October 3, 2018
The inaugural World Safety Summit on Autonomous Technology is bringing together business, government, public safety and community leaders to engage on the future of autonomous vehicle technology and its prospective impact in improving roadway safety.
Organized by Velodyne LiDAR, the summit will address safety issues and public concern regarding autonomous vehicles. It takes place on October 18, 2018 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The summit will be hosted by Jamie Hyneman, former host and executive producer of MythBusters.
“The summit provides a forum for frank discussions on the direction of autonomous vehicles and to spark collaborative work that increases consumer awareness of how these vehicles will revolutionize transportation. It aims to increase understanding of the safety benefits that can be achieved with autonomous vehicles, including reduction in the damage done by the 93 percent of vehicular collisions caused by human error,” says Marta Hall, President and CBDO, Velodyne LiDAR.
Keynote Speakers Address Technologies and Deployment
The summit features a Technologies Keynote by Christopher A. Hart, former Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and a Deployment Keynote by Anne S. Ferro, President & Chief Executive Officer, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
The summit commences with opening remarks by Velodyne LiDAR Founder and CEO David Hall, a self-driving industry visionary who is the inventor of 360-degree, 3D LiDAR that ignited the autonomous vehicle revolution. It will have closing remarks by Vicki Knox, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Expert Panel Sessions Explore Technology and Deployment
The summit has two expert panel sessions that endeavor to educate the public about autonomous technology – seeking to boost knowledge, address concerns and clarify issues.
In the first session, “Defining Full Autonomy and its Necessary Technologies,” speakers will discuss how consumers, regulators and industry must come together to create a pathway to enable autonomous vehicles on roadways, so they can be a solution to the global crisis of traffic fatalities. Panelists will address how parties can work together to make this happen so to realize the social, economic and environmental benefits of autonomous vehicles.
The second session, “Responsible Autonomous Vehicle Deployment,” will explore how companies and governments can work together to realize the social, economic and environmental benefits of autonomous vehicle technology. This panel will discuss the technologies necessary in achieving true autonomy to advance safety on roadways. It will address how to make messaging about autonomy and advanced safety more clear, understandable and by doing so, be more reassuring to stakeholders.
Panel speakers include experts from Baidu, PACCAR, Voyage, NAVYA, AutonomouStuff, National Safety Council, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International, Auto-ISAC, Axios, California Highway Patrol, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, and Velodyne LiDAR. NAVYA and Voyage have developed autonomous vehicles, using Velodyne LiDAR technology, that are currently on the road.
The event concludes with an Open Working Group led by David Strickland, Partner, Venable LLP and former Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Live Autonomous Vehicle Demonstrations
The summit includes live autonomous vehicle and sensor demonstrations, including a virtual reality demonstration of LiDAR sensor technology, as well as informational displays. Attendees can visit booths hosted by Society of Automotive Engineering, California CHP, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Epilepsy Foundation, Axios and Voyage.
Attendees can take rides in an AutonomouStuff AV and NAVYA AUTONOM Shuttle. Voyage will have a static AV technology demonstration with LiDAR sensor output.
Also participating in the event will be university students who are involved in the AutoDrive Challenge, a three-year competition organized by General Motors and SAE International that tasks teams with developing a fully autonomous vehicle. Velodyne LiDAR is a key competition supplier.
“Autonomous vehicles offer great potential to increase safety by eliminating human errors from driving situations. Education is one of the essential pillars in building an autonomous future. The summit aims to spur dialogue and kick-start actions to fill information gaps and increase comfort levels about self-driving vehicles. It is connecting a diverse community interested in learning more about how to change radically the cost, convenience and safety of driving,” said Marta Hall.