In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Waymo, Ford, Tesla, Humanetics, BotAuto, MADD, Cruise, WeRide, Uber, May Mobility and Peachtree Corners.
Waymo Car Stops Harris Motorcade
Ford BlueCrusie 1.4
Ford is committed to enhancing the hands-free highway driving experience to keep customers engaged without interruptions that would require them to put their hands on the wheel. BlueCruise 1.4 improves hands-free highway drive time across various driving conditions, including tight curves, narrow lanes, inclement weather, and the reflection of the sun on the vehicle’s sensors.
With BlueCruise 1.4, Ford has added several key enhancements:
- Automatic Speed Adjustment: The system smoothly adjusts the vehicle’s speed in curves, allowing drivers to remain engaged in hands-free mode longer and enjoy a more continuous driving experience.
- In-Lane Stability: An all-new motion controller enhances steering control, reducing side-to-side movement within the lane.
- Extended Hands-Free Engagement: BlueCruise 1.4 offers longer hands-free capabilities in diverse driving conditions, such as rain or direct sunlight.
For example, while driving a Ford F-150 using BlueCruise on a daily commute and approaching a sharp highway curve, previous versions may have disengaged. However, BlueCruise 1.4 now assists by adjusting the truck’s speed to navigate the curve while maintaining hands-free mode. Internal testing has shown that BlueCruise 1.4 allows customers to stay engaged an average of at least eight times longer in hands-free mode compared to BlueCruise 1.0.
Additionally, BlueCruise 1.4 builds on the features of previous versions, including Lane Change Assist, which enables hands-free lane changes with a simple tap of the turn signal, and In-Lane Repositioning, which subtly shifts the vehicle away from adjacent traffic to provide extra space.
BlueCruise 1.4 will be available on select BlueCruise-equipped 2025 Ford and Lincoln vehicles from the factory, including the 2025 Ford F-150 and 2025 Lincoln Navigator, with more vehicles to follow. It will also roll out through a software update to select vehicle lines in the future.
Improving BlueCruise Across Vehicle Lines
With each new version of BlueCruise, Ford’s in-house Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) team focuses on enhancing the hands-free highway driving experience based on customer feedback and extensive data collected from BlueCruise-equipped vehicles that customers have consented to share.
To date, there are 492,000 BlueCruise-equipped vehicles on the road globally, with customers in North America having driven over 244 million hands-free highway miles across Ford and Lincoln. As customers utilize BlueCruise, Ford is able to gather insights and implement meaningful improvements through large-scale data and its Continuous Learning Loop process.
Ford delivers new versions of BlueCruise software through both factory installations and software updates across various vehicle lines and engine types, from gas-powered to hybrid and all-electric. Currently, BlueCruise is available across nine vehicle lines: the F-150®, F-150 Lightning®, Expedition®, Explorer®, and Mustang Mach-E®, as well as the entire Lincoln lineup, including some model years dating back to 2021.
Each vehicle line and model year has a unique BlueCruise software package, making software updates complex and requiring modifications to multiple system modules and in-vehicle displays. Therefore, Ford’s goal is to provide the best version of software available for each vehicle line as soon as it is ready, whether from the factory or via software updates. The company will continue to swiftly learn, develop, and iterate to enhance the hands-free highway driving experience for more customers across gas-powered, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
*Available Feature. Equipped Ford vehicles come with either a complimentary trial period or an included duration, after which the purchase of a BlueCruise subscription is required. Modem activation is necessary for subscription purchase and for initial activation of BlueCruise (for pre-2024 model year vehicles). See ford.com/bluecruise for details. BlueCruise is a driver-assist feature and does not replace safe driving or the driver’s attention, judgment, or need to control the vehicle. Drivers should only remove their hands in a Hands-Free Blue Zone and must always watch the road, being prepared to resume control. See Owner’s Manual for details and limitations.
AMCI Testing Finds Tesla FSD Needs Frequent Intervention
After what is likely the most extensive real-world test of Tesla’s FSD ever conducted by an independent third party – covering more than 1000 miles (1610 km) – AMCI Testing’s result demonstrates just how far Tesla must go before Robotaxi operations can be safely undertaken. AMCI Testing’s evaluation was based exclusively on Tesla’s latest software iterations, 12.5.1 and 12.5.3, with time spent across four distinct driving environments: city streets, rural two-lane highways, mountain roads and freeways.
While impressive for a uniquely camera-based system, AMCI testing’s evaluation of Tesla FSD exposed how often human intervention was required for safe operation. In fact, our drivers had to intervene over 75 times during the evaluation; an average of once every 13 miles. ” With all hands-free augmented driving systems, and even more so with driverless autonomous vehicles, there is a compact of trust between the technology and the public. When this technology is offered the public is largely unaware of the caveats (such as monitor or supervise) and the tech considered empirically foolproof. Getting close to foolproof, yet falling short, creates an insidious and unsafe operator complacency issue as proven in the test results,” said David Stokols, CEO of AMCI Testing’s parent company, AMCI Global. ” Although it positively impresses in some circumstances, you simply cannot reliably rely on the accuracy or reasoning behind its responses.”
AMCI Testing has just dropped the first round in a series of test-video releases intended to demonstrate the complex issues of trust and performance that FSD poses to drivers and the public. These and future videos can be seen at www.amcitesting.com/teslafsd
” It’s undeniable that FSD 12.5.1 is impressive, for the vast array of human-like responses it does achieve, especially for a camera-based system,” said Guy Mangiamele, Director of AMCI Testing. ” But its seeming infallibility in anyone’s first five minutes of FSD operation breeds a sense of awe that unavoidably leads to dangerous complacency. When drivers are operating with FSD engaged, driving with their hands in their laps or away from the steering wheel is incredibly dangerous. As you will see in the videos, the most critical moments of FSD miscalculation are split-second events that even professional drivers, operating with a test mindset, must focus on catching.”
AMCI Testing found that the more miles you drive with FSD engaged, the more likely you are to encounter these failure modes.
“What’s most disconcerting and unpredictable is that you may watch FSD successfully negotiate a specific scenario many times – often on the same stretch of road or intersection – only to have it inexplicably fail the next time,” Mangiamele continued. “Whether it’s a lack of computing power, an issue with buffering as the car gets “behind” on calculations, or some small detail of surrounding assessment, it’s impossible to know. These failures are the most insidious. But there are also continuous failures of simple programming inadequacy, such as only starting lane changes toward a freeway exit a scant tenth of a mile before the exit itself, that handicaps the system, and casts doubt on the overall quality of its base programming.”
Next week, we will release another round of videos to further illustrate the real-world capabilities of FSD (Supervised). AMCI Testing will continue to evaluate subsequent iterations of Tesla’s FSD as they become available. Go to www.amcitesting.com to sign up to receive updates as they occur.
Humanetics DrivingRobot modular
Humanetics, a leader in automotive testing solutions, announced the launch of its latest active safety innovation, the DrivingRobot modular (DRm). This state-of-the-art driving robot is designed to streamline testing across multiple vehicle types, including passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, vans, buses and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). The DRm is set to redefine Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and vehicle testing, offering precision, flexibility and cost efficiency for OEMs and testing facilities.
As the automotive industry increasingly prioritizes HGV safety, truck testing has emerged as a critical area of focus due to the high risk posed by heavy vehicles in road accidents. Both Euro NCAP and NHTSA have come forward with test protocols that focus on commercial vehicle safety, highlighting the importance of safer vehicles and sustainable mobility.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently finalized a new safety standard that will require automatic emergency braking (AEB), including pedestrian AEB, to be standard on all passenger cars and light trucks by September 2029. Meanwhile, Euro NCAP is developing protocols for heavy duty truck testing, with the first set of results expected in winter 2024-2025.
The DRm’s modular design is perfectly suited to meet the growing demands of ADAS testing, particularly for heavy trucks under the stringent standards of the Truck Safety Protocols. Its high torque and precise control make it ideal for simulating real-world driving conditions, including emergency maneuvers and challenging road environments.
With customer needs at its core, the DRm offers a flexible, adaptable solution for various vehicle testing requirements. In addition to the well-established compact model, which integrates all actuators into a single, unified concept, the newly launched modular version separates the steering and pedal robots. This design accommodates steering wheels ranging from 30 cm to 50 cm in diameter, allowing it to fit a broader range of vehicle geometries.
This modular design solves the challenge of testing a wide variety of vehicles, from passenger cars and delivery vans to buses and heavy-duty trucks, with a single system. By focusing on modularity, the DRm can be easily adapted to different vehicle sizes and shapes, ensuring maximum flexibility for testing facilities.
Its components, which include the SteeringRobot modular (SRm), PedalRobot modular (PRm™), and Steering Wheel Adapter, can be deployed individually or as complete packages – DRm150™ for HGVs and the soon-to-be-released DRm60™ for passenger vehicles.
“We developed the DRm to be a game-changer in the world of vehicle testing,” says Mark Westen, President of Humanetics Safety. “With its modular system, it provides unparalleled flexibility for ADAS testing across multiple vehicle types. This means faster test preparations and, ultimately, safer roads as we advance toward the Vision Zero goal of eliminating road fatalities.”
What sets the DRm apart in the market is its unique combination of versatility and ease of use. From the outset, the goal was to create a system that could seamlessly handle both passenger cars and heavy-duty trucks without sacrificing comfort or performance. Additionally, the system’s efficient installation process, featuring the first tool-free mounting steering robot and a pedal robot that requires only a single tool, makes it a standout option for OEMs and testing facilities.
BotAuto Pre-A funding $20Million
-Bot Auto, a pioneering company in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, based in Houston, Texas, announced the successful completion of its Pre-A funding round which was oversubscribed, raising $20 million. The round was led by prominent domestic and international investors: Brightway Future Venture, Cherubic Venture, EnvisionX Venture, First Star Venture, Linear Capital, M31 Capital, Taihill Venture, and Uphonest Venture. This significant investment will fuel Bot Auto’s tech development for the next generation of autonomous trucking that focuses on safety and operation efficiency.
The Bot Auto team is composed of experienced AV executives and top engineering talent. This opportunity allows them to start an AV trucking company with a clean slate with the ability to leverage the cutting-edge AI technology of today. The combination of experience, industry maturation, and the AI revolution creates a game-changer in autonomous trucking.
Dr. Xiaodi Hou, Founder and CEO of Bot Auto, expressed his enthusiasm for the company’s future: “As true believers in autonomous trucking, we’re thankful for our investors’ shared vision. Our strong commitment, combined with recent AI advancements and a sharpened focus on operational efficiency, has created a clear path to commercialization. Our prospects for success have never been more promising. We march forward, committed to bringing this transformative technology to humanity for a brighter future.”
The funds raised will be focused on developing the technology while avoiding:
- Scaling the operational footprint prior to product readiness.
- Unnecessary hiring ahead of operational maturity.
- Over expansion and partnership debt that distracts from our mission.
Bot Auto’s vision aligns with the pioneering spirit of Houston’s legacy in space exploration, striving to achieve remarkable feats in technology and transportation. The company is dedicated to leveraging this investment to make significant strides in the US autonomous trucking industry, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and efficient future.
About Bot Auto
Our mission is to revolutionize the transportation industry with our autonomous trucks, making a lasting positive impact on humanity. By leveraging advanced technology and our extensive experience in the AV industry, we aim to transform goods transportation into the future of sustainable and efficient logistics. Bot Auto operates a TAAS business model with our fleet of autonomous trucks.
MADD to Advise Cruise
Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) welcomes Cruise, the all-electric self-driving technology company, to The MADD Network. While Cruise has been a MADD partner for years, the company is deepening its relationship with MADD to expand its local, on-the-ground impact. Cruise has also invited MADD to join its newly formed advisory council, which focuses on road safety for self-driving vehicles and emergency responder engagement.
“Welcoming Cruise to The MADD Network is a wonderful way to take our longstanding relationship to a new level,” said MADD CEO Stacey D. Stewart. “Cruise brings a genuine and lasting commitment to safety, and the company embodies MADD’s belief that technology will ultimately end impaired driving.”
The MADD Network unites diverse partners who share the vital mission of eliminating impaired driving. The MADD Network derives its power from partners using their own respective platforms to help educate their unique audiences and communities about the dangers of impaired driving, the need for underage drinking education/prevention, and legislative efforts that will drive real progress.
“As the leading organization working to end the crisis of impaired driving, MADD’s mission is critical — and strikes at the heart of our work at Cruise to help make our roads safer. We deeply value our long-standing partnership with MADD and look forward to deepening our work together as a member of the MADD Network,” said Rob Grant, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Cruise.
MADD believes autonomous vehicles hold enormous potential to improve road safety and provide options for people to plan ahead for a safe ride. Two in three people will be impacted by a drunk driving crash in their lifetime, resulting in injuries and deaths that are entirely preventable.
- Nighttime is particularly dangerous, representing just 25% of miles driven but 50% of road fatalities.
- Since 2019, drunk driving fatalities have increased by 33%.
- Every 39 minutes, someone is killed in an alcohol-related crash.
In 40+ years, MADD has helped save nearly 475,000 lives and served almost one million victims. In 2021, MADD celebrated the most significant legislative victory in its history: the passage of the HALT Drunk Driving Act, which requires advanced impaired driving prevention technology in all new cars as early as 2026.
WeRide & Uber Tech
WeRide, a global leading autonomous driving technology company, and Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER), the world’s largest mobility and delivery technology platform, announced a strategic partnership to bring WeRide’s autonomous vehicles onto the Uber platform, beginning in the United Arab Emirates.
The partnership is expected to launch first in Abu Dhabi later this year. A dedicated number of WeRide vehicles will be made available to consumers using the Uber app. After launch, when a rider requests a qualifying ride on the Uber app, they may be presented with the option to have their trip fulfilled by a WeRide autonomous vehicle. The partnership does not contemplate any launches in the United States or China.
WeRide currently operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the UAE, where residents can access its robotaxi services through the TXAI app. In addition, in July 2023, WeRide was granted the UAE’s first and only national license for self-driving vehicles, enabling it to test and operate its autonomous vehicles on public roads across the entire country.
Arbe Robotics & HiRain
Arbe Robotics Ltd. (NASDAQ: ARBE) (TASE: ARBE), a global leader in Perception Radar Solutions, t announced that its Tier 1 HiRain Technologies, is accelerating the development of an ADAS system for a Chinese automobile manufacturer using the Arbe chipset. The ADAS system will include both camera and radar fusion, effectively removing LiDAR from the current system while maintaining the same level of quality and functionality. The ADAS system is anticipated to enter serial production by Q4 2025, pending final approval from the OEM.
In January, Arbe announced that HiRain Technologies was embarking on a rigorous data collection phase that planned to cover 1 million kilometers using a vehicle fleet equipped with LRR610 Imaging Radars, developed from the Arbe chipset. To achieve this initiative, HiRain Technologies’ vehicle fleet is using massive amounts of collected data.
“Our LRR610 Imaging Radars, powered by the Arbe chipset, leverage the industry’s leading ultra-high resolution capabilities, offering performance never before seen in radar technology,” says Chengjian Fan, CTO of HiRain Technologies. “Our recent data collection initiative has shown the optimization of both sensor fusion and perception, further enhancing the capabilities of imaging radar and making advanced ADAS systems more affordable while providing true safety and advanced functionality.”
Arbe’s chipset includes an extensive channel array of 48 transmitting (Tx) and 48 receiving (Rx) channels, which powers HiRain’s LRR610 with ultra-high resolution in both azimuth and elevation. The high channel array delivers a dense point cloud resulting in highly detailed imaging.
“HiRain Technologies and Arbe are working together to transform global automotive safety by infusing radar technology with capabilities that were once unique to other sensors,” said Kobi Marenko, Chief Executive Officer of Arbe. “This groundbreaking initiative will demonstrate how imaging radar can provide an alternative to other sensors on the market, providing a solution that enhances safety at a consumer-friendly price point.”
May Mobility in Peachtree Corners
Peachtree Corners – one of the United States’ first smart city environments powered by real-world connected infrastructure and T-Mobile’s 5G – announced today a partnership with autonomous driving technology provider May Mobility to deploy its autonomous vehicle (AV) solutions. This marks May Mobility’s first-ever deployment in the state of Georgia, providing its one-of-a-kind on-demand autonomous solution for reliable transportation.
May Mobility started operating its autonomous Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS to demonstrate the technology to visitors of Peachtree Corner’s Curiosity Lab with stops along Technology Parkway. The service zone includes eight pre-determined stops at popular destinations such as hotels, restaurants, retail shops, office spaces, the Innovation Center at Curiosity Lab and Peachtree Corners’ City Hall. The service will open to the general public starting the week of October 7.
“We have been able to demo, test and deploy multiple autonomous vehicle solutions since we opened in 2019, and we are excited to continue these efforts by welcoming May Mobility to Peachtree Corners and the state of Georgia,” said Peachtree Corners City Manager Brian Johnson. “As we continue to focus on bringing autonomous mobility options to residents and visitors to better connect them with the community, May Mobility’s solutions provide an on-demand service within our ecosystem, with the goal to slowly expand the route to our Town Center.”
Each May Mobility autonomous vehicle is equipped with its patented Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) system that is uniquely designed to solve the challenge of making safe driving decisions, including under uncertainty. Powered by in-situ AI, MPDM runs on-board simulations in real-time, while driving autonomously, to analyze and learn from thousands of possible scenarios every second, choosing the safest one to execute even when encountering an unknown situation.
“Our autonomous driving technology has proven its ability to scale well across diverse environments, and we’re excited to operate in Peachtree Corners’ real-world smart city,” said Manik Dhar, Chief Commercial Officer for May Mobility. “This deployment allows us to showcase how MPDM operates both inside and outside of Curiosity Lab’s autonomous vehicle test lanes, while also benefiting from T-Mobile’s 5G. We can’t wait for Georgians to experience our autonomous driving technology and bringing this service to Peachtree Corners is an exciting first step for the state.”
May Mobility operations will be Monday through Friday from 8AM-4PM, with each vehicle accommodating up to four passengers at a time. Users will be able to easily book trips to any of the service’s eight stops on-demand through the May Mobility app, powered by transit tech company Via, available in the App Store and Google Play. The app promptly guides users on booking a ride and accessing the vehicle, answers questions and more. The deployment will begin with an attendant inside the vehicle with plans to remove the attendant for a fully autonomous service in the near future.
The vehicle will be connected by T-Mobile’s award-winning 5G network, bringing low latency, high-speed connectivity and high bandwidth to vehicle operations and performance. This will give riders a smoother in-cabin experience, while also enabling May Mobility to enhance real-time viewing of the vehicle platform to monitor safety and operations.
“T-Mobile is proud to power continued innovation in Peachtree Corners alongside Curiosity Lab. Now, with May Mobility leveraging the nation’s most awarded 5G network, they can advance their solutions to new heights,” said Mike Fitz, Vice President of Solution Sales, T-Mobile for Business. “Through our close collaboration with the city, Curiosity Lab and May Mobility, we are committed to ensuring real-time vehicle monitoring that boosts performance, enhances safety and ensures the success of this deployment.”