The AI superstar once hired to rehab Uber’s cratering self-driving program is going solo with a new startup and $83.5 million in funding

Raquel Urtasun was hired to help save Uber’s self-driving effort in 2017.  The program ultimately cratered, and now the AI luminary is launching her own startup. Waabi emerged from stealth Tuesday, announcing it raised $83.5 million to pursue self-driving trucks. See more stories on Insider’s business page. When Raquel Urtasun joined Uber in May 2017,… Continue reading The AI superstar once hired to rehab Uber’s cratering self-driving program is going solo with a new startup and $83.5 million in funding

Waabi, the rare autonomous vehicle startup with a woman CEO, raises $83.5 million

Waabi is a new autonomous vehicle startup with a few things going for it to help it rise above the fray. For one, it’s founded by Raquel Urtasun, a renowned expert in computer vision who ran Uber Advanced Technology Group’s Toronto outpost, making it one of the few women-led AV startups in the world. Second,… Continue reading Waabi, the rare autonomous vehicle startup with a woman CEO, raises $83.5 million

Waymo and Cruise hope to charge for autonomous rides in California [update]

Autonomous rideshare rivals Waymo and Cruise have both reportedly applied for permits to charge passengers for self-driving rides in the San Francisco Bay area. Some of the applications are still under review, but it could be a major step toward autonomous rideshare vehicles operating as commonplace soon. June 7 update: As of June 4, Cruise… Continue reading Waymo and Cruise hope to charge for autonomous rides in California [update]

The Station: Aurora gets closer to a SPAC deal, Spin’s new strategy and Waymo One app numbers

The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive it every weekend in your inbox. Hello and welcome back to The Station, a weekly newsletter dedicated to all the ways people and packages move (today and in the future) from Point A to… Continue reading The Station: Aurora gets closer to a SPAC deal, Spin’s new strategy and Waymo One app numbers

Cruise gets permit from California to provide passenger test rides in driverless vehicles

The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) said Friday (pdf) it has authorized General Motors-owned self-driving vehicle company Cruise to provide driverless passenger service to the public in its robotaxis. The CPUC said Cruise is the first entrant in its driverless pilot program, which lets companies give test rides in vehicles without drivers. Under the terms… Continue reading Cruise gets permit from California to provide passenger test rides in driverless vehicles

Cruise can now give passengers rides in driverless cars in California

Cruise, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of GM that also has backing from SoftBank Vision Fund, Microsoft and Honda, has secured a permit that will allow the company to shuttle passengers in its test vehicles without a human safety operator behind the wheel. The permit, issued by the California Public Utilities Commission as part of its… Continue reading Cruise can now give passengers rides in driverless cars in California

Ford CEO says US needs to regulate automated driving systems – Stuff.co.nz

The CEO of America’s second-largest auto company is calling for the federal government to set standards for fully or partially automated vehicles to tighten the safety of electronic driving systems. In urging federal regulation, Ford CEO Jim Farley becomes the highest-profile auto executive to publicly recognise a need to more closely monitor the emerging technology,… Continue reading Ford CEO says US needs to regulate automated driving systems – Stuff.co.nz

Waymo’s driverless taxi service can now be accessed on Google Maps

Waymo One, the ride-hailing service that uses driverless vehicles in the suburbs of Phoenix, can now be accessed and booked through Google Maps. This will be the first fully autonomous ride-hailing option available in the app, which will roll out first to Android users, Waymo said Thursday. The team-up not only brings together two Alphabet… Continue reading Waymo’s driverless taxi service can now be accessed on Google Maps

Self-Driving Coalition Announces New Board Members Embark and Aurora

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Self-Driving Coalition – dedicated to working with lawmakers, regulators and the public to realize the safety and societal benefits of autonomous vehicles (AVs) – announced today that Aurora and Embark have joined the Coalition’s Board of Directors. Both Embark and Aurora became members in 2020, and their addition… Continue reading Self-Driving Coalition Announces New Board Members Embark and Aurora

Explainer: Tesla drops radar; is Autopilot system safe?

By Hyunjoo Jin 5 Min Read (Reuters) – Tesla Inc has dropped radar sensors from its semi-autonomous driving system, Autopilot, raising concerns over the safety of the camera-only version, Tesla Vision. FILE PHOTO: The interior of a Tesla Model S is shown in autopilot mode in San Francisco, California, U.S., April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Alexandria Sage/File… Continue reading Explainer: Tesla drops radar; is Autopilot system safe?