Rainbow Rare Earths Phalaborwa project shaping up to be one of the lowest cost producers globally. Watch the video here.
Good to see that the top end trims at over $102k are selling so well, makes this tiny upgrade seem like a bargain -
SUPER CRUISE™ DRIVER ASSISTANCE FEATURE
Super Cruise™ Driver Assistance feature
$2,500
A driver assistance feature that allows hands-free driving under compatible highway driving conditions1
While you're using the feature, it helps prompt you to pay close attention to the road so you're ready to take control
May require additional optional equipment
1 Even while using the Super Cruise driver assistance feature, always pay attention while driving and do not use a hand-held device. Visit cadillacsupercruise.com for compatible highways and more information. Requires properly equipped vehicle, active Super Cruise subscription, working electrical system, cell reception, and GPS signal.
JC, interesting development. I would have thought it had died, but there must be some good reasons to push through with this one. Perhaps there is a product waiting to go, or they are close to licensing to someone who is ready to produce?
As this scales out the guaranteed recurring income will grow from 10s to 100s of millions per year. That growth is available with little development cost or installation costs for SEE. CAE (et al.) fund the growth and rollout costs.
These revenues are there for the long term just for borrowing a bit of our auto tech. Now revalue aviation business on its own!
Tesla may have inflated ego and inflated share price, but in 2020 they only shifted 500k cars, so a fraction of the F-150 annual sales. No Tesla are not a major and I doubt they ever will be
No matter which 2020 Ford F-150 you're sizing up, it will have automatic emergency braking.
The Car Connection reported Thursday Ford expanded the active safety technology to even the base F-150 XL. Before, buyers had to step into the F-150 Lariat trim at a minimum to nab AEB. A Ford spokesperson confirmed the feature to Roadshow
https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/ford-f-150-trims-automatic-emergency-braking-standard/?__twitter_impression=true
Thanks JC, it's not often that one of these DMS patents can be seen to be working, but here, the camera module physically moves up and down the A-pillar so that it can measure your height! Completely bonkers and unnecessary as this could be done with a fixed camera and a bit of machine learning.
I think Colin has concluded that Seeing Machines are in the Mercedes Benz EQS - we have seen the flashing LEDs in the instrument panel are the same as in the S-Class. This will support DMS and some other features in the car.
But it appears that the Cerence Look implementation is separated and does not communicate with the DMS eye gaze tracking and so has its own independent system. I presume that this is not always on and is when required.
The two systems can co-exist as long as the DMS is running on 940nm and the Cerence Look is running at 850nm (or vice versa)
Of course you may be screaming WHY at the screen. Well, it is partially down to how MB divided up the work to different Tier 1s. You can test a motor without access to the wheels and wheels without access to the motor. But relying on something new like eye tracking when you don't have access to the implementation is putting your eggs in someone else's basket where you can't see them for another 3 years of the development cycle. I am sure that as this space matures, this will become a standard interface and this will happen less often.
The other reason is that the EQS still has multiple computers in different parts doing different tasks. They have different levels of reliability. Having your brakes fail is serious, losing DMS and risk falling asleep is a level lower. But being unable to ask your car to explain what that building is not a safety system, so it can be built to a lower quality and reliability failure - therefore must be kept separate from higher level safety functions.
The final part - Mercedes are moving everything over to the Nvidia Orin platform which is a monster in terms of computing power it will support levels of virtualisation to separate safety levels so that different safety levels can run on the same hardware and will be able to communicate with each other and be developed and run together or separately. DMS interfaces will be standardised across the system so they could all use the same DMS. SW is software, so it will not be optimised for hardware acceleration - Hence, the need for a massive computing power. Finally, Colin expects the RFQ to select the DMS is already out
https://www.autonews.com/Shift-Podcast-051720
Christophe Marnat, executive vice president of electronics and advanced safety systems at global supplier ZF, discusses the evolution of driver monitoring into occupant monitoring, clarity in naming assist systems and new advances on the sensor front.
Glandor, I think the keyword for me in that piece is that it was a "showcase" not a saleable product. Mobileye COULD host a DMS, but I think it would not perform well.
Whatif - Jigsaws are so much easier when you can see the full picture. But we like a challenge
Best to concentrate on the pieces we can identify.
Veoneer gives us this https://vp283.alertir.com/sites/default/files/report/vne_q320_ec_slides_no_notes_web.pdf
Ford F150 (delay of 6 weeks)
•AVV ~690K
•RCS, DMS
AVV - Average Vehicle Volume are primarily based on the IHS vehicle volume planning assumptions over vehicle life-cycle,
RCS -Restraint Control System
So Veoneer didn't do the full ADAS stack, just the DMS and (Airbags/Seatbelts?)
This can be done separately from the Blue Cruise, DMS is just one part of Blue Cruise and the interfacing is probably minimal here.
Also, Veoneer haven't announced any other Ford DMS yet. Their next DMS is here
https://www.veoneer.com/sites/default/files/VNE%20Q1.2021_Presentation_FINAL2.pdf
Grand Cherokee
•AVV ~630K (Note it was unnamed but just ~590K in the previous quarter!)
•NiVi4, RCS, DMS, Pos. system
NiVi4 = Gen4 Thermal Sensing Night Vision
Pos. system = Positioning System
As Colin has said before, Mobileye didn't see DMS coming. So they do a great job with external cameras and yes they can merge that with radar to produce an excellent ADAS platform to monitor the outside of the car. But they don't have a decent DMS system (they do have a spare ARM core - but it is not real time or accelerated so it can do software only DMS, but poorly).
That leaves the road clear for either a standalone DMS - Xylinx based or one of the new Rear View mirrors. Or one embedded in the Infotainment unit, we shall see.
Whatif,
Patents are a minefield, got to be careful where you step. Often there is an uncharted route through. We are already the best using Dark Pupil in automotive, the downside is that you need to install either a larger unit, or in more locations which means fighting for space in the ****pit. But it will give the best accuracy on eye gaze. Bright Pupil reduces the real estate that is required in the critical area but it is still not inconsiderable. Of course, it all comes down to the ideas that are claimed and the words that are used to differentiate them. Of course, Tobii don't compete with us in Automotive. Automotive is a moat in itself
It is always nice to read one of "our own" patent applications. It tells us more about the evolution of our solutions. Until now Seeing Machines have normally used "dark pupil" eye tracking where the illumination is away from the camera and it uses the geometry of the bulge in the front of the eye and how it moves the "glint" of the illumination as the eye moves.
However, that needed a fair bit of real estate in the car, either in the instrument cluster or on the steering column (and lights on the wheel). We got complacent about spotting SEE, this patent shows how a smaller area is required and changes the method and form factor. By having the illumination closer to the camera we can exploit the side effect of mammalian eyes in that we reflect light which is close to the optic axis. We experience this as red-eye in photographs (we will miss you Victor) or as the reflected light from deer or cats that are caught in our head lamps. This can give a strong signal which is easy to pick up. In the examples given SEE may use one or two (single or pairs) of LEDs spaced as close as 7mm and as far as 50mm from the camera. So now we have a new form factor to look for - it could be camera, LED1, LED2 in as little as 30mm. These LEDs may both be used, or just one, probably not together. As ambient lighting changes, the intensity of the LED may change or its flashing pattern.
Here is a link to the good pictures (SEE need to resubmit them as they don't come out well when converted to black and white) https://register.epo.org/documentView?number=AU.2020051214.W&documentId=id00000059918114
Whatif,
That is just the standard Joyson/GM position on top of the steering column which in the photo appears to be near the centre of the wheel.
My main problem with this patent is if you asked Goodyear where to put technology they would say in the tyres. So when you ask Joyson they say the steering wheel - slightly more appropriate. By mounting in the rotating part of the wheel they do solve the problem of the car parked with the wheels at an angle so the camera on the steering column being blocked by the steering wheel spokes. This could prevent the car from Identifying the driver. If course, you can still block by driving with your hands on the hub. Or when steering around a corner and blocking with your arms. Good thing we are out of the exclusivity deal.
Worth looking at the picture of real steering wheels wonder if they will appear in production cars?
JC, Shallwe,
The way that the claims are arranged, it relies on something doing the facial analysis and gaze tracking and blink measuring. It does not say how this would be done in the claims, only in the description. Since building these takes a great deal of knowledge and vast amounts of data, I would expect Toyota or their OEMs to buy in these features. They may use their own combination of measures on top, including upper body tracking from a wide angle.
There is only one worry I have about this patent is how it plans to increase your level of alertness. After talking to you at varying volume it wants to read a document to you that is specific to the driver. That will wake you up. So submarine captains get a letter from the PM. Football fans get told their star striker is injured and Seeing machines shareholders get told that we have been bought by Martin for only 15p, see that woke you up.
Nice one this JC.
Gives you an insight on how Supercruise monitors the driver's attention and ability to take over. Not just eye gaze, but is the gaze relative to events outside. Also are you holding a phone, talking, with your foot on the seat. What is the weather and traffic like. How long is the journey - all of these things can be taken into account. Not just "did you look away for 5 seconds"
No news here, Veoneer make/assembles cameras for DMS! This patent describes how they sandwich the camera and lens between two PCBs with a surround of metal for shielding. If you look at the picture it is very form follows function. With low cost being a key priority.
Hi JC,
Sorry been a bit tardy.
I don't like this one but I can see it is where the world will be going. Insurance costs adjusted on the fly based on driving behaviour. Not necessarily linked to DMS, they can get information from the bus to detect if you are speeding in the first instance, but as more inputs become available we will see it. But until it becomes mandating or is everywhere I guess we can try to choose to avoid it. Of course, if we are good drivers, it could get cheaper, but how often does that happen?
https://twitter.com/mrlevine/status/1389591189821661187?s=19
The fully electric #MustangMachE is turning on dealer lots in just 4 days
"So this means you can just walk up and buy without reserving online?".
"If you can find one, absolutely."
Our announcement is getting closer...