Auto blog

Teaching autonomous vehicles to drive like (some) humans

While I love driving, I can't wait for fully autonomous vehicles. I have no doubt they'll reduce car accidents, 94 percent of which are caused by human error, leading to more than 37,000 road deaths in the U.S. last year. And if it means I can fly home at night in winter and get safely shuttled to my house an hour-plus away — and not have to endure a typical white-knuckle drive in the dark with torrential rain and blinding spray from 18-wheelers on Interstate 84 — sign me up. Autonomous technology will also take some of the stress, tedium and fatigue out of long highway drives, as I recently discovered while testing Cadillac Super Cruise. AVs are also supposed to eventually help increase traffic flow and reduce gridlock. But according to a recent Automotive News article, as the first wave of AVs are being tested on public roads, they're having the opposite effect. Part of the problem is they drive too cautiously and are programmed to strictly follow the written rules of the road rather than going with the flow of traffic. "Humans violate the rules in a safe and principled way, and the reality is that autonomous vehicles in the future may have to do the same thing if they don't want to be the source of bottlenecks," Karl Iagnemma, CEO of self-driving technology developer NuTonomy, told Automotive News. "You put a car on the road which may be driving by the letter of the law, but compared to the surrounding road users, it's acting very conservatively." I get it that, like teen drivers, AVs need a ramp up period to learn the unwritten rules of the road and that a skeptical public has to be convinced of the technology's safety. But this is where I become less of a champion on AVs, since where I live in the Pacific Northwest we already have more than our share of overly cautious human drivers. Since moving here 12 years ago, I've found it's an interesting paradox that a region famous for its strong coffee, where you'd think most drivers would be jacked up on caffeine, is also the home to annoyingly measured motorists. As an auto-journo colleague living in Seattle so aptly put it: "People in the Pacific Northwest drive as if they have nowhere to go." If you drive like me and always have somewhere to go — and usually are in a hurry to get there — it's absolutely maddening.

This dream home theater and office happens to be in a Cadillac Escalade [w/video]

Need to take a ride cross country in the lap of luxury while still getting some work done? Short of a tour bus, the Concept One Curve from Lexani Motorcars might be one of the most comfy options imaginable. Lexani is usually known for creating opulent armored vehicles, but for the Concept One Curve it focuses on converting a 2015 Cadillac Escalade into a place for work or play. The company strips out the standard passenger compartment to install a higher ceiling with LED lighting, two leather-upholstered power captain's chairs and jump seats. However, the real highlight is a 48-inch curved 4K television mounted against the driver's partition. Don't worry about missing your favorite shows because there's a TracVision Satellite, too. The driver gets a re-covered seat of their own up front. If business needs to get done, the vehicle also includes a Mac Mini computer, tables stowed in the seats and connections for video conferencing. Of course, if you're riding in something this lavish, security might be a concern too. In addition to the window shades, the Concept One Curve features cameras to know what's going on outside. A touchscreen management system lets occupants control the whole setup from the luxurious chairs. Lexani claims that if all of this somehow isn't enough for a buyer, it offers even more options to fit their needs. Scroll down to watch a video tour and read more about this rolling home theater. {C} Lexani Concept One Curve Lexani Motorcars, a boutique luxury conversion company receiving vast international praise, has produced the Concept One Curve - the world's first 2015 Escalade with a built-in 48" 4K Technology Curved Smart TV. Lexani Motorcars is constantly pushing the boundaries of possibility for luxury transportation in everyday vehicles. The Curve is a revisited version of their latest model, the Concept One, with a television upgrade and electronic rear curtains; it is unmatched in its ability to be a premier theater one minute and a five-star mobile office the next. The curved smart TV-which rests on a proprietary electronic partition-is indeed impressive, but it is just one of the numerous amenities this discreet masterpiece boasts.

Mary Barra thinks GM is a leader in autonomous tech

Saying General Motors is "among the leaders" in autonomous vehicle technology, CEO Mary Barra rapped about her company's driverless work in an interview with USA Today. Barra covered a number of topics, including well-known efforts, like Cadillac's upcoming Super Cruise technology, as well as hinting at "a lot of efforts that are confidential." "Things are moving quickly in autonomous [cars] because there's so many different pathways and the standards aren't even set. A lot of people can claim leads because people are making advancements in different areas," Barra said. "Next year we're going to have Super Cruise on one of our Cadillacs. On highways you'll be able to take your hands off the wheel and feet off the pedals – with a very creative way to make sure the driver is alert and involved in the driving process." As for those "confidential" efforts, feel free to speculate. GM has recently confirmed that it'd be running autonomous Volts at its Warren, MI tech center, which certainly indicates that the company is playing with much more than Super Cruise. GM will need to continue to embrace autonomous driving, owing to both traditional competitors like Toyota, as well as non-traditional opposition, like Google and Apple. Speaking of its competition from Silicon Valley, Barra was asked about two of the region's biggest names – Apple's Tim Cook and Tesla boss Elon Musk. "I have tremendous respect for Tim Cook, and I don't really think he needs advice from me," Barra told USA Today with a laugh. And when asked about Apple's future as a "viable competitor," she said, "I have no insights other than what I read in the papers. But it would be foolish for me not to assume that they're going to." As for Mr. Musk's openness about future products and how it contrasts with GM's relatively closed attitude, Barra also gave a chuckle. "I'm sure you would like me to say yes. I think we're fundamentally different. Look at our volume and look at the segments where we compete. His product line – his two products – his scale, it's completely different." The rest of Barra's interview is certainly worth a read, and includes talk about the Volkswagen diesel scandal, GM's changed relationship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Uber. Head over to The Detroit Free Press website for the full story from USA Today.