A new study conducted by Swiss Re, one of the world’s leading reinsurers, has shown that Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are significantly safer than those driven by humans. Waymo partnered with Swiss Re in 2022 to advance risk assessment methodologies and evaluate the safety of autonomous vehicles.
The study compares Waymo’s liability claims data with calibrated baselines established by Swiss Re using private passenger vehicle data. Waymo’s autonomous vehicles drove over 3.8 million miles without a human behind the steering wheel, resulting in zero bodily injury claims and a significant reduction in property damage claims. This data, combined with Swiss Re’s extensive claims and mileage exposure data, demonstrates the safety of autonomous vehicles compared to human drivers.
Phononic, a global leader in sustainable solid-state cooling, has announced a strategic supply agreement with Luminar, an automotive technology company. This agreement will provide thermoelectric cooling devices and related engineering services to Luminar, ensuring the availability of reliable and high-performance cooling solutions for Luminar’s LiDAR systems.
Luminar’s LiDAR systems, which are already integrated into multiple OEM passenger vehicles, use high-performance laser emitters and receivers to determine the distance and type of objects ahead of a vehicle. To ensure optimal performance, consistent temperature control is required, even in extreme automotive environmental conditions. Phononic’s thermoelectric technology enables them to deliver high-performance cooling that meets demanding automotive OEM standards.
ZEEKR, a global mobility technology brand, has launched a major over-the-air update for its ZEEKR 001 electric vehicle. This update introduces new, highly automated driving assistance features built on the Mobileye SuperVision platform. The Navigation ZEEKR Pilot (NZP) driving assistant system uses 11 cameras and a front radar to provide point-to-point automated highway navigation, lane changes, automated on/off-ramp assist, and intelligent traffic safety functions.
The NZP system, powered by Mobileye’s advanced AI and machine learning technology, can react similarly to a human driver in everyday driving scenarios. It can sense speed limit changes, merge into traffic, and navigate construction zones and other road hazards with an appropriate safety margin. The system will first be available in Shanghai and Hangzhou, with more cities to be added later.
Overall, these advancements in autonomous and self-driving vehicle technology are driving the industry towards safer and more efficient transportation. Waymo’s proven safety record, Phononic’s supply agreement with Luminar, and ZEEKR’s over-the-air update are all significant steps forward in realizing the potential of autonomous vehicles.
Sources:
– Waymo and Swiss Re Partner to Advance Risk Assessment of Autonomous Vehicles (Waymo)
– Phononic Announces Strategic Supply Agreement with Luminar (Phononic)
– ZEEKR Launches New, Highly Automated Driving Assistance Features with Mobileye SuperVision (ZEEKR)