Autonomous truck-maker Plus.ai recently closed a new deal with the Transportation Research Center to conduct unprecedented testing of its vehicles' on-road safety.
"This is the first independent testing and validation program for a self-driving truck that has been publicly announced," Shawn Kerrigan, co-founder of Plus.ai, told Cheddar.
The company commissioned TRC to develop the testing which will be conducted on the Center's seven-and-half-mile, four-lane closed course. Kerrigan says this will allow the company to conduct tests, like multi-vehicle tests, that would be unsafe to carry out on public roads.
Kerrigan's hope is that the extra battery of testing will "prove out the overall safety and reliability of the system as well as instill greater public confidence in terms of the safety of these types of technologies."
"Just as a real driver needs to go through a testing certification to be able to drive a Class 8 truck, we think similar-type testing is going to be important for autonomous vehicles," he said.
While his team believes self-driving trucks can be the answer to many problems in shipping and safety on the road, they face concerns that autonomous vehicles could put human drivers out of work. But, Kerrigan says the industry's immediate focus should be hiring drivers. He cites the current driver shortage and says Plus.ai trucks will help address that problem.
"We think that the rollout of these technologies will be gradual," he explained. "We see this as a long-term story around addressing the driver shortage, improving overall safety, and bringing economic impact on a positive side."
"What we're finding is there's tremendous interest in this space right now because, if anything, this recent coronavirus crisis has shown the importance of trucking," he told Cheddar.
When it comes to funding for Plus.ai, Kerrigan noted the importance of talking to investors as the industry grows in popularity.
"Trucking is the first place that autonomous technology will be commercialized because of the safety case, the clear business case, and the technology fit," he said.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
