Hytch connects drivers with riders who are going to the same destination, just like regular carpooling. But it also tracks the route and pays both driver and passengers for making the trip together. The goal is to get more people to carpool, and in turn, reduce traffic congestion. Hytch claims that if six percent of road users switched to carpooling, it would eliminate 1,500 daily trips into Nashville. Depending on traffic speeds, that could be equivalent to adding an extra lane to the interstates that pass through the city, according to Hytch.

But Nissan has its own motivation for backing the app. It believes Hytch will allow for closer studying of consumer habits, and that this information could become a competitive advantage as automakers move into mobility services.

Carpooling, car sharing, and ride sharing may decrease the need for people to own cars, but automakers also view these services as an opportunity. Companies like BMW, Daimler, and General Motors already operate their own car-sharing services. Ford operates the Chariot shuttle service in multiple cities, as well as a bike-sharing service called GoBike in San Francisco. These services represent potential new sources of revenue for automakers.

All of these services provide the convenience of not having to drive oneself from Point A to Point B, but when it comes to reducing traffic congestion, they may not all be equal. Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft encourage people to ride by themselves (although Uber and Lyft both offer carpooling options), which doesn’t really reduce the number of vehicles on the road. By putting multiple people in one car, services like Hytch and Ford’s Chariot are the most likely to reduce traffic.

The post Nissan Backs APP That Pays People To Carpool appeared first on 涡轮增压电控执行器 - 深圳亿昇动力科技有限公司.

Uber’s proposed system used a light bar and motorized seat, but the system patented by Sivak and Schoettle just involves some eyewear. Lights fitted to the glasses flash in the wearer’s peripheral vision, which is supposed to help reconcile what a person is seeing with the movement of the vehicle. A patent covers both wearable and vehicle-based versions of the system, according to the University of Michigan.

Both the Uber and the University of Michigan systems rely on lights to keep autonomous-car passengers from vomiting, but Uber’s version works in concert with a special seat that can both move and blow air over specific parts of the body. The University of Michigan system offers the option of portability, which could make it easier to commercialize.

Being granted a patent doesn’t make a technology commercially viable, but the University of Michigan does plan to shop its system around to automakers and suppliers. Researchers believe motion-sickness deterrents will be more important in self-driving cars because everyone will be a passenger. About half of adults get motion sick while reading a book in a car, according to the university.

But even if a solution is found, people may not want to ride in self-driving cars if there is a high chance of getting carsick. Having to put on special glasses to avoid losing your breakfast on the morning commute doesn’t sound like the most glamorous kind of future.

The post Researchers Patent Glass To Prevent Motion Sickness In Self-driving Cars appeared first on 涡轮增压电控执行器 - 深圳亿昇动力科技有限公司.

Yandex released a new video of its two Toyota Prius V development mules driving around in snowy conditions. Winter weather is challenging for self-driving cars not only because of reduced traction but because snow can obscure the lane markings autonomous vehicles rely on as a visual cue to orient themselves. Winter capability is particularly important for Yandex, which hopes to develop an autonomous ride-sharing service in Russia, a country known for harsh winters.

The conditions Yandex’s self-driving cars negotiate in this video aren’t exactly extreme; at times there isn’t even any snow on the roads. The cars perform basic functions like avoiding other vehicles and pedestrians and making smooth stops. With so many companies testing self-driving cars, it’s more a demonstration of minimal competence than of technological boundaries being pushed.

For self-driving cars to replace human drivers, it goes without saying that they will have to function in all kinds of weather. With most U.S. autonomous-car testing taking place in and around Silicon Valley, winter weather is not something most cars will encounter on a daily basis. But companies are accounting for that.

Ford and General Motors test self-driving cars year round in Michigan and Ford has already conducted dedicated snow testing. Waymo will bring some of its autonomous Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Michigan this winter for testing as well. To improve the technology, autonomous cars dashing through the snow will have to become a more common sight.

The post Yandex Autonomous Cars go For a Drive In The Snow appeared first on 涡轮增压电控执行器 - 深圳亿昇动力科技有限公司.

The cars ordered are based on Volvo’s modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). This is the architecture on which Volvo’s current flagship SUV XC90 as well as the midsize XC60 are based on. Modifications towards self-driving capabilities are developed in close cooperation with Uber, Volvo announced in a press release. The base vehicles already incorporate the core autonomous driving technologies required for Uber to add its own self-driving technology. At the same time, Volvo plans to continue developing its own autonomous car strategy which is planned for release of first fully autonomous cars in 2021.

Though the carmaker did not provide financial details of the contract, experts estimate the value to slightly above $ 1 billion, about 4.5 % of Volvo’s total annual sales.

The post Volvo To Build Tens Of Thousands Of Self-driving Taxis For Uber appeared first on 涡轮增压电控执行器 - 深圳亿昇动力科技有限公司.