The latest Investing Matters Podcast with Jean Roche, Co-Manager of Schroder UK Mid Cap Investment Trust has just been released. Listen here.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/01/cadillac-enhances-super-cruise-adds-lane-change-on-demand/
Painstakingly slow roll out though
Production of CT6 to end
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/01/25/cadillac-expects-record-global-sales-in-2020-flagship-ct6-sedan-dead.html
Just read an article in fleet news with Aviva talking about ADAS. Mentions how they have recently piloted use of inward facing camera. Highlighted that some of the drivers scoring highly on traditional telematics were often actually the most distracted. Interesting. Don’t know if any link to Seeing.
Also note the companies involved
This morning, a coalition of 11 companies — Aptiv, Audi, Baidu, BMW, Continental, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Here, Infineon, Intel, and Volkswagen — published a whitepaper (“Safety First For Automated Driving”) describing a framework for the development, testing, and validation of “safe” autonomous vehicles. The members claim it’s the broadest representation across the industry to date, and they say that the report — which runs 146 pages — is the largest to offer “clear traceability” proving autonomous vehicles to be “safer than the average driver.
https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/02/self-driving-car-report-safety-first-for-automated-driving/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
The coalition recommends that if safety-related functions or system components become hazardous for any reason, ADS be capable of compensating and transferring the vehicle to a safe state while ensuring sufficient time for drivers to take over. It also prescribes engagement and disengagement mechanisms that require explicit driver interaction, protect against security threats, and recognize a driver’s state in order to keep them informed about their responsibilities and driving mode transitions.
The whitepaper’s coauthors go on to describe maneuvers intended to minimize risk in the event a driver doesn’t comply with a takeover request, along with verification and validation tests intended to ensure that certain safety goals are met. They propose that automated vehicles record data pertaining to status in a privacy-compliant fashion and that they behave predictably in a way that respects road rules and is easy for nearby drivers to understand
yes but if we win more contracts (likely) more upfront investment will be needed. Upfront payments from licensing deals have been promised in the past and not materialised. A history of missing forecasts and CFOs that don't stick around leads me to be sceptical. Hope I'm wrong though
Not very confident in a financial forecast that suggests no fund raise needed before CFO has had a look at the numbers. I still think there will be one but hopefully on the back of contract wins so they can frame it as a positive and get away a higher price.
Mercedes didn’t say when the car will be on sale, but outlined a real-world driving range of 700 kilometers (435 miles), and a battery that can charge to 80% in less than 20 minutes. The car also offers highly-automated driving on highways.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-10/mercedes-unveils-an-electric-sibling-for-the-flagship-s-class
Should be using system like GM Cadillac
In its report, the NTSB noted that following its investigation of a fatal 2016 Tesla crash in Florida, it issued a recommendation to Tesla and five other automakers to “develop applications to more effectively sense the driver’s level of engagement.” Volkswagen, BMW, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo have responded with explanations about their technology and efforts to reduce misuse. Tesla hasn’t responded, the safety board said.
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/tesla-autopilot-makes-it-too-easy-for-drivers-to-tune-out-ntsb-says/
Chairman, CEO and CFO all gone. We are undervalued for the tech but it’s clearly not all going to be plain sailing. I expect another fund raise but hopefully followed with much bigger growth projections following large contract wins. Hoping to be pleasantly surprised by any licensing agreement but not entirely confident as they have previously back tracked on fleet and rail deals.
Mention driver monitoring. Who will they use?
https://car.harman.com/articles/how-can-road-accidents-be-prevented
Driver monitoring is a further crucial aspect of road safety. Inward-facing cameras can identify when a driver is distracted or drowsy based on position of the head and direction of gaze. This has the potential to substantially lower the large number of collisions caused by driver inattention and is a major stepping stone towards Level 3 and 4 autonomous driving.
“Paired with our HARMAN Ignite cloud platform for inclusion of external data via V2X, our ADAS solutions provide automakers with the tools they need to tailor enhanced safety systems to different market requirements around the world,” says Pirkl.
Autonomous driving study of 49 drivers - "motorists will need plenty of warning" before they retake control in emergency situation
The RAC Foundation warn today that, in the future of driverless cars, people will need support if they are to be well prepared to take control should the vehicle they are travelling in unexpectedly seeks to hand back the wheel.
Research by the Human Factors Research Group at the University of Nottingham for the RAC Foundation suggests that vehicles with level 3 autonomy – those that can drive themselves but only in certain circumstances – offer real value to people, but might also pose significant challenges for their drivers.
“Nevertheless, steering performance immediately following a handover could be poor. This indicates the importance of new forms of training to equip drivers with the additional skills needed in these vehicles. The results also highlight that any future automated vehicle that can be human-driven should incorporate appropriate technology to monitor how ready a driver is to resume control and assist them in this process.”
https://www.financemagnates.com/forex/brokers/breaking-gain-capital-up-23-on-unconfirmed-acquisition-rumor/
Betaville who name Plus is paywalled but attached is the rumour
Rumours of imminent takeover bid by Plus from Betaville, normally on the money!