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Uber, Lyft and Ride-Hailing in the Autonomous Car Industry

Lyft and Uber stand out amongst ride-hailing companies around the world. These two are part of the reason why the market of ride-hailing has catapulted in greater heights and is expected to reach a whopping amount of $276 billion by the year 2025. The competition is so stiff that these two ride-hailing giants ventured into another field. Just when people thought that ride-hailing was enough, Uber and Lyft have looked into becoming successful in operating autonomous cars and combining it with their ride-hailing services.

Ride-hailing’s industry has an impressive market value prowess, but so is the market of driverless cars, which according to experts will reach a monstrous amount of $126.8 billion by the year 2027.

All Or Nothing For Uber

Uber, the more popular of the two, has been in the ride-hailing service since 2008. Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber, believes that entering the world of driverless vehicles will give them a head start against their competitors, especially Lyft.


The San Francisco-based company formed a group called the Uber Advanced Technologies Group (ATG). It examines and creates various solutions for self-driving transportation and car safety.

Using their Uber ATG cars, which are gray Volvo XC90s, the innovative team installed the cars with high-tech sensors such as cameras, laser scanners, and radars in order to map the environment properly. ATG works with Daimler, a renowned premium, and commercial car manufacturer.

The group initially tested ATG cars in Pittsburgh, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Toronto.

In developing Uber’s driverless technology, the team seeked assistance from a technology-driven company called Nvidia. The autonomous vehicles of Uber utilize the computing technology of Nvidia.

Lyft Trying To Stay In The Game

With its humble beginning, Lyft is a transportation network company that has definitely risen to the occasion and even bagging an estimated revenue of $1.5 billion. Being considered as a rookie has its benefits and one of the advantages would be the element of surprise.

Lyft is also trying its luck into the self-driving vehicle program. With the help from NuTonomy, a startup company that manufactures and sells software for self-driving cars, Lyft was able to send out driverless vehicles at Seaport district in Boston.

Accompanied by safety drivers, the autonomous cars transport passengers who use the application of Lyft.

NuTonomy said, “Our partnership with Lyft has two goals. First, we want to let members of the public experience driverless vehicles firsthand, so they can better understand the impact this new technology will have on their lives. Second, based on feedback from pilot participants, NuTonomy’s engineers will adapt and improve our system, so that we can deliver an autonomous transportation experience that is extremely safe, efficient, and comfortable.”

Another company that trusted Lyft was Magna International Incorporated, an eminent developer, and supplier of vehicle system parts.

The Ontario-based firm mentioned that it is going to devote $200 million in Lyft to co-create self-driving cars. Magna promises to supply useful kits like cameras, radar, and LIDAR systems that would alter regular vehicles into autonomous cars.

Lidar And Its Surveying Measures

The technology of autonomous vehicles would not be possible without the sensor devices like the cameras, radars, and LIDARs. However, experts are giving emphasis on LIDAR, as it is becoming the basic building block of all future self-driving vehicles.

An acronym for laser sensing technology, LIDAR sends out signal waves in order to recognize the surroundings. The sensing capabilities of LIDAR is also more reliable and faster than cameras.

Mobileye, Quanergy, Fastree3D, Solar Monkey, and LeddarTech are some of the biggest companies that manufacture LIDAR.

Lyft and Uber continuously come up with ways on how to better the transportation system, but looking at the bigger picture, these works actually benefits the society. With these service combinations and explorations, people can surely expect a bold impact from Uber and Lyft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is GM Shifting Gears to Become a Mobility Provider?

General Motors, one of the Detroit’s Big Three, is on the road to reinventing itself and the car industry. A huge company that produces vehicles in 37 countries under various brands, GM like the rest of the auto industry is in the doldrums. To get back out of the rut, it is planning a pilot program where they will allow car owners to rent out vehicles that are not in use. If successful, the program can transform into a full-fledged business and further GM’s transition to a mobility provider.

The premise for their test will be similar to AirBnB’s approach to real estate. Car owners who aren’t using their cars can rent them out to other people. The pilot program will be carried out through GM’s existing Maven car-sharing unit, where both owner and the automaker get a share from the revenue.


All Eyes on the Future

This move isn’t surprising as GM’s stocks have been stagnant for years. A lot of investors are actually worried about car sales with the onslaught of new tech that is poised to disrupt the auto industry. The company’s share prices rose dramatically when it unveiled services like Maven, which rents out vehicles to individual drivers as well as testing out plans for self-driving cars. As stocks and expectations rose, it isn’t surprising that the company will follow suit and try something to compete with the ever increasing ride-sharing apps and services.

 

While modern services such as ride-sharing and peer-to-peer car sharing are still new and niche, they are steadily growing and are poised to disrupt the industry even further. It has proven to be an effective means of transportation and in 2017, it has officially crushed the traditional taxi service. As taxi operators and drivers continuously file lawsuits against ridesharing companies, the volume of users and operators just keep on increasing, according to numbers published by ride-sharing company, Uber.

Whipster is another transport related application that is looking to shake up the current ride-sharing industry. More options mean more decisions to choose from. Whipster aggregates and collects the different prices from various ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft to help out the consumers.

Other Companies are Following GM’s Lead

Aside from the transportation industry, ride-sharing apps are predicted to have a big impact on the automotive industry. There are a lot of fears and speculations that if transportation becomes easier, cheaper, and more accessible, people will have even fewer reasons to purchase their own vehicles. With the increasing prices of gasoline and worsening traffic situations, car makers are now worried that consumers may no longer purchase new cars.

GM isn’t the only one with the same idea, as both Toyota and Volkswagen have come to the same conclusion. In 2016, Toyota announced that it made a strategic investment in Uber while Volkswagen planned to invest in Tel Aviv-based Gett. Lyft is another market disruptor as it is another steadily growing ride-sharing app and service that is also getting more partners to work with. There is now a huge market for ride-sharing apps and it is changing how both consumers and manufacturers think about the future of vehicles in general.

This comes at the heels of AirBnb’s highly successful peer-to-peer service where people can rent out their homes to complete strangers. With this as proof, peer-to-peer services such as ride-sharing services will become the new norm in the future. Aside from the big name car manufacturers, there are also startup companies that are planning to emulate AirBnb’s success in the mobile industry such as Turo and Getaround. Even Tesla is hinting at a future peer-to-peer sharing service. CEO Elon Musk has alluded to a similar service that will make use of their self-driving cars in the future.

Alexandre Marian is a director at AlixPartners LLP and has said that carmakers are now preparing for disruption which is why they are now experimenting with different business models to keep up.

 

iPhone Heart Rate Monitor App Beats Allen Test in Diagnostic Accuracy!

An iPhone heart rate monitor app has been modified to read the blood flow in the arteries of the wrist—a fact which showed that it yields better diagnostic accuracy than the traditional test. This bold idea is still in the preliminary stages. And exhaustive tests are needed before the app can be accepted as a medical device. The initial results are very promising though. Perhaps soon iPhone users will be able to keep better track of their heart health just by using their phones!

The Bold Impact of Smartphones

Smartphones have made dramatic bold impacts on society and as they become more advanced. In fact, they are already filled with all sorts of sensors and cameras, touchscreen, microphone and speakers. They can be loaded with a wide array of apps to make use of these sensors as tools to monitor everything from the weather to how many steps you take to your overall health. Notably, that is such the case with the iPhone heart rate monitor app.

In a randomized trial at the University Ottawa Heart Institute—based in Ontario, Canada—researchers compared the iPhone heart rate monitor app, called the Instant Heart Rate app, on the iPhone 4S with the traditional medical test. The iPhone app proved to be better than the Allen test, which is the benchmark physical test for blood flow in two arteries of the wrist.

The Instant Heart Rate app had a 94 percent diagnostic accuracy compared to the traditional method’s 84 percent. The randomized trial was done to assess the blood flow in the wrist arteries of patients about to undergo coronary angiography. The study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).

In Detail: The Allen Test

The Allen test is a physical test where the two arteries are pressed while the hand is clenched into a fist, stopping the blood supply to the arm. The hand is then opened and then the pressure on one of the arteries is released. The test checks if the single artery is able to provide adequate blood supply going to the hand. The test is repeated while pressing on the other artery. The length of time for the hand to return to its normal color is an indication of blood flow. The two arteries supply blood to the hand, and usually, even one artery alone is enough to supply the blood to the hand. If only one artery is providing adequate supply to the hand, the doctor may not continue with the procedure on the artery as the remaining artery may not provide enough blood supply.

The Allen test is fairly simple and does not require any special equipment. The doctor can easily see if one of the arteries cannot provide the blood flow for the whole hand. What is significant about the comparison between the Allen test and using the iPhone heart rate monitor app is that the app has better diagnostic accuracy.

a photo showing two images placed side by side: one has the image of a finger pointing the top of an iPhone and another of two smartphone screens showing the iPhone heart rate monitor app pages
Perhaps soon iPhone users will be able to keep better track of their heart health just by using their phones!

Development Hurdles of the iPhone Heart Rate Monitor App

The Instant Heart Rate app has yet to be recognized as a standard medical test. It still needs to go through rigorous testing to determine if it meets the standards for medical equipment. However, the study shows that apps have the capability of providing a level of diagnostic capability and accuracy that can be used by doctors and other medical professionals.

From the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Dr. Benjamin Hibbert says that due to the “widespread availability of smartphones, they are being used increasingly as point-of-care diagnostics in clinical settings with minimal or no cost.” Granted that the Allen test can be done without any use of equipment, the study, in general, showed that mentioned possibility of using smartphones in other point-of-care or bedside exam.

Dr. Hibbert adds that the smartphone’s “built-in cameras with dedicated software or photodiode sensors using infrared light-emitting diodes have the potential to render smartphones into functional plethysmographs”. Plethysmographs are medical instruments which can measure changes in volume of an organ. He also stressed that the app “is not certified at present for use in health care by any regulatory body, our study highlights the potential for smartphone-based diagnostics to aid in decision-making at the patient’s bedside”.

In the Future of Digital Healthcare

The iPhone heart rate monitor app is a bold innovation that has the potential to be used as an actual tool or method for cardiovascular care. On another note, even earlier, scientists from Pasadena have created an app that can deliver what used to require a 45-minute scan from an ultrasound machine in just a few minutes. The study was published in the July 2017 issue of the Journal of Critical Care Medicine. According to reports, the invention is already close to being rolled out commercially.

Although these digital healthcare options are still in the testing and trial phases, they are promising a future where people will be able to manage their health anytime and anywhere.

Demand for Virtual Reality Causing Pause for Parents

More and more, children and adolescents are growing up online. Gone are the days when playing outside was the most popular form of entertainment. Time is now monopolized by tablets, smartphones and gaming consoles, with an increasing number of kids fixated on virtual worlds not knowing the dangers of virtual reality.

Virtual reality is a computer-generated immersive environment that can be similar to the real world. But most times VR is fantastical, creating an experience not possible in physical reality. With virtual reality equipment—usually headsets—the user can see around the artificial world, move around it, and interact with virtual features or items.


In a technology driven world, virtual reality games and devices are becoming common fixtures in many American homes today. Without extensive studies on how it will affect the physical and emotional well-being of children, parents and educators struggle with the possible effects of the new technology and how it affects their children.

Worried Parents

While many parents have high hopes that the emerging technology will have educational benefits due to its highly engaging nature, a study conducted by Common Sense Media shows that 60% of parents worry about the health effects of virtual reality.

Early research on the impact of virtual reality airs on the side of caution regarding its use by young children. Stanford researchers partnered with Common Sense Media to perform extensive research on children’s media use, examining the impact of VR on children. The study found that virtual reality is likely to have a powerful impact on young children who may have a hard time separating VR fantasies from reality. On the positive side, it was found out that the vividness of virtual reality could be used as an effective teaching tool.

Stanford professor Jeremy Bailenson, one of the authors of the report, believed that since virtual reality is a very compelling medium, people can learn from it.

Gretchen Walkier, vice president of learning at San Jose’s Tech Museum, is of the opinion that technology can help children experiment. She believes that VR can give children a full body experience by letting them design an environment and have them walk through a 3-D model of it, making it a powerful tool for visual learning.

About 62% of parents who participated in the study believe that virtual reality can provide educational experiences but only 22% of them reported that their children actually use virtual reality for learning.

Despite the perceived educational benefits of virtual reality, and the fact that 70% of U.S. children are interested in VR, parents are having a hard time adopting the technology. Only 21% of households with children have a VR device and 13% have plans to get one.

Is it Time to Pause?

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virtual reality in the gaming industry infographic

Parents are not comfortable with the idea of kids playing with something that could pose harm. Warnings about dizziness, nausea, headaches, and bumping into things are clearly not good for children and adolescents.

As it is, units are sold with warnings requiring a large space to move around. The VR units come with chaperone system for protection. Even for adults, this may be inadequate protection as the user is blind to the real world while he plays in VR. Without clearing space, the user is vulnerable to falling, tripping, hitting the head on something, and injuries to the arms and legs. It is necessary that someone is watching the user when he wears the VR headset.

Professor Bailenson who founded the Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab acknowledged that the long terms effects of virtual reality on the developing brains are not known yet but the short impacts could include dizziness, eyestrain, and headache.

Of particular concern is the increase in nearsightedness. A study showed that 40% of people in 2000 had myopia compared to only 25% in the 1970s. The use of tablets, laptops, cell phones, and now the VR devices contribute to the lengthening of the eye and potentially causes myopia. Motion sickness is another concern. There have been cases where using 3D glasses in watching 3D movies can trigger vertigo. Inadequate device resolution and processing power can also lead to nausea while using the VR devices.

Technically, VR is tricking the brain to think an object is far away, even if the screen is near the eyes. Therefore, there is a disconnect between the way the eye focuses and the perceived distance to the object. Essentially, it tricks the brain into thinking that the object is far. Scientists don’t know what effect this will have on the brain or the eyes.

When using cellphones, the user looks at the device for a minute or two and then gazes away from it. There is no long-term continuous use or staring at the device. In contrast, the user stares at the VR device for minutes at a time. Most devices advise that the user takes a 15-minute break from wearing the VR headset for every 30 minute of use. However, this advice does not have any scientific basis. Marientina Gotsis, Associate Professor of Research at the University of Southern California’s Interactive Media and Games Division says that the long term use may have cumulative effects which are still undiscovered. She says that eyestrain is a signal that something may be wrong and advises the user to stop playing.

Virtual Reality Explosion

Despite the reasons for pause, the International Data Corporation made a worldwide forecast that virtual reality and augmented reality spending will accelerate over the next several years, reaching a total of $143.3 billion in 2020. The current figures stand at $13.9 billion in 2017 compared to only $6.1 billion spent in 2016. The stats on the number of users below the age of 18 are inadequate. Manufacturers and vendors only count the number of units sold for both VR units and titles. Drilling down the information to the number of actual users and their age demographics would require an in-depth survey. However, there is evidence to show that there are a sizable number of users below the age of 18.

One important selling point for children’s use of VR technology is that it is immersive. As a teaching tool, children may start to believe that the experience truly happened. A 2017 study by Bailenson showed that virtual reality characters have a stronger effect on children than TV or computer game characters. A study of kids 4-6 years old playing a VR game found that they interacted with the in-game character like a friend, which was more interactive than the same character in the computer version of the game.

VR technology is here to stay. Its growing popularity means it may soon be integrated into how students are taught and learn. And while this innovative tech is certainly making a bold impact in gaming and entertainment, our society will certainly continue to watch how it affects brain development and overall good health.

The most successful VR systems in terms of reach are run on a computer with Windows or Mac OS X or a smartphone running on Android or iOS. The most popular commercial VR hardware include:
  • HTC Vive – This unit runs on both the Mac and PC and was designed to work with games from Valve, which runs the Steam online store. One of its advantage is that the user can make use of the whole room while wearing the Vive.
  • Oculus Rift – This is considered the biggest name in VR. It’s controllers are considered better than the Vive. The two sensors are located in front, where the user would be looking. This results in the inability to turn around because the sensor will lose the player.
  • HTC Vive Pro – It is an evolutionary step up from the Vive, and has better capabilities. Besides being more expensive, it has some compatibility issues with the computer, as it requires the latest update for firmware.
  • Playstation VR – It uses the Playstation for the games, along with other Sony Playstation hardware. With the huge base of Playstations in the hands of users, this has the potential of being the bestselling VR system.
  • Google Daydream View – To use the Daydream View, the user has to have the fastest Android phones, and there are only a few of these models which fit the requirements, including Google Pixel.
  • Samsung Gear VR – This is a dedicated unit which can only be used with Samsung devices. It has been around since 2015, and since then it has created a possible user base with the large number of compatible Samsung phones.
  • Google Cardboard – This is literally a cardboard with lenses, which allow viewing a smartphone in VR. It uses the smartphones hardware to run the VR video. It is a cheap alternative, but it works.
The various systems now in on the market all address their own niche. To make a big splash, VR needs a killer app. Or it can be used in specific industries for their own commercial purposes, like training, and remote access.

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