A team of researchers from four American universities has provided a troubling preview of how self-driving cars could be tricked into making dangerous mistakes.
By altering street signs in ways that look innocuous to a human observer, the researchers were able to completely alter how an artificial intelligence interpreted them.
This isn’t just a matter of slapping paint across a sign. The team, whose work was first highlighted by Ars Technica, designed an attack algorithm that carefully tailors the visual "perturbations" to be applied to an existing sign.
We are excited about next week's AFLA Conference, featuring an outstanding program of interesting speakers and thoughtful sessions, including some mighty fine networking opportunities.
Year after year, one of our own AFLA program favorites is the Women in Fleet Management Session and Reception. This year, Kathleen Nalty will lead us to recognize and interrupt our own unconscious biases. Outsmart them, if you will. If you plan to arrive in Las Vegas on Sunday, this is a terrific start to the conference.
The last few weeks have been a challenge, on so many levels, for fleet professionals working with fleets battered and flooded by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The Fleet Management Weekly editorial team will be filming in our pressroom ‘Marche 2’. If you have a story you would like to tell us about your involvement in disaster planning and/or relief, please stop by and see us.
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
As the Hurricane Harvey storm system dissipates and the water it dropped recedes, Houstonians left without shelter face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives.
Many people are focused on the staggering figure of 40,000 homes lost, but another number also deserves close scrutiny: The flooding destroyed as many as a million cars in the Houston metro area.
Reliable transportation is a daily, fundamental need, almost more so in the wake of a disaster. Add in the fact that Houston is a car-dependent city, and the consequences of the destruction of so many vehicles comes into stark focus.
When Nissan Motor Co. unveiled its all-electric Leaf in 2010, the Japanese carmaker found itself uncharacteristically leading the automotive pack.
Capable of traveling 100 miles on a single charge, the car leapfrogged those from most rivals who were focused on developing hybrids—such as Toyota’s Prius—or simply squeezing more mileage out of their conventional gasoline-powered models. That head start helped turn the Leaf into the world’s best-selling electric vehicle, with almost 300,000 cars sold since its introduction.
Fast-forward seven years, and the Leaf’s early lead seems set to vanish.
Large vans may not be the staples of suburban family garages, but the are experiencing a resurgence thanks to new ride-sharing platforms.
Via announced Monday a $50 million investment and joint-venture agreement with Daimler to launch on-demand shuttle services across Europe, as well as to license Via’s on-demand shuttle operating system to European transit authorities and municipalities, the mobility company said in a news release.
"We are delighted to have the Daimler Group on board as an investor and strategic partner,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via.