Day: August 9, 2018

Intel Corporation’s subsidiary from Israel, Mobileye, is receiving the biggest technological investment deal in Israel history. Mobileye is a software developer of vision-based technology that enables Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) for self-driving car navigation. It has signed an agreement to provide autonomous technology to eight million cars from an unnamed European carmaker in May.

Sign of the Times for Self-Driving Cars and Intel News

This is a major deal for Mobileye, indicating how automakers are accelerating the development of features for self-driving cars. This initiative helps generate revenue in the meantime until the technology for fully-automated driving is ready for public deployment.

The ADAS deal will be implemented by 2021 when Intel launches its EyeQ5 chip. It is an upgrade to the camera-based EyeQ4 system.

EyeQ4 uses mapping through REM (Road Experience Management), which projects map data on the road. It also utilizes its Driving Policy — machine learning that masters decision making the more it takes in data. Test vehicles are also capable of accurate lane and vehicle detection from any angle.

EyeQ5, on the other hand, will build on top of the EyeQ4 system with a vision central computer, Open Software Platform, and hardware security. EyeQ5 chips are expected to power self-driving vehicles by 2021.

Apart from Mobileye, there are a handful of companies like Nvidia and Luminar that race to provide self-driving capabilities to car manufacturers.

Intel bought Mobileye for $15.3 billion in 2017. Mobileye says that there are about 27 million cars on the road from numerous carmakers that employ different iterations of the driver assistance system. Mobileye says it has a market share of more than 70%.

Future Plans for Self-Driving Cars

The future system that serves as the eyes and brains of cars will be offered on a number of models of the automaker. Vehicles will be partially automated wherein they can be self-driving, but with the ready intervention of human drivers in case of any emergencies.

By 2019 Mobileye expects at least 100,000 Level 3 cars with its technology installed. Level 3 cars are self-driving but allow human drivers a short period of time to take over if the system malfunctions. Mobileye is also currently partnering with some automakers to supply its Level 3 technologies by 2019. They are working with General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, BMW, Nissan, Honda, Audi, and Nio from China.

Mobileye is testing Level 4 technology in Ford Fusion hybrids in their Jerusalem headquarters. Level 4 vehicles have 12 cameras and four EyeQ4 chips in the trunk. With this kind of advanced technology, these Level 4 cars are able to navigate highways in midday traffic without human intervention.

Automated Cabs Powered by Mobileye

Level 4 systems will begin production by 2021. Mobileye says the technology that they use can help create other systems that can soon be available on the market. Automakers have been planning to develop robo-taxis, which could be on the roads in the same year.

Room for Input

Mobileye knows that self-driving cars cannot navigate roads using cameras alone. Self-driving cars would benefit more with a combination of cameras, sensors, high-definition maps, radars, and lidar. Autonomous cars can then make better decisions accurately and at a faster rate.

Drivers in Jerusalem have an assertive manner of driving. Consequently, Mobileye test vehicles also drive assertively. Showing hesitance causes other drivers to be impatient and may cause road accidents.

Apart from providing expert and accurate navigation, the company seeks to make self-driving cars safe for passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists. It also wants to reduce the number of road accidents not only in Jerusalem but in other countries where its partner carmaker will distribute. Mobileye joins a fine roster of tech companies bringing safe and reliable autonomous navigation to the wide commuting public. While today it is a breakthrough tech deal, soon it will be a reality that benefits societies all over the globe.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has spun humanity’s sci-fi dreams into reality, breaking world records along the way. Because of its breakthrough projects, it recently topped the Disruptor 50 list released by CNBC in May 2018. SpaceX Rocket is relentless in its ambition to bring people to space and establish a human colony on Mars. Ever since its inception in 2002, it has been developing cheaper and reusable rockets with a quick turnaround launch time. It is one of the most valuable private companies in the world, with a reported valuation of $28 billion.

Monumental Feats Impact Disruptor 50

In the process of putting one million people on Mars, SpaceX will be completing short trips for its Mars rocket system in 2019. It will also begin rolling out its network of 4,425 satellites. This is the next stage in its colonization plan in the event of a world-wide catastrophe. SpaceX is also building its first interplanetary ship called BFR. Musk plans to send two cargo ships to Mars by 2022 to find a water source and bring basic needs to build the infrastructure.

Next, a crewed flight of the new Dragon capsule will be mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket. This would test if humans can be sent to the International Space Station safely. They have also just launched the most advanced version of Falcon 9 called Block 5, which must be flown seven times so it can be certified by NASA for human flight.

SpaceX has presented such paradigm shift for the rocket industry in terms of creation and space exploration. It is able to produce its rockets at a significant fraction of the usual cost, and they are also reusable. It has an increased launch cadence with a decreased turnaround time, launching, landing, and relaunching rockets within months.

Rewriting History is SpaceX News

Success didn’t come easy for SpaceX. The company has had a string of failed launches since 2006, with some exploding a few seconds after lift-off or shutting down upon orbit. In 2016 it famously lost a rocket two days before its launch, incurring a loss of about $62 million.

But it has bounced back from the mishap, and in 2017 launched 18 rockets successfully, and launched and landed two rockets within 48 hours. It also made history by being the first private company to launch a reused rocket on a NASA mission.

SpaceX is Inspired by Competition

President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said SpaceX welcomes competition within their rocket industry. She said competition keeps the company sharp and pushes them to further develop and diversify their products. Musk also encourages other companies and countries to be just as ambitious as SpaceX. Its competitor, United Launch Alliance, a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, recognizes the rivalry but is also excited to be competing with SpaceX. Another competitor, Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has yet to launch a rocket but is gearing toward commercial operations.

SpaceX is neck-and-neck with Boeing to fulfill contracts with NASA’s Commercial Crew program to take astronauts to and from the ISS. Boeing is also the primary contractor for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which can carry heavier loads than Falcon Heavy. But launching this won’t happen for at least another two years. Before NASA can launch its more powerful iteration of SLS, SpaceX may be launching its BFR cargo to Mars.

The Burgeoning US Rocket Industry

The company is also ramping up on its BFR production. It is on the last stages of negotiations to build a Los Angeles facility where they will build the BFR. The BFR will then be sent to their Texas facility for testing.

The US Air Force has awarded hundreds of millions of launch contracts to SpaceX. The company is consistent in providing launches with reduced costs and faster turnaround time. Its new Falcon 9 costs around $62 Million, whereas others cost between $109 Million to $150 Million. It now has a backlog of over 100 future mission contracts worth more than $12 Billion, essentially tripling its valuation since topping the Disruptor 50 2014.

SpaceX is also poised to become a $50 billion giant when it launches Starlink, its constellation of satellites for its broadband business. It has already launched two satellites in February, and more are expected to be launched in the coming years.

SpaceX has earned its space at the top of the rocket industry, no matter how many times they have failed. They have consistently demonstrated how well they bounce back stronger and more capable. What they have accomplished in such a short span has defied conventions and expectations, which bodes well for humanity. SpaceX redefines human capability for exploration that there is no question why it deserves a top spot in any disruptor list.