Lifeboat Foundation

The California DMV has just given Baidu its Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit, clearing it to test its self-driving tech in California streets.

Google has been one of the first and one of the most senior in the companies developing autonomous driving technology. But “another Google” is looking to catch up in the field.

Continue reading “Baidu Can Now Test Its Self-Driving Cars In California” »

Painful.

Stricter standards could wipe out as many as 90% of the industry’s 200-plus fledgling manufacturers.

Using tech to stop terrorists dirty bombs.

DARPA’s SIGMA program undergoes real-world testing with state, federal and international partners to defend against radiological threats.

Continue reading “Technology Looks to Stop a Dirty Bomb Before It Happens” »

Automating a smooth future.

There’s been a lot of focus on consumer self-driving technology recently, but autonomy promises to shake things up in the agricultural world too. CNH Industrial’s latest concepts aim to demonstrate how self-driving tractors can deliver faster, more precise results than their human controlled counterparts.

Audi’s upcoming four-door luxury electric car will have a 311-mile range, along with Level 4 self-driving features (essentially full autonomy, for those keeping track) and three separate electric motors, according to a new report from Autocar. The car is set to go head-to-head with the Model S, based on these new stats, and will likely be called the “A9 e-tron” when it goes on sale sometime in 2020, the publication says.

The range is in line with what Tesla says its new P100D option package will offer for Model S owners, though Autocar says that the Audi A9 e-tron will have a 95kWh battery to achieve that range, rather than the 100kWh version Tesla employs to get 315 miles as measured by EPA standards.

The powertrain for the upcoming vehicle is said to feature three electric motors that combined produce 429 brake horsepower (bhp), with a drive mode that can boost it to 496 bhp for short stints. Audi is looking at electric drivetrain tuning as one way where it will be able to offer a differentiating advantage to potential consumers.

Continue reading “White Paper: How GE, Intuit, Amgen and BASF Run Lean” »

‘Drive.AI’ sells a kit to convert your beater. Also: it wants to put emoji on top of it.

The imminent arrival of the self-driving car will change how people move around city streets, but they could do so much more.

The Tridika is a conceptual driverless electric vehicle I created to change how we use cars in our ever-growing cities, where space is expensive and limited. Inspired by Thyssenkrupp’s Willy Wonka-esque Multi elevator, the Tridika works like a self-driving car you can literally park next to your apartment and use as an additional room.

By harnessing the power of plasma, engineers may be on the cusp of a revolution in aircraft design and more.