Intel bringing autonomous safety systems to trucking
$15.3 billion Mobileye acquisition raises concerns
Technology can improve lives.
Sometimes, it can even save lives.
Silicon Valley heavyweight Intel declared its intention to make roadways safer on March 13, when it acquired Mobileye, considered among the industry leaders in collision avoidance systems. The deal is worth a reported $15.3 billion.
Based in Israel, Mobileye has its long-term sights set on self-driving vehicles for the massive passenger-car market. But in the immediate future, Intel will deploy Mobileye crash-avoidance systems in the trucking industry.
Trucking Collisions
Commercial truckers criss-cross every corner of North America, logging millions of miles a year.
When semis crash, valuable cargo is lost, property is damaged or destroyed and lives are lost or permanently changed.
Even the smallest improvements in safety can mean the difference between life and death.
According to the Kentucky Transportation Center, 7,442 collision occurred involving trucks in 2012.
Of those, 70 accidents were fatal.
Mobileye believes its anti-collision systems can reduce accidents by 60 percent. The technology warns drivers of impending collisions on highways and city streets, not to mention lane departure and tailgaiting.
Mobileye's acquisition by Intel comes on the heels of a red-hot 2016, in which Mobileye reportedly doubled its after-market business.
What Mobileye Aims to Do
Take, for example, Kansas-based YRC Worldwide. The parent company of Holland, YRC installed the Mobileye 560 Advanced Driver Assistance System in 4,000 vehicles in its fleet.
Here's how it works: The Mobileye 560 attaches to the front windshield. With its camera trained on the roadway, it captures a digital snapshot of the current road conditions, including traffic signals and other vehicles.
Mobileye detects obstacles and other hazards in the roadway using its unique sensor system. If impact is near, the system will automatically apply the vehicle's brakes.
Another YRC subsidiary, New Penn Motor Express, upgraded 750 of its vehicles with the Mobileye 560.
YRC isn't the only player in the trucking game to bet on Mobileye.
The Bendix Wingman Fusion system, developed by Mobileye and Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, is already in use in Navistar, Volvo and Kenworth vehicles. The Mobileye System-on-Chip EyeQ processor enables a fully automated safety and braking system.
But is all of this too much too soon?
In few short years, self-driving cars have gone from a science-fiction fantasy to a reality, with Google and others testing prototype vehicles on the open roads. Cars with self-parking features are becoming commonplace.
Perhaps, autonomous safety systems take too much control away from drivers.
When an autonomous system is faced with a choice between running into a group of pedestrians or striking another vehicle head-on, which will it choose?
The number of test cases is simply too small for any regulatory bodies to keep up with the pace of advancement.
No System is 100% Safe
One thing is certain. Intel is betting on big growth in the autonomous vehicles market, which it predicts will rise to $70 billion over the next 13 years.
Intel and Mobileye are already developing self-driving cars for BMW with a target date of 2021.
In the meantime, trucking companies are continuing to invest in collision-avoidance technology.
Mobileye 6 Series Collision Avoidance Systems will reportedly be installed in Mitsubishi Fuso's 2017 FG and FE mid-duty trucks. The company already provides its technology to Volkswagen Group.
No safety system is 100 percent effective. If you've been injured in an accident with a big rig or other commercial vehicle, contact the trucking attorneys at Dallas & Turner. Our team of expert semi accident attorneys will provide a free evaluations and consultation.
James Ryan Turner, Experienced Injury Lawyer in Florence, KY
We can only hope that autonomous vehicles can reduce trucking accidents and injuries, but no system is 100% safe. If you have been injured by a truck outfitted with crash-avoidance or autonomous technology, give us a call today for a FREE consultation.