Hasta La Gadget!

Self-driving cars could be on the roads by 2016, specialist Mobileye Vision claims, though don’t expect the full autonomy of a Google driverless car unless you have a very deep wallet. The company is readying a camera-based system which relies on a few hundred dollars of components, rather than the tens of thousands of dollars Google pays for each of the lidar sensing arrays atop its own test vehicles, though as The NYTimes discovered it doesn’t add up to quite the same relaxing, hands-off ride.

Google’s cars use a laser that measures the distance between them and any other object nearby, many thousands of times a minute. By building up a picture of the environment, the car can make split-second decisions as to when to turn, merge into other lanes, speed up, or slow down.

However, 360-degree lidar scanners are certainly not cheap, and that’s going to impact how quickly self-driving cars can reach the market, Mobileye argues. “You cannot have a car with $70,000 of equipment and imagine it will go into mass production,” company founder Amnon Shashua says.

Instead, far more mainstream cameras are used for Mobileye’s system. In fact, the company is behind camera-based autonomy tech in a number of vehicles; previous versions have been used by Volvo and others to flag up pedestrians walking past A-pillar blind-spots, for instance. Newer versions – set to arrive this year – will help guide the car in stop-start traffic, similar to what Mercedes announced for the new S-Class.

However, those systems require the driver still keep hold of the wheel, whereas Mobileye’s new technology – which is still roughly three years out from the market – can handle hands-off driving. Cars equipped with the system can keep to a single lane, at freeway speed, along with spotting traffic lights and other cars and slow/stop/start again accordingly.

“The car had a tendency to weave a bit when it started to pull away from an intersection — behavior that did not inspire confidence. Once, as we were passing a parked car, the Audi pulled in the direction of the other vehicle. Not wanting to learn the car’s intentions, I lifted my hands out of my lap and nudged it back to the center of the lane. The Mobileye engineers sat perfectly calm” John Markoff, NYTimes

Next up, Mobileye says, is a big increase in how many cameras the car is equipped with. By the end of the month the test car should have six in total – including a wide-range lens, and extra side and rear views – which, the engineers claim, is the next step toward full Google-style autonomous driving.

VIA: BGR

Mobileye wants self-driving cars by 2016 at a fraction of Google’s costs is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

I think it’s safe to say that most adults know what constitutes child abuse. Unfortunately, the same thing can’t be said for children, who might think that what they’re being subjected to is normal. The ANAR Foundation and Grey Group Spain are hoping to change that, though, with the launch of an ad campaign that uses lenticular printing.

In this particular application, This printing technique lets individuals see different images based on their height.

Adults will see a plain poster of a boy captioned with “Sometimes child abuse is only visible to the child suffering it.” On the other hand, the version children will see is that of a bruised and battered boy, captioned with “If somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help you,” followed by a hotline number.

Hopefully, this can make kids aware of their situation and encourage them to seek help without fear of repercussions from an aggressor.

[via DIY Photography via Laughing Squid]

Subaru has been forced to recall its 2014 Forester SUV over problems with its floor mats that could lead to problems with using the brake and accelerator pedels, according to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to Subaru, the SUVs that are affected were made between January and March of this year.

This particular problem isn’t terribly troublesome, but does have the potential to cause a crash if the brake pedal or accelerator can’t be pressed properly. Says Subaru, the backing on the floor mats wasn’t made correctly, and because of the problem are prone to curling up when they get too warm, such as on a hot summer day. Upon curling, they could interfere with the pedals.

According to the report, this problem hasn’t caused any injuries, but has been the cause of unintended accerlation that resulted in runaway vehicles, a situation that could have a fatal outcome. The total number of vehicles involved in this recall tally out to 10,137, and will see the auto maker replacing the mats with new ones. Recall notifications are expected to go out to affected vehicle owners this month.

This is Subaru’s second recall this month, with the first happening back on April 9 due to brake lines that could corrode when they come in contact with salt water. That particular recall involved 200,000 Outback and Legacy vehicles made from 2005 to 2009. And that recall followed one shortly before thatinvolving a remote starter glitch that made the cars start up on their own.

[via Wall Street Journal]

2014 Subaru Forester recalled due to curling floor mats is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

People have come up with iPhone cases that come attached with all sorts of stuff, like extra battery packs, card holders, and even bottle openers. Those seem like reasonable things to have integrated onto a phone case.

But what about a whistle?

It hasn’t been done yet commercially, but designer Sang-Hoon Lee wants to get it made – with the right support and backing, that is. The case is aptly called the Hoo Whistle Case. It looks like your basic iPhone case, except that it’s got a whistle embedded at the top.

It might seem like a novelty to some, but it’s actually a pretty neat safety device. When you’re in trouble and need help or need to get someone’s attention, all you have to do is put the case to your mouth and blow. Nothing works best as a noisemaker than a traditional whistle, yes?

[via Gadget Review]

Traffic safety regulators in the United States are calling for automakers to voluntarily limit the usability of touchscreens inside of vehicles. The safety regulators believe that putting limits on how long drivers can use touchscreens inside their cars can help reduce distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its voluntary guidelines this week.

The voluntary guidelines call for automakers to limit the amount of time it takes to perform a single function using a vehicles audiovisual system to 2 seconds. The voluntary regulations also call for automakers to limit drivers to a maximum of six screen touches in 12 seconds to reduce the amount of time drivers can take their eyes off the road. The NHTSA also calls for a ban on manual text entry and the display of websites, social media, books, and other distractions on touchscreens and vehicles while driving.

Interestingly, these voluntary regulations come right on the heels of a report published earlier this week showing that entering texts using voice to text services is no safer than entering text manually. The NHTSA wants to phase these voluntary rules into effect over the next three years. The extended rollout will allow automakers to make changes to their vehicle electronics systems according to regulators.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that while the regulations are voluntary, the NHTSA will look into giving automakers incentives to comply. Under current guidelines in effect for the auto industry, drivers are allowed to read texts and perform other tasks on vehicle infotainment systems wildcards removing it under 5 mph. Current regulations also limit drivers to 10 screen touches for a total of 20 seconds with the drivers eyes off the road.

“The new guidelines and our ongoing work with our state partners across the country will help us put an end to the dangerous practice of distracted driving by limiting the amount of time drivers take their eyes off the road,” Strickland said.

[via HearldNet]

US safety regulators want voluntary limits on touchscreens in cars is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.