Intel, the company that has dominated the computer processor market for decades, has just made a play to enter the autonomous driving game in a major way. Intel plans to purchase vehicle sensor company Mobileye for a reported $15.3 billion.
While Intel had previously invested in multiple companies within the self-driving space, the purchase of Mobileye is a huge investment.
Mobileye currently works with more than two dozen vehicle manufacturers, supplying both software and hardware used for driver-assist systems and autonomous driving.
A large portion of Mobileye’s current business is catered toward commercial vehicles, especially safety systems on heavy trucks. According to their website, their advanced driver-assist systems use sensors to scan the road and issue forward collision warnings, safe follow distance warnings, lane departure warnings, and more.
Intel’s purchase of Mobileye may signal that the company’s systems for fully autonomous vehicles will be here sooner than expected. The development of the driverless vehicle is tied closely to artificial intelligence, an area where Intel has plenty of experience.
In the autonomous driving world, it’s a race to see who can be the first to develop a fully autonomous vehicle. And Intel just placed a $15.3 billion bet that it will be them.
Source: nytimes, gobytrucknews, truckinginfo, intelandmobileye, cnbc, fortune
Image source: intel press kit
Rufus Crank says
I dont understand why autonomous tech cant be focused on jobs humans cant do instead of destroying jobs we can do. Is it so detrimental to the corporate enclave that humans need to work to survive?
Les Gvt says
because when you are on welfare you are at the mercy of the government- and that is the whole idea
Anthony says
This has disaster written all over it…THey can claim to have all the safe guards in place, but all it’s going to take is for one hacker to hack the system, and there will be a disaster on the interstate!!
Don says
true, though given the level of maintenance on current trucks and the continued failure of systems to work properly, I’m concerned about maintenance on these automated vehicles and finding enough qualified techs to maintain them.
Ed says
This will see itself through to completion, this race to make vehicles autonomous. In the meantime, all this talk about it is just causing people to stop considering truck driving a career anymore. Personally, I like driving. I’ve been at it for over 20 years. I’m all for systems that recover a vehicle if the driver is impaired or unconscious. I’m for the end of vehicle crashes altogether, but in our lifetimes, there will remain the need for people in the truck for fueling, maintenance, loading, unloading, and customer service. And there still is no computer, AI, or deep learning, that can replicate the reactions that an experienced driver can make. This technology will continue forward because there is money in it. But these dreamers who think that they will completely replace a human with this, well, are in for a lesson in trucking. It’s just not going to happen.
Ian says
I just imagine the Litigators ripping the companies that own a fully self driving Truck to shreds in court, when a car run into its back? Can you imagine pulling the Code in court and finding a aggression algorithm in the software? Millions will be paid in damages, and companies will no longer buy them
Kevin says
Wrecked Cars, Wrecked Employment and Wrecked Lives…This is what will happen!
Les Gvt says
I still want to see one of these things fuel themselves or air up their tire
Wendall says
They will automate the fueling process as well.
Terry Barron says
The Social sercurity system is broke and out of money. With robots now doing work that is replacing workers who pay into the system. Now with robots doing the work without paying into the the system and not paying taxes! If we are going to have robots then I think they should pay taxes at wage of what the worker would have been paying! With the robots paying into the system this will fund Social Sercurity for decades! Sound fair to me!! I think we should be able to purchase a robot for hire and have a team of them that I would be 100% responsible for and I get paid for the work they do!! Then I would pay the taxes just like it is an employee!!!
Dave says
I cant imagine that HAZMAT loads will ever be self driving. But then again, I never thought we would see any commercial vehicle self drive. Think about weather conditions that a self driving vehicle will have to adapt to. Black ice, high winds, fog, etc. I can see law suits out the wazoo here.
Bendicks Wingnut says
I have had the misfortune of driving a truck with Collision mitigation equipment an adaptive cruise control. With all that technology I would have slowed to 0 miles per hour in heavy traffic without ignoring the beeps and bulldogging my way through. An autonomous truck would have to deal with all those parameters the slow lane will be bumper to bumper tractor trailers at a standstill.
shrinkwrap says
People are using self serve checkouts in stores eliminating the need for low wage cashiers.
People are using self serve menu boards in fast food restaurants lowering the number of workers because the owners don’t want to pay $12.00 – $15.00 an hour.
People are using debit and credit cards eliminating the need for Brinks drivers handling cash.
People are using sites like amazon to buy things that are a bit cheaper from there almost totally automated warehouses, thereby eliminating the need for employees at these places and of course causing the brick and mortars to revise how they do business, which of course their aim will be to eliminate labor costs.
Uber and others are working on self driving cars so that a paid taxi driver won’t be needed.
Self driving heavy equipment in places like the Athabasca Tar Sands (think Keystone pipeline) eliminating good paying jobs.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/oilsands-workers-worry-driverless-trucks-will-haul-away-their-jobs-1.3832921
Sony now makes cameras in a computerized factory and got rid of 90% of their employees. Others are following their lead.
This is different than when cars replaced the buggy. Automotive created millions of more jobs than ‘buggy whip’ makers could ever have dreamed of and lifted the well being of everyone in off shoot jobs (construction etc.,)
Any good paying jobs that aren’t automated are outsourced to the cheapest wage country that can be found.
As the Billionaire Nick Hanauer obviously point out, “If no ones working, it won’t matter how cheaply you make something, no one will have money to pay for it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1b_Q1lprAk
Derek says
I think in the big picture, long term, it is always positive find ways to get something done with less man hours. This is what will in time increase the standard of living, because everything can be made / delivered with less need for as many workers. Unfortunately, there will be growing pains as the world adjusts, and I think the middle class will fall even more before it gets better, but in the end I think it will be better.
Fawn Marie Linschoten-Gammelgard says
Ai takeover simply another creation of the “useless eaters” set up for culling! Yes indeed the ill, physically and mentally challenged will be targeted. Of course conservative Christians and Patriots are now labeled as terrorists. Evil destruction of the human race moves forward at the luxury of a few. Judgement will come soon from God the Father , Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Please take a moment to repent and be Saved.