Autonomous vehicle (AV) algorithms need to be tested extensively in order to make sure the vehicle and the passengers will be safe while using it after the implementation. Testing these algorithms in real world create another important safety critical point. Real world testing is also subjected to limitations such as logistic limitations to carry or drive the vehicle to a certain location. For this purpose, hardware in the loop (HIL) simulations as well as virtual environments such as CARLA and LG SVL are used widely. This paper discusses a method that combines the real vehicle with the virtual world, called vehicle in virtual environment (VVE). This method projects the vehicle location and heading into a virtual world for desired testing, and transfers back the information from sensors in the virtual world to the vehicle. As a result, while vehicle is moving in the real world, it simultaneously moves in the virtual world and obtains the situational awareness via multiple virtual sensors. This would allow testing in a safe environment with the real vehicle while providing some additional benefits on vehicle dynamics fidelity, logistics limitations and passenger experience testing. The paper also demonstrates an example case study where path following and the virtual sensors are utilized to test a radar based stopping algorithm.

This article is part of the Future Agenda, a series from Future Tense in which experts suggest specific, forward-looking actions the new Biden administration should implement. In October, Tesla offered some of its customers an upgrade to its "Autopilot" driver-assistance system called "Full Self-Driving." Anyone familiar with how Tesla cars work knows that "Autopilot" isn't really "autopilot," and "Full Self-Driving" isn't "full" either. For now, the feature allows a car to stay within lanes on a road, automatically brake in an emergency, turn, and respond to traffic signals on its own. But the company warns drivers to "not become complacent" because the vehicle "may do the wrong thing at the worst time."

Katy Jane attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year & uncovered some of the latest advances & innovations in the automotive sector. "The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an international showcase of all of the very latest models of cars & motorcycles, the very latest technologies in the automotive industry; all jostled alongside the nostalgia of the classic automobiles. Any self-proclaimed petrol-head would attend FOS & walk miles soaking up the atmosphere, hearing the engines roar, the famous faces in the pits & breathe deeply the smell of Castrol R & high octane fuel filling the air. It is a mecca for car & motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide & attracts an international crowd. This year FOS celebrated it's 25 Anniversary alongside 70 years of Porsche & the theme ran long & deep into the core of the displays & the overall feel of the event. This year's vast sculpture outside Goodwood House, was an homage to the lineage of this iconic brand, with cars from yesteryear & modern ...

BEIJING (Reuters) - Toyota has begun slashing costs, starting with sales and marketing, and shifting resources into research that will help it keep up with new competitors, four people familiar with the matter said. One of the company's first moves was to cancel contracts with the China unit of its long-term communication and advertising agency, Dentsu Inc, the sources said. Chief executive Akio Toyoda and chief financial and risk officer Koji Kobayashi want to follow the example of Tesla, Google and Tencent - all of which rely heavily on cheaper, often more innovative non-traditional marketing. They say the savings should be plowed into investment in emerging technology such as autonomous vehicles. "We may be posting record profits, but we don't think we are keeping up with their pace of investments," one of the sources, a senior Toyota official, told Reuters.

Finding applications of artificial intelligence in the automotive industry requires only a scant reading of news headlines. From IBM Watson's partnership with the General Motors OnStar platform to Toyota's $1 billion investment in AI-based self-driving technology, the marriage of AI with automotive technology has surely been consummated. It seems that every stakeholder in the automotive industry is looking for a way to capitalize on recent advances in AI technology. While artificial intelligence automotive applications that involve driverless cars receive the most attention, this is only one of many uses for artificial intelligence in the car industry. In this article, we will look at artificial intelligence automotive industry trends to see what factors are driving this explosive new market. Although attempts to create driverless cars began in the 1970s, the lack of suitable technology kept autonomous vehicles a distant dream for decades.

LAS VEGAS--The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is creating one of the largest venture-capital funds dedicated to automotive technologies, escalating an already feverish pursuit by global auto makers to reinvent personal transportation. The company said it will commit $200 million annually over five years--for a total of $1 billion--to invest in a variety of startup technologies, including battery and self-driving vehicle advances. The new corporate venture fund is part of a push by Renault-Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn to speed development of technologies that the alliance's three auto makers don't have in-house. The message to tech startups, Mr. Ghosn said at an event tied to the CES show happening here: "Please come see us." The spending comes on top of the 8.5 billion euros ($10.1 billion) annually that Renault SA, RNO 1.23%

Self-driving is emerging from being a niche technology towards being a mainstream automotive technology. Many experts consider self-driving the way of the future. But with the advancement in driving, it also brings out complexities. All traffic laws and legislation related to driving have been enacted with regards to humans behind the wheel. The prospect of cars being autonomously driven based on automotive technology may throw out a lot we know and think about driving.

The annual Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas has become the best place to learn about what's coming to cars. This year, however, the wild new capabilities rolling through CES, and into the auto industry, went from an open secret to headline grabbing news. As a result, it was an incredible week for us. Since we unveiled our AI computing platform for autonomous vehicles at CES last year, DRIVE PX 2 has become the core of the AI revolution sweeping the auto industry. That became clear with the show's opening keynote Wednesday from NVIDIA Co-Founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, who announced our new AI Co-Pilot for the car built on DRIVE PX 2, as well as our ever expanding AI Car ecosystem of partners.

Since the mid-'70s, when electromechanical transmission systems became standard, the technology and what it requires to repair it has grown like wildfire, creating new jobs and forcing existing workers to adapt. That's not a description of the next sci-fi blockbuster, but one of the world that now exists, and it's a world, experts note, creating new jobs and requiring the current workforce to adjust its roles and acquire new skills to make a living in a science-fictional universe. Automotive technology is one area which has required some of the most significant jumps in the learning curve, especially for those who keep cars and trucks running, said Jerry Hampton, program coordinator for Hill College's Automotive Technology program in Cleburne. Since the mid-'70s, when electromechanical transmission systems became standard, the technology and what it requires to repair it has grown like wildfire, he said. By the 1980s, the earliest onboard diagnostic computers appeared -- equipment more sophisticated and with more control than the systems in the Apollo spacecraft that went to the moon, he said. This diagnostic equipment is now about 10 generations along and will keep moving forward as technology moves toward more automated systems, including autonomous driving systems.

Samsung Electronics Co. is making a drive for control of the car. The South Korean smartphone maker said Monday that it would buy U.S. auto-parts supplier Harman International Industries Inc., based in Stamford, Conn., for $8 billion in an all-cash deal that instantly makes Samsung a major player in the world of automotive technology. The deal -- Samsung's biggest acquisition in its history -- reshapes the pecking order in the global automotive supply chain, reflecting a quickening pace of innovation and an increased role for companies with deep pockets and a keen understanding of mobile services. Harman, an audio pioneer that dates back to 1953, has in recent years pushed aggressively into the automotive world under CEO Dinesh Paliwal, and has secured billions in new business, including big contracts with General Motors Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV. It has projected an order backlog of $24 billion, more than three times annual revenue, and about two-thirds of its current sales come from auto makers.