What if traffic flowed through our streets as smoothly and efficiently as blood flows through our veins? Transportation geek Wanis Kabbaj thinks we can find inspiration in the genius of our biology to design the transit systems of the future. In this forward-thinking talk, preview exciting concepts like modular, detachable buses, flying taxis and networks of suspended magnetic pods that could help make the dream of a dynamic, driverless world into a reality.
Why you should listen
As the director of global strategy for healthcare logistics at UPS, Wanis Kabbaj finds ways for organizations to transport their temperature-sensitive medicines and biotechnologies safely around the world. For more than 16 years, Kabbaj's professional engagements have always revolved around transportation and innovation. Some of his ventures involved helping EADS Astrium use its satellite space transportation expertise in unexpected markets or participating in the global launch of Logan, a revolutionary low-cost vehicle, that helped Renault-Nissan harness a surprising growth in emerging markets.
Kabbaj is a dual citizen of Morocco and France and lived in four continents. Experiencing constant cultural transitions throughout his life gave him a real taste for analyzing problems through non-traditional lenses and blending disciplines that are usually kept separate.
Just this week there was an announcement of the reality of a driverless truck making a Colorado beer delivery from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs.The 18-wheel semi loaded down with Budweiser made the 120 mile (200 km) trip through the center of crowded Denver using only the panoply of cameras, radar and sensors to read the road. A professional driver was on board, but he simply monitored the progress from the truck's sleeper berth behind the driver's seat. "With an Otto-equipped vehicle, truck drivers will have the opportunity to rest during long stretches of highway while the truck continues to drive and make money for them." "When you see a truck driving down the road with nobody in the frong seat, you'll know that it's highly unlikely to get in a collision, drive aggressively, or waste a single drop of fuel," Otto said.
The test came just six weeks after Uber launched its demonstration self-driving car service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, gaining a jump on the many auto makers that are now developing systems for cars and trucks to pilot themselves. (http://phys.org/news/2016-10-driverless-truck-uber-otto-colorado.html)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/)
Ford Motor Co. intends to start selling driverless cars to the public by about 2025, its chief executive officer said.
The goal is to lower costs enough to make autonomous vehicles affordable to millions of people, CEO Mark Fields said in a speech Monday at company headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. After starting with sales of robot taxis to ride-hailing services by 2021, “around mid-decade we’ll make vehicles available for people to purchase for themselves,” he said.
“We’re dedicated to putting autonomous vehicles on the road for millions of people, not just those who can afford luxury cars,” Fields said.
Others are putting driverless cars on the road ahead of Ford. Singapore last month unveiled the first autonomous taxi service, run by NuTonomy, a small startup. Uber Technologies Inc., founded in 2009, will soon let users of its popular ride-sharing app hail autonomous Volvo sport utility vehicles in Pittsburgh. Alphabet Inc.’s Google self-driving car project also has indicated it will move from testing to commercialization by the end of the decade.
"With an Otto-equipped vehicle, truck drivers will have the opportunity to rest during long stretches of highway while the truck continues to drive and make money for them."
The 18-wheel semi loaded down with Budweiser made the 120 mile (200 kilometer) trip from Fort Collins through the center of crowded Denver to Colorado Springs using only its panoply of cameras, radar and sensors to read the road.
The truck carried a professional driver, but he simply monitored the progress from the truck's sleeper berth behind the driver's seat.
The trip was a fairly straight two-hour drive south on the I-25 highway, "exit-to-exit", the company said in a statement, suggesting the initial and final stretches off the highway were handled by a driver.
The 18-wheel semi loaded down with Budweiser made the 120 mile (200 kilometer) trip from Fort Collins through the center of crowded Denver to Colorado Springs using only its panoply of cameras, radar and sensors to read the road.
The truck carried a professional driver, but he simply monitored the progress from the truck's sleeper berth behind the driver's seat.
The trip was a fairly straight two-hour drive south on the I-25 highway, "exit-to-exit", the company said in a statement, suggesting the initial and final stretches off the highway were handled by a driver.
The test came just six weeks after Uber launched its demonstration self-driving car service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, gaining a jump on the many automakers that are now developing systems for cars and trucks to pilot themselves.
"This shipment is the next step towards our vision for a safe and productive future across our highways," Otto said.
"With an Otto-equipped vehicle, truck drivers will have the opportunity to rest during long stretches of highway while the truck continues to drive and make money for them."
The 18-wheel semi loaded down with Budweiser made the 120 mile (200 kilometer) trip from Fort Collins through the center of crowded Denver to Colorado Springs using only its panoply of cameras, radar and sensors to read the road.
The truck carried a professional driver, but he simply monitored the progress from the truck's sleeper berth behind the driver's seat.
The trip was a fairly straight two-hour drive south on the I-25 highway, "exit-to-exit", the company said in a statement, suggesting the initial and final stretches off the highway were handled by a driver.
The test came just six weeks after Uber launched its demonstration self-driving car service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, gaining a jump on the many automakers that are now developing systems for cars and trucks to pilot themselves.
"This shipment is the next step towards our vision for a safe and productive future across our highways," Otto said.
"With an Otto-equipped vehicle, truck drivers will have the opportunity to rest during long stretches of highway while the truck continues to drive and make money for them."