Less than a year ago, discussion of autonomous vehicle manufacture here in Saline seemed to be valued with little more than interest than dutiful re-posting of press release copy. A little further out and a month later, there was more talk, of a self-driving vehicle being tested for pizza delivery in Ann Arbor. But then we got clarification that it was never actually used in self-driving mode. [1,2,3,4]
Fast-foward to this past January, and Saline Journal produced what appears to be the first original local coverage on this subject from the North American International Auto Show. By March the story for Saline was even further from that of a manufacturing facility on the corner of East Michigan Avenue and South Industrial Drive. Senior city officials were attending a regional symposium on smart cities. [5,6]
Then yesterday during the current Mackinac Policy Conference, a prime spot on the agenda was slotted for a panel discussion on “The Mobility State.” US Senator Gary Peters is helping advance the AV START (American Vision for Safer Transportation through Advancement of Revolutionary Technologies). Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced $8 million in grants aimed at spurring “mobility” initiatives that will help transport seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans” using autonomous vehicles. [7,8,9,10,11]
That is mainstream.
Moreover, some of the strongest footholds in this future have been staked by traditional automobile manufacturers — including domestic carmakers Ford and General Motors. Seeing this is important to understanding everything from the way cars are likely to look and drive in the “mobility” future, to what the City of Saline should be factoring into its downtown parking study presentation next week. [12]
It was important to note how that one of the most established industry associations, SAE, addressed this thematically at its WCX18: SAE World Congress Experience in Detroit last April. On opening day, it’s “Tech Hub” significantly focused more on the need for consumer trust than any given development in technology or direction. [13]
“The idea of being in your car and having some unknown person hack in and drive it into a ditch is terrifying,” said Doug Britton, Chief Technology Officer with RunSafe Security. [14,15]
Matt Yurdana, Creative Director for Autonomous Vehicles, Intel, expanded upon this. “Trust is at the core of most issues here. Trust equals safety. People also need to feel psychologically comfortable with the technology. They need to have confidence that the vehicle can handle difficult situations, like a real driver would. Finally, they need to feel in control; this is not the same as wheel-in-our-hands, but like the control we feel when riding in a taxi.” [16,17]
This goes beyond if-then algorithms, he observed. Rather, he suggested evolving and person-specific “relationships” formed between vehicle and passenger through artificial intelligence (AI). “It’s that balance between having enough information versus too much on decisions as they’re being made on route selection, detours, and routine.”
Where do things stand in terms of the grand vision of inevitability being discussed today then on Mackinac Island? Saline Journal put that question yesterday to Dan Neil, auto columnist for The Los Angeles Times from 2003 to 2010, and who now writes the Saturday “Rumble Seat” feature for The Wall Street Journal.
The rollout is current and ongoing, starting in limited scenarios and venues and building out. In five years, a pilotless taxi or shared car, could reliably move around a city like Phoenix (big, broad streets and orderly pattern); but it will probably be eight years before an AI hack could match a New York cabbie, stroke-for-stroke.
The challenge is counterintuitive.
Despite the headlines, autonomous vehicles are not a risk to public safety but its salvation. Humans are terrible drivers, and the economic costs of motor vehicle accidents, in deaths and property, stretch into the tens of billions ….
Perhaps it’s ironic that automobiles aren’t driven all on Mackinac Island. But here in Saline, it looks like the advance of self-driving vehicles toward the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Ann Arbor Street will only continue to accelerate.
Reference
- “Self-driving bus assembly facility to open this fall in Saline” Paula Gardner (July 12, 2017) mLive.
- “Driverless-shuttle maker to set up in Saline” Jim Lynch (July 17, 2017) The Detroit News.
- “Self-driving car to start delivering pizza in Domino’s deal with Ford” Jessica Haynes (August 29, 2017) mLive.
- “Arizona Uber Incident Will Affect Local Autonomous Vehicle Industry” Dell Deaton (March 21, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “NAVYA Premiered Its Self-Driving Shuttle at NAIAS Earlier This Year” Dell Deaton (February 5, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “It’s Important to Understand What Being a ‘Smart City’ Means to Saline, Part 1” Dell Deaton (April 12, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “Mackinac Policy Conference 2018: Who’s there, things to know” (May 30, 2018) WZZM 13.
- “The Mobility State: Perspectives on Policy and Regulation | 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference” Detroit Public TV (May 30, 2018) YouTube.
- “Michigan Is Leading The Mobility Race But Policy Must Keep Up” Kristin Bull (May 30, 2018) Detroit Regional Chamber.
- “S 1885: AV START Act” Gov Track.
- “Michigan dangles $8M to spur ideas on mobility technology” David Eggert (May 30, 2018) Lexington Herald-Leader.
- “Autonomous Cars: The Future Of Mobility” Daniel Newman (September 27, 2017) Forbes.
- WCX18: SAE World Congress Experience (home page).
- RunSafe Security (home page).
- “Doug Britton, CTO, RunSafe Security – WCX 2018” WebsEdgeEducation (April 12, 2018) YouTube.
- Intel (home page).
- “Matt Yurdana, Creative Director for Autonomous Vehicles, Intel – WCX 2018” WebsEdgeEducation (April 11, 2018) YouTube.
- “Dan Neil” Wall Street Journal.
- “Danneilwsj” Twitter.
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