The Road to Autonomy

Ossa Fisher, President of Aurora joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Aurora is preparing for driver-out operations in Texas by the end of the year. Aurora is taking a disciplined approach that Ossa likens to the preparation of elite athletes training for the Olympics.Aurora’s advanced perception system combined with their proprietary FirstLight LiDAR is assisting the company in their journey towards driver-out operations. The FirstLight LiDAR can detect obstacles up to four football fields away, significantly enhancing safety. Aurora’s development strategy combines on-road testing, controlled track environment testing, and extensive simulations. They’re rigorously preparing for various weather conditions and rare events to ensure maximum safety and reliability. The company’s partnerships with PACCAR, Volvo and Uber Freight will enable the company to scale operations and build a meaningful business overtime. The business model could change over time as it was developed to be flexible as the company scales driver-out commercial operations.The first lane that Aurora will operate driver-out will be Dallas to Houston followed by El Paso to Fort Worth. It’s has been a big journey for Aurora to get to driver-out operations and it will be a bigger journey once driver-out operations commence and expand to multiple lanes.Recorded on Tuesday, July 9, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 Preparing for Driver-Out4:46 Uber Freight Partnership7:14 Customer Exceptions for Driver-Out9:06 Driver-Out Lanes9:48 Fright Lane Patterns11:05 Scaling Aurora14:09 Safety19:29 Building Trust22:11 Driver-Out Operations & Infrastructure23:47 OEM Partnerships26:55 CDL30:57 Economics of Aurora 37:26 Aurora’s Impact on the Trucking Industry 39:46 Key Takeaways--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dean Foreman, Chief Economist, Texas Oil & Gas Association joined Grayson Brulte on The Autonomy Economy podcast to discuss key trends and geopolitical issues that are impacting the global oil and natural gas markets. Today, there is record high global demand for oil and natural gas, driven by economic growth and increased consumption of petrochemicals. Despite efforts to transition to renewable energy, oil and gas remain critical to economic activity worldwide and without energy there is no form of economic activity. During the conversation, Grayson and Dean discuss several issues impacting the oil and natural gas markets including the geopolitical factors affecting energy markets, including the U.S. presidential election, potential conflicts in the Middle East, and shifting alliances in Europe. Dean emphasizes the importance of stable policies and international trade relationships for long-term energy investments.The conversation also covers the status of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is at historically low levels. Dean expresses concern about the government’s reluctance to replenish the reserve despite potential global instability.Regarding the U.S. economy, Dean notes high levels of consumer debt and its potential impact on spending and economic growth. Grayson and Dean go onto discuss the Federal Reserve’s approach to interest rates and inflation and what impact interest rate cuts could have on the oil and natural gas markets.Throughout the podcast, Dean stresses the interdependence of energy markets, economic growth, and geopolitical stability. With regard to energy policy, Dean suggests a balanced approach that recognizes the ongoing importance of oil and gas while also addressing environmental concerns.Recorded on Tuesday, July 2, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 Fed Rate Cut Impact in the Oil & Natural Gas Markets4:39 Oil and Texas’ Economy11:27 Exporting Natural Gas to Mexico13:18 Record Demand for Oil & Natural Gas17:29 Argentinean Shale Oil19:30 Impact of the U.S. Presidential Election on the Oil Markets20:48 EU Energy Policies24:20 Currencies Impact on the Oil Markets 27:41 Consumer Debt28:50 Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)36:20 Hurricanes 38:51 Key Takeaways--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Martin Sandström, Chief of Staff, EasyPark Group joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the evolving landscape of urban parking and its intersection with autonomous vehicles and city planning. Parking is a crucial tool for cities to manage mobility as it’s often the second-largest revenue stream for municipalities after taxes. During the conversation Grayson and Martin explore how digital layers and data are transforming parking management, allowing cities to implement more effective pricing and policies based on supply and demand. Add autonomous vehicles into the picture, and the opportunity to solve issues such as overstaying in charging spots and reducing congestion is greatly improved. Then there is electric vehicles and the challenges that those vehicles bring to the urban mobility landscape. There are challenges implementing electric vehicle charging infrastructure in parking facilities, including the high upfront costs and current reliability issues. In some European countries, particularly Scandinavia, governments are mandating the installation of charging in parking garages.Looking to the future, Martin envisions parking becoming more technology-driven with less human interaction. He sees the potential for parking to be bundled into autonomous vehicle subscriptions and for parking operators to evolve into mobility hubs offering various services.Parking and mobility management will become increasingly important as urbanization continues, especially in emerging megacities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Eventually, consumers won’t need to think about parking at all because of autonomous vehicles. But before we get there, parking technology is needed to ensure a smooth parking experiences in urban cities.Recorded on Friday, June 28, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 The Business of Parking7:48 Large Events and Parking11:31 Autonomous Vehicles and Parking21:11 EV Charging and Parking31:21 EU Parking Policies 32:35 Founding of EasyPark 36:23 Future of Parking37:58 Key Takeaways--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Applied Intuition is developing an off-road autonomy stack to address the growing demand for autonomous solutions in industries such as mining, agriculture, and defense. Qasar Younis, CEO and Peter Ludwig, CTO, Co-Founders of Applied Intuition joined The Road to Autonomy Founder Grayson Brulte on Autonomy Insights to discuss Applied’s approach to off-road autonomy. The company’s approach to developing an off-road autonomy stack is driven by industry needs, particularly labor shortages in remote locations and safety concerns. Applied Intuition’s off-road strategy involves creating a modular, adaptable solution that can be customized for various vehicle types and industries. This approach allows them to distribute development costs across multiple customers, making it more economical for companies to adopt their technology rather than developing in-house solutions. Their technology is designed to work with a range of vehicles and tasks, with the philosophy that if a human can control a vehicle off-road, their autonomy stack should be able to accomplish the same task.As the company grows, they are positioning themselves as a key enabler in the emerging autonomy economy, providing the tools and technology necessary for companies to succeed in implementing and scaling autonomous solutions across multiple sectors.Episode Chapters0:00 Why Develop an Off-Road Autonomy Stack?9:48 Off-Road Autonomy and Defense10:54 Off-Road Autonomy as a Growth Market13:20 What’s Next For Applied Intuition?--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anand Gopalan, CEO & Co-Founder Vayu Robotics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the dawn of a new era in robotics and autonomous systems. Anand believes the industry is on the cusp of a breakthrough, moving from fragmented point solutions to horizontal intelligence applicable across various robotic applications.Vayu’s approach focuses on developing high-quality, low-cost autonomous systems. Vayu achieves this through innovative passive sensing technology, which extracts multiple properties of light beyond just intensity, inspired by biological systems. This method allows for robust perception without the energy inefficiency and detectability issues of active sensors like LiDARS.The company utilizes low-power ARM processors instead of expensive GPU clusters, significantly reducing both cost and energy consumption. This efficiency enables Vayu’s robots to operate for 6-8 hours on a single battery charge, dramatically lowering the carbon footprint of goods movement.Anand emphasizes the importance of foundation models in robotics, but highlights the challenges of data scarcity and edge computing. Vayu addresses these issues through intelligent use of synthetic data generated in gaming-like simulators, focusing on domain-independent aspects of movement and interaction.The conversation touches on the broad applicability of Vayu’s technology, from defense to various commercial sectors. Deploying the same intelligence across multiple applications creates significant growth and business opportunities. As a business Vayu is focused on drastically reducing hardware costs, and building robotics that can transform a capital-intensive industry to one with rapid return on investment. He envisions Vayu monetizing its intelligence and hardware reference designs rather than becoming a robotics operations business.In closing the conversation Anand suggests robotics are entering a golden age, driven by new tools and the ability to solve real economic problems. He encourages listeners and viewers to recognize this potential while remaining grounded in addressing the hard technical challenges of edge computing, cost reduction, and energy efficiency.Recorded on Thursday, June 27, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of the Robotics Market4:58 Cost of Sensors9:27 Cost of Labor Accelerating the Adoption of Autonomy13:29 Value of Robotic Autonomy 15:19 Lower Power Chips vs GPUs17:03 Energy Efficiency 21:03 Passive Sensing 27:43 AI Foundational Models31:40 Simulation 37:45 Vayu Business--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vinay Shet, Co-Founder and CEO of Teleo joined Autonomy Insights to share his perspective on why Teleo is partnering with construction companies like Ajax Paving and Tomahawk Construction to deploy supervised autonomy in their operations. Supervised Autonomy allows operators to control heavy machinery remotely from a comfortable office setting, rather than sitting in the cab of the machine.Episode Chapters0:00 Ajax Paving / Teleo Partnership3:17 Health Benefits of Supervised Autonomy 6:41 Growth of the Construction Industry9:56 Teleo's Florida Expansion10:34 Retrofitting Equipment for Supervised Autonomy 11:39 Growth of the Supervised Autonomy Market13:09 What's Next For Teleo--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Corey Clothier, Co-Founder, ARIBO joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss developing and deploying autonomous ground vehicles with the military. In this insightful episode, Grayson and Corey explore the rapidly evolving world of autonomous vehicles, with a special focus on military applications and their spillover into commercial sectors. The discussion begins with a look at the current state of autonomous vehicles outside the well-known robotaxi market. Corey highlights the diverse applications in mines, ports, terminals, and campus-based environments. He emphasizes that autonomy is far more extensive than just passenger vehicles, touching on crucial areas such as logistics, security, industrial operations and military applications. With a background in working with the military on ground autonomy, Corey shares his experiences, detailing projects ranging from autonomous security vehicles to logistics trucks. He discusses the challenges and opportunities in deploying these technologies on military bases and in combat zones, touching on issues like reliability, safety protocols, and regulatory hurdles.The conversation also delves into the future of autonomy in both military and civilian contexts. Corey predicts a steady growth in adoption and innovation over the next decade, with potential catalysts like competition from China and Tesla’s anticipated entry into the robotaxi market further accelerating development.Throughout the conversation Grayson and Corey both highlight the interconnectedness of military and commercial autonomous vehicle technologies. Wrapping up the conversation, Corey shares his thoughts and insights on emerging trends, particularly in logistics and campus-based autonomous vehicle systems. He emphasizes the need for collaboration, competition, and strong leadership to drive innovation in this rapidly advancing field.Recorded on Friday, June 21, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of Autonomous Vehicle Market1:43 Deploying Autonomous Vehicles at Airports6:12 Autonomous Vehicles on Military Bases 11:05 Military Collaboration on Autonomy 16:11 Autonomous Tanks22:04 Reliability 26:51 Leader Follower Program30:25 Opportunities for the Army in Autonomous Vehicles 34:52 DARPA Grand Challenge 36:07 Autonomy Evolving Over the Next Decade42:34 Key Takeaways--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

India Herdman, Senior Manager, Policy Affairs, Consumer Technology Association (CTA) joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the current state of autonomous vehicle / truck policy and why a National Autonomous Vehicle Framework will unlock economic growth in the U.S. The conversation begins by examining the current state of autonomous vehicle policy, highlighting the patchwork of regulations at the state level and the stagnation at the federal level. India emphasizes the importance of passing comprehensive federal legislation to unlock the potential of autonomous vehicles, pointing out the safety and economic benefits they could bring to the U.S.The conversation then delves into the political landscape surrounding autonomous vehicle policy. India outlines the challenges faced on both sides of the aisle, including labor union concerns for Democrats and China-related issues for Republicans. She stresses the need for compromise and a balanced approach to move forward to ensure that the United States is not left behind on the development and commercialization of autonomy. In addition to discussing autonomy, Grayson and India touch on other related issues, including the AM radio mandate for vehicles, the role of trial lawyers in shaping policy, and the need for public education on autonomous vehicles. One of those platforms to showcase the future of autonomy is the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) as it serves as a platform for showcasing autonomous vehicle advancements and engaging policymakers.Throughout the episode, both Grayson and India emphasize the economic potential of autonomous vehicles and express frustration at the lack of political will to advance the technology for the benefit of the economy. They call for a more proactive approach from the industry to educate the public and policymakers about the benefits of AVs.Wrapping up the podcast they urge listeners and viewers to recognize the urgency of the situation and the need for immediate progress on autonomous vehicle policy to ensure U.S. competitiveness and that the American public can reap the safety and economic benefits of this transformative technology.Recorded on Tuesday, June 18, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of Autonomous Vehicle and Truck Policy3:57 Autonomy is Good for the Economy6:18 Politicians, Special Interests and the Media11:33 Distracted Driving14:17 Public Trust in Autonomous Vehicles15:37 CES19:19 Geopolitics 31:18 Tort Reform 34:06 AM Radio Mandate40:29 Future of Autonomous Vehicle Policy--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dive into the cutting-edge world of warehouse automation as Josip Cesic, CEO & Co-Founder, Gideon joined The Road to Autonomy Founder Grayson Brulte to discuss the current state and future of this rapidly evolving market. During the conversation they discuss how AI and robotics are revolutionizing supply chain operations, particularly in the realm of autonomous forklifts.Discover why major Fortune 100 companies are doubling down on warehouse automation and learn why it’s no longer reserved for early adopters. Josip explains the driving forces behind this trend, including labor shortages, changing workforce desires, and the quest for operational efficiency.Key highlights include:The $150 billion market opportunityHow AI is enabling end-to-end automation solutionsThe global impact of forklift driver shortages, from Japan to the UKGideon’s partnership with NVIDIA and its implications for the industryInsights on market adoption across different sectorsJosip also addresses the challenges of developing autonomous systems for various applications and why staying focused on solving specific problems is crucial for success. He shares his perspective on the future of warehouse automation, predicting a completely reinvented supply chain landscape within the next decade.Whether you’re interested in robotics, AI, supply chain management, or investment opportunities in emerging technologies, this discussion provides a comprehensive overview of the warehouse automation revolution. Join us as we explore how autonomous forklifts and AI are reshaping the future of logistics and distribution.Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve in one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing sectors in technology and logistics. Watch now to understand the $150 billion revolution that’s transforming warehouses worldwide.Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of Warehouse Automation 4:13 Gideon / NVIDIA Partnership5:23 Robotic Software + Hardware Stacks7:51 Autonomous Forklift Market Size9:08 Venture Capital Investing in Autonomous Forklifts10:46 Consolidation in the Autonomous Forklift Industry 12:09 Future of the Warehouse Automation Market--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Matt Markel, Business Leader, Radar & Autonomy Expert with experience at Waymo and in the defense industry joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the NHTSA mandate requiring AEB (automatic emergency braking) systems in all new light vehicles by 2029 and what impact this mandate will have on the development of autonomous vehicles.While the mandate doesn't specifically require LiDAR, Dr. Markel believes a radar+camera sensor fusion approach will likely be the dominant solution that automakers implement to meet this new regulation. He sees the mandate as a positive for wider adoption of radar, but doubts it will spur major radar technology breakthroughs since full autonomy (SAE Level 4) remains the real driver of sensor advancement.During the conversation, Dr. Markel raised concerns about the potential unintended consequences that the mandate could cause, such an increase in "false alarm" brake activations from the AEB systems detecting non-threats because of interference. If a driver finds the system not to be functioning correctly, the regulation restricts automakers from allowing drivers to disable the AEB system, which could create towing/repair headaches if the system suffers a failure. While the mandate aims to save lives, Dr. Markel argues the safety benefits will be small compared to the potential of full autonomy. He advises autonomy companies to "run their own race" and not be distracted by this regulation from their core SAE L4 missions which offer vastly greater safety upsides.Recorded on Tuesday, June 11, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 NHTSA AEB Mandate4:24 Radar Data Generation9:09 AEB Battery Draw12:49 Integrating Radar into a Vehicle Design 15:15 L3 vs L4 Debate24:26 Is the AEB Mandate a Distraction to L4 Goals?31:59 Unintended Consequences of AEB Mandate41:49 Impact of Slowing EV Sales on AEB Mandate42:57 Key Takeaways --------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™. The company has two businesses: The Road to Autonomy Indices, with Standard and Poor’s Dow Jones Indices as the custom calculation agent; Media, which includes The Road to Autonomy and Autonomy Economy podcasts as well as This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.