In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Cruise, Hyundai, Kia, Waymo and Cyngn.
Cruise in TX
It was reported that Cruise will return to testing with safety drivers in Texas.
Hyundai/Kia Partners wit KAIST for Sensor Development
Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation announced that they are partnering with KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), to develop next-generation autonomous driving sensors. Together, Hyundai Motor, Kia and KAIST will establish the ‘Hyundai Motor Group-KAIST On-Chip LiDAR Joint Research Lab’ at KAIST in Daejeon to develop LiDAR sensors for advanced autonomous vehicles.
The joint research lab aims to develop high-performance and compact on-chip sensors and new signal detection technology that are essential in the increasingly competitive autonomous driving market.
On-chip sensors, which utilize semiconductor manufacturing technology to add various functions, can reduce the size of LiDAR compared to conventional methods and secure price competitiveness through mass production using semiconductor fabrication processes.
In addition, the current LiDAR sensors measure the distance to objects by emitting and measuring the time it takes for light to return. However, the next-generation signal detection method, called Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW), emits light with a frequency that varies over time and analyzes the frequency shift of the returning light to detect distance.
Compared to existing methods, this technology has less signal noise, can calculate relative speed with objects, and can exclude interference from external light sources such as sunlight, making it relatively advantageous in severe weather conditions.
The joint research lab will consist of about 30 researchers, including the Hyundai-Kia Institute of Advanced Technology Development research team and KAIST professors Sang-Hyeon Kim, Sangsik Kim, Wanyeong Jung and Hamza Kurt from KAIST’s School of Electrical Engineering, and will be in operation for four years until 2028.
KAIST will be leading the specialized work of each research team, such as the development of silicon optoelectronic on-chip LiDAR components, fabrication of high-speed, high-power integrated circuits to run the LiDAR systems, and the optimization and verification of LiDAR systems.
Hyundai Motor and Kia, together with Hyundai NGV, a specialized industry-academia cooperation institution, will oversee the operation of the joint research lab and provide support, such as monitoring technological trends, suggesting research directions, deriving core ideas and recommending technologies and experts to enhance research capabilities.
Teamsters Support Waymo Suspension Expansion
On Heels of Software Recall, CPUC Suspends Waymo’s Proposal for Expansion At Least 120 Days
The Teamsters commend the decision by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to suspend Waymo’s application to expand its robotaxi operations in Los Angeles and San Mateo counties for a minimum of 120 days or at least until June 2024. The decision comes just one week after Waymo recalled its robotaxi software following two crashes involving Waymo robotaxis in Phoenix, Arizona, in December 2023, and less than one month after a Waymo robotaxi crashed into a cyclist in San Francisco, leading to an investigation by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
“While today’s decision by the CPUC marks a step in the right direction, Waymo’s application to expand its robotaxi operations should never have been on the table — not when we’ve seen the chaos and destruction that autonomous vehicles can cause,” said Chris Griswold, Teamsters International Vice President At-Large and President of Teamsters Joint Council 42. “The CPUC and DMV have failed to listen to community members who are fearful of these dangerous vehicles and proven they’re not willing to take action to protect the public from dangerous AVs until after incidents occur. Autonomous vehicles are not ready for prime time, and do not belong on our streets.”
Despite robotaxis running over pedestrians, blocking first responders from their jobs, reportedly coming within seconds of colliding with children, and causing traffic pile-ups, the CPUC and DMV have refused to implement significant AV safety measures.
In an effort to put regulatory control in the hands of local governments and protect public safety and good jobs, the Teamsters are advocating for the passage of Assembly Bill 2286 (AB 2286), which would require a trained human operator behind the wheel of self-driving trucks weighing more than 10,000 lbs, and Senate Bill 915 (SB 915), legislation that will allow California’s local governments to regulate autonomous vehicles. Both bills have strong bipartisan support and are part of the CARS legislative package on autonomous vehicles.
“We can’t trust companies like Waymo and Cruise to operate in the public’s best interest when they’re just trying to rake in profits and appease shareholders. That’s why bills like AB 2286 and SB 915 that protect public safety and good jobs are so critical,” said Peter Finn, Teamsters International Western Region Vice President and President of Teamsters Joint Council 7. “The Teamsters are calling on all California elected leaders to protect their constituents and pass this legislation.”
Local AVs control continues to be a key issue, and that’s why the County of San Mateo and the City of Oakland have both passed resolutions in support of SB 915. In addition, the City of Los Angeles has introduced a resolution of support, and the City of San Francisco plans to introduce a similar resolution next week.
Teamsters Say No to Kentucky Bill 7
Teamsters, firefighters, police officers, other union members and elected officials gathered today at the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort to demand that senators vote no on House Bill 7, unpopular legislation that would legalize driverless trucks in Kentucky with little to no oversight.
“We cannot let California’s Big Tech write laws for our state. Lawmakers need to pass legislation that’s by and for Kentucky residents,” said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. “Senators need to preserve good union jobs, safe streets, and the will of the people by stopping this bill dead in its tracks.”
In states where driverless vehicles are already on the road, safety problems are widespread. Robotaxis have wreaked havoc by obstructing first responders, traffic, municipal workers, and ambulances. A Cruise robotaxi ran over a pedestrian and dragged her 20 feet in San Francisco in October 2023. In the wake of this safety incident, the U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Cruise. Last week, an additional investigation was opened into the company after reports that the vehicles nearly collided with children in two separate incidents. A Waymo robotaxi crashed into a cyclist in San Francisco last week, and this week the company issued a massive software recall following an incident where two of its robotaxis in Phoenix crashed into the exact same truck moments apart.
“Driverless trucks are a danger to highway safety and good jobs in Kentucky. These companies only care about profit and not the safety of our roads or the thousands of jobs that will be put at risk by this unproven technology,” said Avral Thompson, Teamsters Central Region International Vice President and President of Teamsters Local 89. “Our elected leaders must listen to the workers of this state — not the corporations — and vote no on HB 7.”
Polling shows more than four out of five Kentucky voters would be less likely to support their legislature if they voted to allow driverless cars and trucks on Kentucky roads, and they were concerned that driverless vehicles are a threat to replacing workers’ jobs.
“Many drivers across Kentucky have good-paying union jobs and contracts that have been hard-fought over many years,” said John Stovall, President of Teamsters Joint Council 94. “If automation in other sectors of the economy has demonstrated anything, it’s that the jobs that replace those lost to automation are low-wage, exploitative, and nowhere close to being middle class. Artificial intelligence needs to be introduced in a way that benefits everyone in society–not just the billionaires.”
Cyngn Reports USC Study
Cyngn Inc. (the “Company” or “Cyngn”) (Nasdaq: CYN), announced results from its customer deployment with U.S. Continental (“USC“). With a sprawling 100,000-square-foot factory, USC stands as a leading private label leather and fabric care company. USC has become the trusted partner for leading brands like Michael Kors, Birkenstock, and Monster Energy that seek top-tier commercial packaging and private label care product services. USC has enjoyed tremendous growth over the three decades it’s been in business. In that time, the company has become familiar with the hurdles intrinsic to manufacturing and distribution: supply chain disruptions, soaring labor costs, and the relentless pursuit of operational efficiency.
Enter Cyngn and its Enterprise Autonomy Suite (“EAS”) to offer self-driving industrial vehicles with the AI-powered DriveMod tech stack, introducing novel data and analytics about how things move at customer sites. DriveMod Stockchasers began transporting pallets around USC’s Corona, California facility in early 2023, doing supply runs between two buildings. Over several months of operation, Cyngn’s self-driving vehicles enhanced operational speed, fostered organizational precision, and delivered substantial cost savings. The DriveMod Stockchasers have produced 4x efficiency gain, and the introduction of EAS even enabled a former forklift operator’s promotion. This success led to USC recently renewing its commercial contract to extend its deployment of DriveMod Stockchasers.
Approach
Deploying DriveMod-powered vehicles at U.S. Continental, involved a simple set of steps:
- Conduct a site assessment. First, Cyngn’s customer success team worked with USC’s operations managers to obtain a thorough understanding of process flows and goals. In parallel, Cyngn’s field engineers surveyed USC’s facility to document the operational design domain (“ODD”) including the lighting, lane widths, and types of obstacles the vehicles could encounter. From this, Cyngn was able to identify transporting pallets from the inventory warehouse to the production facility as the optimal use case for the deployment.
- Build the map. In order for an AV to operate, it must know where it is within its environment. Cyngn scanned USC’s facility to create a detailed 3D representation of the physical world. DriveMod vehicles use this localization map to safely navigate within the environment with centimeter-level accuracy, which is achieved from the onboard vehicle computer and doesn’t require constant internet connection or special infrastructure installations.
- Design the application. Once the map was created, Cyngn worked with management on application design, which included the routes the vehicle would take, the stops where pallets would be loaded and unloaded onto the vehicle, how employees would interact with the vehicles, and permissible driving zones and other operating rules.
- Train key personnel. Finally, before the vehicle was let loose with full autonomous operation, Cyngn trained USC employees on safe use of the vehicle and the various interfaces available to interact with the vehicles and data dashboards. Finally, the vehicle was seamlessly integrated into daily workflows.
While this process seems complex, it is standard operating procedure for a robotics company like Cyngn. The company recently brought up a deployment at a 1 million square foot manufacturing facility in less than 10 days.
Throughout the deployment period, the vehicle continuously collected data on vehicle usage and labor productivity in real-time. This data was used both to effectively monitor the vehicle’s performance as well as to eventually calculate cost savings.
Results
Since kicking off the deployment at USC in early 2023, the Autonomous DriveMod Stockchasers produced:
- 4x Gains in Efficiency. Previously, a substantial human effort of 200 trips per week was required to fulfill pallet delivery between the two buildings at USC. After the introduction of DriveMod Stockchasers, this workload has been seamlessly absorbed. Cyngn’s vehicles surpass traditional manual labor, as they can transport four pallets in a single trip, as opposed to one pallet at a time that was being accomplished with a forklift. This not only multiplies efficiency, but also allows for labor to be reallocated to other more valuable tasks, such as order picking and pulling.
- Reallocation of Labor. Beyond operational enhancements, the adoption of EAS and DriveMod has sparked positive developments in USC’s workforce. Opportunities for employee growth within the company have emerged, leading to promotions and role reallocations. Employees are now exposed to more digital interfaces and empowered to take on different responsibilities, contributing to a more versatile and skilled workforce. Importantly, this evolution in job roles highlights that autonomy is more about task reallocation and the creation of new opportunities than job displacement.
- Increased Organizational Precision. Teams working directly with the autonomous robots revised their workflows to better align with the vehicles’ predictable schedules. This simple change made a big difference, reducing variability, boosting overall efficiency, and making it easier to train new employees.