A world where everything is automated should be perfectly safe, in theory. In this reality, vehicles travel along predisposed channels and factories run themselves, bringing the potential for collisions, congestion, and other incidents very close to zero. We don’t live in that world, however, and so long as people are around, robots will have to act accordingly.
A group of researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have devised a new way for machines and humans to coexist, and it comes in the form of a pedestrian detection system that is much more precise than those being used today. Developed at the university’s Statistical Visual Computing Lab, the technology has a variety of applications, the most notable of which is helping self-driving cars see more clearly.
While conventional pedestrian detection systems scan everything in the vehicle’s path for people, the UCSD team’s design leans on cascade detection, which automatically cuts out areas that it can easily recognize as empty — the sky, for example. Then, a unique algorithm scans person-like shapes such as trees, using deep learning and complex pattern recognition to eliminate false alerts.
Because the system only has to focus on small detection windows, it can spot people at a rate of 2 to 4 frames per second (near real-time), resulting in much greater accuracy and response time overall. According to the engineers behind the project, their versions make half as many mistakes as are made on the road right now.
As of now, the system can only recognize one type of object at a time, so there’s a long way to go before it’s ready for production. That being said, the groundwork has been laid, and eventually, the UCSD team could revolutionize pedestrian detection in cars.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.