An early prototype of Boeing’s self-driving air taxi completed its first flight at an airfield in Manassas, Virginia, on Tuesday, marking what could be an early breakthrough in the company’s vision for autonomous, on-demand flight. The aircraft successfully took off, hovered and landed, all of which employed its autonomous navigation and landing systems, according to […]
autonomous vehicles
Posted inPerspective, sj-web
Self-driving car companies at CES preach safety first
Autonomous vehicles are driving the buzz at CES this week – but this year, companies are touting their commitment to safety and public education after fatal crashes increased policymakers’ worries about the nascent technology. “Events like that have highlighted the need to have a dialogue about safety,” said Jack Weast, who leads autonomous vehicle standards […]
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Posted inNation / World
What happens when the police pull over a driverless car?
As self-driving cars become increasingly common on American streets, an obvious question arises: What happens when police want to pullover a robot-driven vehicle without a human backup driver? In their recently updated “Emergency Response Guide,” Alphabet’s Waymo – which has hundreds of autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans on the road in Phoenix – provides a protocol […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Portland selected to test self-driving car technology
Portland is trying to get on the map of the emerging self-driving vehicle industry. Maine’s biggest city is one of seven municipalities and transit agencies selected as pilot members for a new program aiming to communicate local traffic rules and restrictions to autonomous vehicles. The platform, called AV Road Rules, was announced by INRIX, a […]
Posted inBusiness
New cars are quickly getting self-driving safety features
DETROIT (AP) — Autonomous vehicles get all the headlines, but automakers are gradually adding advanced electronic safety features to human-driven cars as they step toward a world of self-driving vehicles. Car and tech companies are rolling out laser sensors, artificial intelligence, larger viewing screens that show more of the road, cameras that can read speed […]
Posted inNation / World
Uber victim stepped suddenly in front of self-driving car
Police say a video from the Uber self-driving car that struck and killed a woman Sunday shows her moving in front of it suddenly, a factor that investigators are likely to focus on as they assess the performance of the technology in the first pedestrian fatality involving an autonomous vehicle. The Uber had a forward-facing […]
Posted inNation / World
Uber autonomous car kills pedestrian in Arizona
A self-driving car from Uber Technologies Inc. hit and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona, on Sunday evening, what is likely the first pedestrian fatality involving a driverless vehicle. The woman was crossing the road when the Uber vehicle, operating in autonomous mode, struck her, according to the Tempe Police Department. She was transferred to […]
Posted inBusiness
Uber settles Waymo driverless car suit, reportedly for $245 million
Uber Technologies settled the high-stakes trade-secret theft lawsuit brought by Waymo, resolving a conflict that already cost the ride-hailing giant its top driverless car engineer and threatened to further embarrass the company. Uber agreed to pay 0.34 percent of its equity, or about $245 million, according to a person with knowledge of the accord. Tony […]
Posted inBusiness
Maine robotics company fighting for billion-dollar Army contract
A Maine robotics company is in the running to build the Army’s next generation of battlefield support vehicles. Waterboro-based Howe and Howe Technologies is competing with three other firms for a massive government contract to build autonomous vehicles that will carry ammunition and supplies into combat with Army ground forces. “It is going to be […]
Posted inMaine
Bill could pave way for driverless buses in Maine
A bill before the Legislature would help set the stage for putting self-driving buses on the streets of Portland and other Maine communities within the next five years. The proposal, sparked by the Portland city manager’s interest in autonomous transit, is the first piece of Maine legislation to deal specifically with self-driving vehicles, according to […]