be available from its Yandex.Go application in one Moscow district for certain customers. The company added that “The launch in Yasenevo is the first stage of a large Yandex project to launch driverless taxis. Over time, there will be more cars, the number of locations you can go to and from will increase, and ever more people will be able to hail driverless taxis.”

Unfortunately, the Russian legislation does not permit such autonomous vehicles to travel without a person at the wheel as of right now. Although, there are exception based on special economic zones, like the city of Innopolis in the Tatarstan region. Furthermore, there is also a restriction on their use in certain areas of large cities that could be partially lifted after a law recently came into force earlier this year. At the moment, Yandex owns a sizeable 170 driverless cars that have collectively traveled over 14 million kilometers. It has even employed robots that deliver restaurant meals in central Moscow.

Baidu CEO reveals ‘Robocar’, his futuristic concept of autonomous driving

Sean — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 12:47:11 +0000

Baidu Chief Executive Robin Li has just unveiled his vision for the future of autonomous driving technology. The official describes this ‘robocar’ vehicle as more of a robot than a car.

Apollo Autonomous Vehicle from Baidu

Robin Li revealed a new prototype ‘robocar’ at the Baidu World 2021 conference (Via SCMP) earlier today (18th August 2021). The co founder of the search engine and artificial intelligence based giant also stated that this a concept of the ideal transport vehicle that would be a robot that would not be similar to cars that clog the roads in this day and age. Li added that “In the future, a car will be equivalent to a robot.”

It was revealed that Baidu took eight years to develop the robocar, which does not have an official name as of right now. Although, the prototype did reveal that it is a two seat vehicle that has no steering wheels or pedals, which is in line with the statement of it being a robot rather than a car. Furthermore, it has two retractable doors, a large curved intelligent display and a control pad as well. Li stated that its interior feature zero gravity seats, voice and facial recognition along with advanced artificial intelligence technology.

This AI would enable the robocar to analyze and make predictive suggestions to passengers. To improve the driving experience, the zero gravity seats work by positioning the passenger or driver in a manner that makes them feel weightless by reducing the effects of gravity. At the moment, the robocar has already met the level 5 (L5) autonomous driving standard, which means that it can handle itself in all circumstances without human interaction.

Huawei aims on improving travel experience in self driving cars: Patent

Sean — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 12:51:00 +0000

Huawei has just recently published a new patent, which was related to the control system of autonomous vehicles. While smart cars with self driving technology are already available, the company seeks to improve the overall driving and travel experience.

According to the patent titled “Smart Car Control Method, Device and Control System,” the Chinese tech giant is working on a smart car control system that could improve the autonomous technology behind self driving cars. As per an ITHome report, the patent also describes a system for controlling smart cars, which is capable of improving the comfort for passengers as well as the driving experience of the self driving smart car.

This system would control the smart car’s driving mode, its driving style, to reach the speed of the vehicle at an optimal level. Once it reaches this optimal speed, it would also shift the driving mode to maintain it. In simpler terms, it would effectively work in real time to make the experience smooth and comfortable for the passengers riding in the vehicle, including the one behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, this is still a patent at the moment so finer details regarding this smart control system are currently unknown. Furthermore, it is also unclear if the smartphone maker is actually working on such a product or is just covering all bases. So stay tuned as we will be providing updates when additional information or any notable development surfaces regarding this technology.

Huawei seeks to develop its driverless car technology by 2025

Sean — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 07:39:11 +0000

Huawei Technologies is aiming on developing its driverless passenger car technology by the year 2025. The news arrives from a statement made by a company executive earlier this week, as the firm seeks to expand its business scope in the automobile industry.

According to Wang Jun, a senior executive at Huawei’s smart vehicle unit, “Our team’s goal is to reach true driverless passenger cars in 2025.” Similar to the Chinese tech giant, other automakers, tech firms, startups, and more have also been working on their own self driving technology for vehicles. This includes the likes of Baidu, Xiaomi, and others that are attempting to diversify into the car industry.

For those unaware, Huawei has been working on small electric vehicles ever since it faced sanctions from the US Government that hampered its smartphones business, which was its one of its primary operations. Now, the company has been working on developing its own self driving car technology, while it has also launched various car related components that have been featured in cars from automobile makers like Mercedes-Benz.

Previously, we had reported on the brand investing 1 billion US Dollars to develop electric vehicles and self driving technology, as its smartphone and telecommunications operations suffer due to the US sanctions. So, the 2025 goal seems in line with its plans on developing autonomous driving technology that will also be featured in cars from other companies.

Xiaomi backed Fund invests in Chinese self driving system developer Zongmu

Sean — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 12:03:30 +0000

The Chinese self driving vehicle system developer Zongmu recently raised 190 million US Dollars in its series D funding round, which also had the Xiaomi backed Fund invest in the company.

According to a CaixinGlobal report, Zongmu executed the financing in three stages, with the last round being led by the Hubei Xiaomi Yangtze River Industrial Fund, an investment fund backed by the Chinese smartphone maker. The news arrives from a statement from the automotive system developer earlier this week. Notably, this investment round also included the likes of Denso, Jadex Capital, Cowin Capital, Qualcomm Ventures, and Fosun Capital also joining in.

The sizeable investment into the firm is indicative of the growing investor interest in industry that has been presenting an economic opportunity. This funding will also enable Zongmu to possibly work with Xiaomi to explore the uses of its autonomous driving technology, as per the statement. Interestingly, the news arrives as the smartphone maker announced its plans on venturing into the smart car market, unveiling its plans back in March 2021.

This would have the brand join the likes of other tech giants like Baidu and Huawei that have also shown interest in the smart car market in recent times. For those unaware, Zongmu was founded back in 2013 and focuses on developing autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance technologies and products related to positioning and mapping as well. The company is also known for its automated valet parking system, which can be found in an SUV model made by China FAW Group.

Oppo plans on buildings its own cars: Report

Sean — Tue, 04 May 2021 08:39:55 +0000

In recent times, it has been rumored that a number of smartphone manufacturers are looking to expand into the automobile industry. Now, Oppo is the latest brand that is apparently seeking to build its own cars.

According to a Xiuxiushai report (Via CarNewsChina), the Chinese tech giant’s CEO and Founder, Tony Chen, will apparently be the one leading this project. As per the source, Chen and him team has spent the last couple of weeks investigating resources, hiring talents from within the industry, and have overall been testing the viability of the project. A person close to the senior official also stated that the company is currently only conducting investigations and discussions on automobile manufacturing and has yet to formally establish the project.

Notably, CEO Tony Chen had said that “Even in car manufacturing, we will focus on areas that OPPO can perform well. If automakers can’t build good cars and OPPO has the strength, we will try it in the future.” This is indicative that the smartphone maker might be still be in internal discussions, deciding whether or not to build its own car or enter the industry in a manner similar to Huawei, which is by providing certain automobile parts and software for smart electric vehicles.

Interestingly, the report states that Chen has even met with Tesla’s supplier and battery maker CATL sometime within the last two weeks. Furthermore, it is also rumored that Andy Wu, Vice President of Oppo’s software engineering, has been taking interviews for the positions related to autonomous driving. In other words, the company is looking at self driving technology’s development, regardless of whether they build their own or offer its services to other car makers.

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GAC Motors to launch its first self driving car with Huawei after 2024

Sean — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 10:27:08 +0000

China’s GAC Motors is apparently planning on launching its first car model that supports self driving technology after 2024. The company is partnering with Huawei Technologies for its autonomous driving technology.

According to a Reuters report, GAC’s General Manager, Feng Xingya, made the announcement at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show earlier today (19th April 2021). The official also added that GAC is seeking to have half of its sales to be electric in 2035, with hybrid cars accounting for the other half. In other words, the company is aiming on a major shift of its vehicle production within the next decade.

For those unaware, Huawei is known to be working on self driving technology. The company even explained why it didn’t work on building its own cars and how it aims to build supplementing technology like the autonomous systems. Furthermore, the Chinese tech giant is also investing heavily in self driving technology and other electric vehicle technologies that surpasses Tesla, as per an SCMP report. The company is set to invest 1 billion US Dollars on researching self driving and electric car technologies.

The move from the company arrives as an attempt to raise its efforts to compete with Tesla and Xiaomi in the world’s largest electric vehicle market. As per the report, Huawei’s autonomous driving systems has already overtaken Tesla in certain areas. An example being the former’s cruise allows for more than 1,000 kilometers of travel without human input. Additionally, the Chinese company is also set to partner with automakers that will use its self driving technology, including BAIC Group, Chongqing Changan Automobile Co, along with GAC.

AutoX partners Honda to install its Autonomous Driving tech on Honda cars in China

Jed John Ikoba — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 04:52:27 +0000

China’s leading autonomous driving technology provider AutoX has announced a partnership with Honda China to deploy Honda cars fitted with AutoX’s autonomous vehicle technology for testing on public roads in China. In a press release, the company disclosed that Honda China will provide two of its models, the Honda Accord and Inspire vehicles, to deploy AV technology and testing in some of China’s most populous cities.

AutoX runs the Robotaxi service (with a fleet of about 100 vehicles) across some of China’s leading cities after successfully testing the Level 4 autonomous vehicles in China last year. AutoX’s AI self-driving platform is highly developed and can handle the densest and most dynamic traffic systems, having pioneered the Level 4 AV Robotaxis. AutoX’s mission is to provide autonomous transportation solutions to a broader segment of the population using its self-driving technology, which it terms democratizing autonomy.

Honda will bring its automotive expertise to the partnership as it hopes to deepen its understanding of the Chinese traffic ecosystem, establish acceptance and safety of the self-driving technology, and explore new autonomous technology solutions to tackle road traffic accidents. Honda’s SENSING technology was deployed in China in 2015 and has proved effective in reducing road crashes from SENSING-enabled vehicles. Last month, Honda began industrial production of Level 3 AVs in Japan and would seek to draw from Level 4 tech available from AutoX for subsequent AV development.

The success of the testing process for the cars will determine the direction of the partnership between Honda and AutoX. A successful testing regime across public roads in China’s most densely populated cities could see mass production of such vehicles for the Chinese market. But this could take a few years to come to fruition.