As an autnomous car weaves its way around a test track, navigating a roundabout, avoiding other vehicles and a simulated child, researchers in remote locations are monitoring the test scenarios they created using virtual reality and other technologies.
That demonstration Monday at Mcity, on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., was made possible by a $5.1 million investment by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the world’s first purpose-built test facility for connected and autonomous vehicles to create Mcity 2.0.
Robert Stone, Division Director, Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation Division, National … [+] Science Foundation at an event October 24, 2022 marking the NSF’s $5.1 million investment in the University of Michigan’s Mcity autonomous vehicle testing facility, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Ed Garsten
“This investment will support the world’s first cloud-based augmented reality test bed for connected and automated vehicle technologies and this test bed will be avaialble for use by academic researchers and students nationwide,” said Robert Stone, Division Director, Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation Division at the National Science Foundation during a ceremony at Mcity. “The new facility will accelerate the collaborative development of new vehicle technologies involving communication, sensing control, human dimensions. It will also provide easier and broader access to top tier research infrastructure through the cloud.”
“This is particularly important for minority institutions who do not have the resources of top tier institutions,” said Henry Liu, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michgian and director of both Mcity and the Center for Connnected and Automated Transportation.
Basically, the new capabilities provided by the NSF’s funding allows researchers across the U.S. to create simulated scenarios to test connected and autonomous vehicles on an physical track using virtual reality software, accessing the results remotely via the cloud.
“There are three major needs often difficult to fill in an academic setting—access to real world data, computer simulation, access to a test facility where you can put a lot of that theoretical into practice. Mcity 2.0 aims to fill some of that void,” pointed out Greg McGuire, Mcity Managing Director.
The NSF’s investment in Mcity to greatly boost testing capabilities for autonomous vehicles comes as the auto industry and government pivots its focus, and money, away from AVs in favor of battery electric vehicles in major push to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
But speaking during the Mcity event, State of Michigan Chief Mobility Officer Trevor Pawl offered perspective and confidence the tide is turning toward greater investment to develop self-driving vehicles.
“There’s been a lot of headlines lately about lulls in AV technology spending. You hear about tech companies selling off their driverless car units—it’s too expensive, that the machines can’t learn fast enough,” said Pawl. “The truth is in the last year $12 billion invested in AV companies, $100 billion in the last decade. A lot of that money is still flowing through the system. Why do I tell you all that? Well, there was also a lull in EV technology a few years ago and now …just in the last week Michigan has seen $4.5 billion in investment and 4,500 jobs in two companies.”
Henry Liu, Director, Mcity on October 24, 2022, during event marking a $5.1 million investment in … [+] Mcity by the National Science Foundation. Mcity is a unique purpose-built facility for testing connected and autonomous vehicles on the University of Michigan campus.
Ed Garsten
Mcity director Henry Liu emphasizes there’s a real need to accelerate research that will lead to broader use of driverless vehicles because, “the true benefits of these techologies, largely because of safety performance is the safety performance of automated vehicles is below human drivers.”
Improving the performance of autonomous vehicles is vital on two fronts, said Michigan U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell.
Autonomous vehicles are the future of the auto industry and they represent an opportunity to improve and diversify our economy,” said Dingell at the Mcity event. “Connected and autonomous vehicles, for the first time, give us the chance to eliminate up to 80% of the crashes.”
Summing it up, Univ. of Michigan engineering Dean Alec Gallimore predicted the ability for a much broader range of researchers to run their AV testing using Mcity 2.0’s newly funded abilities “will bring to bear a dramatically more diverse set of perspectives, experiences and of course, ideas. A safer, more sustainable more equitable transportation system.”
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in base metal and utility stocks, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 103.40 points at 24,542.48.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 192.31 points at 42,932.73. The S&P 500 index was up 7.14 points at 5,822.40, while the Nasdaq composite was down 9.03 points at 18,306.56.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.44 cents US on Tuesday.
The November crude oil contract was down 71 cents at US$69.87 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.42 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$7.20 at US$2,686.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.35 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was little changed in late-morning trading as the financial sector fell, but energy and base metal stocks moved higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 0.05 of a point at 24,224.95.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 94.31 points at 42,417.69. The S&P 500 index was down 10.91 points at 5,781.13, while the Nasdaq composite was down 29.59 points at 18,262.03.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.71 cents US compared with 73.05 cents US on Wednesday.
The November crude oil contract was up US$1.69 at US$74.93 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was up a penny at US$2.67 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$14.70 at US$2,640.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up two cents at US$4.42 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.
