NEWS
Race to erase the driver: Testing self-driving cars
Kare 11 | August 2024
Self-driving cars may sound pretty cool, but 81 percent of American consumers have never been in one — and 93 percent of Americans have concerns about it — according to a Forbes Advisor poll out just this year. But what are they actually like on the road? And why are some calling their widespread use "inevitable?" “It's really not a technology problem anymore,” said Phil Magney, owner of VSI Labs headquartered in St. Louis Park. “It's all about how it's implemented.”
Wait! Wasn’t AEB Already Solved?
The Ojo Yoshida Report | May 2024
“The FMVSS No. 127 mandate ‘no longer accepts mitigation and requires vehicles to stop for pedestrians in day and night at speeds up to 45MPH,’ stressed Magney, which poses a tall order for many OEMs.”
Teledyne FLIR Commends NHTSA Ruling for Automatic Emergency Braking Requirement on Passenger Vehicles
Business Wire | May 2024
Automotive thermal cameras, which detect heat energy, can reliably detect and classify pedestrians at distances several times farther than standard light-vehicle headlights can illuminate, as confirmed by research conducted by VSI Labs. In essence, PAEB systems equipped with a thermal camera can detect pedestrians at night and in low visibility conditions at a greater distance, with improved accuracy and at higher vehicle speeds. Better detection accuracy not only enhances safety, but translates into fewer false-positive scenarios, thereby improving reliability.
When to Deploy Autonomous Vehicles?
EE Times | December 2023
When to deploy autonomous vehicles (AVs) is among the most complex and controversial decisions the automotive industry is currently facing. This decision must be made by country regulators, car manufacturers, software developers and transportation service operators.
Where is Cooperative Driving Automation Going?
EE Times | December 2023
Cooperative driving automation provides better driving automation from coordination with other road users and infrastructure for enhanced safety, traffic flow and energy efficiency. This article summarizes the technology’s functionalities and early progress.
Studies Claim Software Drives More Safely Than Humans
EE Times | November 2023
Autonomous vehicle (AV) proponents projected and claimed that AVs will have better safety than human drivers. The argument is based on human crash data caused by risky driving behaviors that software drivers can avoid. Examples are speeding, driving under the influence, distraction and drowsy driving. Risky driving behaviors can contribute to over 50% of human crashes.
How are Robotrucks Doing?
EE Times Europe | November 2023
Advancements in robotaxis and robotrucks are plentiful, but their complexity is such that they are mostly tested with safety drivers. Robotrucks, or autonomous trucks, use a B2B business model. Current technology primarily allows hub-to-hub goods deliveries with several variations. Large freight trucks that travel long-haul highway routes are the leading use case.
Tension Builds As Auto Industry Awaits Reborn ADAS Specs
The Ojo-Yoshida Report | October 2023
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is oft criticized for being too slow and cautious in mandating ADAS technology among its regulations. Worse, it has left too much implementation to voluntary agreements with the auto industry. “This changed on May 31 with NHTSA’s announcement of adding both Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and pedestrian AEB (PAEB) to New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and as Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) regulation,” said Egil Juliussen, principal analyst at VSI Labs.
The Future of ADAS with Egil Juliussen, PhD. VSI Labs
AutoSens | July 2023
In this exclusive White Paper, Egil Juliussen from VSI Labs guides us through what to expect for the future of ADAS. Focusing on AEB and covering major regulation benchmarks, the Paper is a summary of the NPRM mandate including NHTSA's rationale, key features, testing requirements, cost and benefits, and likely deployment time.
What is Needed for Autonomous Vehicle Success?
EE Times | July 2023
The autonomous-vehicle (AV) industry has seen difficult times in the last year, with several companies no longer in business. This indicates that expectations for AVs were too ambitious and overhyped. However, the AV industry has multiple use cases with different needs, technology requirements, developers, users and operational complexity.
NHTSA Takes Most Important ADAS Action So Far
EE Times | June 2023
Automatic emergency braking (AEB) is now the most important advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) product—at least in the U.S. On May 31, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it is adding both AEB and pedestrian AEB (PAEB) to its two main programs for increasing vehicle safety: the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) regulation. The government agency is doing so due to AEB’s potential to prevent many fatalities and mitigate a large number of non-fatal injuries.
AV Use-Cases: What Is Needed for Future Success
EE Times | June 2023
This presentation, delivered at the recent Advanced Automotive Tech Forum, summarizes the status of key AV use-cases: Robotaxis, robotrucks, goods AVs and fixed-flexible route AVs. They all face challenges that need improved technology, more standards and especially deployment regulations that establish what safety levels are required. The AV use-cased, challenges, solutions and regulations have regional variations and different future evolutions. The presentation gives perspectives and opinions on these topics.
Presented by Egil Juliussen, partner & senior analyst, VSI Labs.
FEATURE: Industry outlook – five key challenges for the ADAS and autonomous vehicle sector
Autonomous Vehicle International | May 2023
Dr Egil Juliussen, senior partner and principal analyst at VSI Labs, says innovation is driving down the cost of systems: “Lidar is moving toward a few chips, which will solve price issues. By 2030 it is likely that all AV sensors will cost around US$500 including full camera, radar, lidar and thermal cameras. Lidar is moving to frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW), especially for long-range, and radar is moving to 4D imaging radars, due to feature benefits.”
AEye’s Ultra-Long Range Automated Incident Detection (AID) Solution Wins Best of ITS Award at ITS America
Business Wire | May 2023
AEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIDR), a global leader in adaptive, high-performance lidar solutions, today announced it has been awarded Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s (ITS America) Best of ITS Award for its Ultra-Long Range Automated Incident Detection (AID) project with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and VSI Labs. The three entities partnered to validate that AEye’s 4Sight™ M lidar can provide reliable detection, even in harsh Minnesota winter weather conditions, at 800 meter range – performance that exceeds existing AID application expectations and pushes the baseline standard of ITS safety.
Are We Ready for CAVs?
Crossroads | April 2023
How ready is Minnesota for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs)? Last August, researchers took a four-day, 1,086-mile trip around the state to find out. A newly published report details the team’s findings for transportation professionals and agencies as they consider how to make improvements to our transportation infrastructure for automated vehicles and driving. Staff from CTS, VSI Labs, Bolton & Menk, and project sponsor MnDOT piloted two research CAVs in “dark mode,” which disables automated driving features and gives full control to people. This allows onboard systems to focus entirely on data collection.
Heat-Sensing Tech Could Fill Pedestrian Safety Gap In Auto Braking Systems
Forbes | October 2022
Teledyne FLIR and VSI Labs worked together in 2019 to advance the use of thermal cameras to develop a visible-radar thermal infused AEB system that would work better at night.
In 2020 testing at the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti, Mich., its fused thermal AEB system was successful in 25 of 25 tests at “effectively preventing pedestrian injury” with only two instances where the vehicle contacted, but did not knock down the soft pedestrian targets, according to a company summary.
'Road Safety for All' Raises Stakes for Automakers
The Ojo-Yoshida Report | June 2022
“Up until now, all anyone really cared about was the vehicle’s ability to keep from hitting other vehicles,” said Phil Magney, founder and president of VSI Labs. “The requirement for special detectors which have not been the priority” are now table stakes “for automakers to get a good safety rating,” he noted.
NI Deploys Vehicle Fleet for ADAS Research, Improved Workflow and Data Management
Business Wire | May 2022
The vehicles are equipped with the high-performance in-vehicle data recording and storage solution from NI and Seagate Technology, with integration services from ADAS experts Konrad Technologies and VSI Labs. The collaboration further enables a connected workflow by combining best-in-class technologies across the global ecosystem.
AEye Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Results
Business Wire | March 2022
AEye established new lidar industry performance standards for range, rate, and resolution in performance specification tests monitored, validated, and published by VSI Labs, one of the nation’s leading independent evaluators of active safety and automated vehicle technologies.
Driving Toward a Zero-Emission Future
Comstock’s Magazine | March 2022
The California Mobility Center held its first public viewing on March 17 for the Ramp-Up Factory, a facility devoted to the commercialization of low-emission mobility technology. The date marked the first-year anniversary of commercial operations for CMC, a partnership between SMUD, Sacramento State, UC Davis and the City of Sacramento modeled after a similar mobility hub led by PEM Motion in Aachen, Germany.
Imaging Sensors Key to Effective AEB, Says Teledyne FLIR
The Brake Report | February 2022
To demonstrate the value of thermal integration within existing AEB technology, Teledyne FLIR went to the American Center for Mobility in Michigan in 2019 to conduct testing of an AEB system developed with VSI Labs. The system combines thermal imaging, visible imaging, and radar (known as RGBT+ radar). Through the testing, Teledyne FLIR found this combination to represent the most effective and affordable mix of sensors available today to greatly improve AEB systems, especially at night and other common conditions including sun glare.
Owl's 3D Thermal Imaging Tech Raises $15m
Imaging & Machine Vision Europe | January 2022
The company recently completed field trials in conjunction with VSI Labs on the streets of Las Vegas, during CES 2022. Owl will be showing its field trial results along with live demonstrations at this week's Photonics West conference in San Francisco at the Luminate booth – Owl was part of the 2021 Luminate Accelerator programme in Rochester, NY.
Experts Debrief OESA Members on Recent CES Highlights in EVs and Autonomy
Foley & Lardner LLP | January 2022
Last week OESA hosted a CES debrief session with two industry experts. The presentations featured Gary Silberg, the automotive lead at KPMG, and Phil Magney and Danny Kim from VSI Labs, which conducts field research on ADAS, autonomous, and other vehicle technologies, including some onsite demonstrations at CES. All speakers shared interesting observations to guide players in the electrified mobility and infrastructure (EV) space in 2022.
2022 CES Automotive Trends and News with VSI’s Phil Magney
OESA Automotive Insiders | January 2022
Tune in to the latest OESA Automotive Insiders hosted by Jason Stein. This week’s podcast focused on the key automotive trends and lessoned at this year’s CES. Stein interviewed Phil Magney, President and Founder of VSI Labs to get the important take-aways for the automotive industry.
AEye and Seoul Robotics Deliver Groundbreaking Adaptive Long-range Perception Solution for Intelligent Traffic Systems
Business Wire | October 2021
Built on AEye’s award-winning iDAR platform, 4Sight M is an intelligent, adaptive, high-performance, and solid-state LiDAR that tailors its output to application-specific requirements. It’s also the first and only LiDAR solution whose performance has been independently verified by a reputable third-party testing organization. Active safety and automated vehicle technologies researcher VSI Labs has confirmed and published the 4Sight M’s breakthrough range, resolution, and speed capabilities.
The Midwest's Leading Medical Device and Advanced Manufacturing Event Returns to Minneapolis In-Person This Fall
Business Wire | October 2021
Advanced Manufacturing Minneapolis, the Midwest's only annual end-to-end design & manufacturing event organized by Informa Markets – Engineering, today announced the event's return to the Minneapolis Convention Center for the 2021 edition taking place November 3-4 with an impressive roster of industry partners in tow including SMTA International, VSI Labs, Sterilization Packaging Manufacturers Council (SPMC), and University of Minnesota.
State-of-the-Art Vehicle to Drive CAV Research
Crossroads | September 2021
One such partner is Minnesota-based VSI Labs, who will work with the MnCAV Ecosystem to develop instructional material for researchers and students to better understand the building blocks of CAV systems. VSI will also develop software and provide access to its own automated vehicle to facilitate research and demonstrations focused on vehicle platooning, which requires two fully automated vehicles.
DesignCon 2021: An in-depth look at an autonomous test vehicle
AI Business | September 2021
In this interview from the show floor, VSI Labs president Phil Magney shows Chuck Martin, editorial director at Informa Tech his team's R&D car – complete with LiDAR, antennas, and sensor suites.
AEye Establishes New Benchmark for LiDAR Performance with 1000 Meter Range in Rain, Behind Windshield Glass
Yahoo Finance | July 2021
AEye, Inc., ("AEye") the global leader in adaptive, high-performance LiDAR solutions, today announced its LiDAR sensor - already known for extreme long-range capabilities - has achieved yet another milestone: 1000 meter range in rain, behind windshield glass. The test was performed at the American Center for Mobility (ACM) test track in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with results verified by active safety and automated vehicle technologies researcher, VSI Labs.
Can ADAS Aid Us on a Dark and Stormy Night?
Junko Yoshida // Medium | July 2021
Demonstrations/presentations offered by technology suppliers at the “Destination ACM” event last month in Detroit made clear that the next frontier in the race to autonomy is all about technologies that can improve perception and expand operational design domain (ODD), said Phil Magney, founder and president of VSI Labs. In his opinion, advancements in perception hold the key to steadily improve ADAS, “which will last over the next 20 to 25 years.”
Thermal Cameras are the New Eyes for Automated Driving Features
AXIOS | June 2021
Adding thermal sensors could greatly improve pedestrian safety in these situations, as recent tests performed by VSI Labs, a technical advisor to self-driving car developers found.
GNSS in the Fast Lane: Meeting Autonomous Vehicle Navigation Challenges
GPS World | June 2021
The advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is one of three revolutions in the automotive industry that will likely change this country as much as cars did over the last century. The other two are the conversion from internal combustion engines to electric ones and the integration of cars into digital traffic networks.
The New Era in Mapping: Maps For Machines By Machines
Crunchbase | May 2021
2021 is already a watershed year in the evolution toward semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles. According to analyst firm VSI Labs, at least 15 top automakers have either started producing or plan to produce vehicles with some level of autonomy baked in, from “hands-off” to “eyes-off” driving.
Radar Safety Warning: ‘Don’t Cross the Streams’
EE Times | April 2021
“Worst case scenario would be fatalities caused by radar interference. There is already a heightened use of filtering against false positives in the radar stack today, regardless of the root cause,” noted VSI Labs founder and president Phil Magney.
Autonomous Cars Visit Eastern Iowa on Trek Across Country
KCRG | April 2021
A couple of autonomous vehicles made their way into Eastern Iowa today on their way from the Twin Cities down to Texas. The cars are used solely for research and development of self-driving technology and safety features. The company behind the wheel is VSI Labs. Leaders there told us they have complete control of the vehicles at all times on the road.
Coast to Coast: How VSI Labs is Validating ADAS Technology in the Real World
Autovision News | April 2021
VSI Labs is on the road again as part of its ongoing Automated Drive Series, a succession of quarterly, coast-to-coast driving initiatives that test and validate different ADAS technologies. This time around, VSI Labs is embarking on the southern portion of the Automated Drive Series, a 2,500-mile trek from Minneapolis, Minnesota (the home of VSI Labs) to Austin, Texas. The vehicles being driven by the VSI Labs team are equipped with a full stack of sensors, including visible cameras, thermal imaging, LiDAR, radar, and precision localization.
Trimble Joins VSI Labs in Autonomous Vehicle Research
GPS World | April 2021
Trimble and VSI Labs have formed an alliance, with Trimble serving as the GNSS precise positioning supplier for VSI’s autonomous research vehicle program. The alliance officially kicked off in March at Destination ACM, a long-distance driving event for VSI’s research vehicle that continues with additional events throughout the year.
AEye 4Sight Long-Range Lidar Gives Continental More Complete Vision
DesignNews | April 2021
The testing, which was supervised by VSI Labs, showed the lidar spotting a Chevrolet Bolt and a Sprinter van at a distance of 1,018 meters while parked at the opposite end of a runway. Maybe more surprisingly, the lidar could also make out the numbering on the surface of the runway too.
4 Top Software Stocks To Watch In April 2021
Nasdaq | April 2021
Despite its current gains, Trimble does not seem to be slowing down any time soon. Indeed, the company has been hard at work bolstering its operations on the 5G and automotive fronts. Firstly, Trimble unveiled its first dual-frequency timing module, providing 5G networks with 5-nanosecond accuracy. Furthermore, the company is also currently working with autonomous vehicle (AV) research firm VSI Labs. Trimble is mainly supplying spatial orientation tech to VSI Labs in this partnership.
Trimble Named GNSS Positioning Technology Supplier for VSI Labs Autonomous Vehicle Research Program
PR Newswire | March 2021
Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today an alliance with autonomous vehicle research firm VSI Labs. Trimble will serve as the GNSS precise-positioning and orientation technology supplier for VSI's autonomous research vehicle program. The alliance officially kicks off at Destination ACM, a long-distance driving event that leverages VSI's research vehicle and continues with additional events throughout 2021.
Lidar Sweepstakes Draws 15 RFQs, But No Frontrunner
EE Times | March 2021
Phil Magney, head of VSI Labs, told EE Times, “We found it incredible to see a lidar detecting an object at a kilometer away. We’ve never seen anything like that.”
Comparing lidars against other sensors for highway autonomy, Magney said the problem is that “cameras don’t really see that far. Anything that comes from a camera is an estimate.” What about radar? “Well, radar is great but is really lousy at lateral positioning.” Lidar, however, “is an instrument that gives you a precise value on” what it sees.
Lidar Startup AEye Develops an Independently Verified 1,000 Meter Range Lidar Sensor for Autonomous Vehicles
Future Car | March 2021
The 1,000 meter detection range was independently validated by VSI Labs, one of the nation's leading independent evaluators. The company is one of the auto industry's top advisors on autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies, supporting major automotive companies and suppliers worldwide.
AEye’s Active Lidar Achieves Impressive Results in Tests Carried Out by VSI Labs
Autonomous Vehicle International | March 2021
AEye Inc has set a new benchmark for lidar capabilities during performance specification tests carried out on the runway of a Californian airport by VSI Labs, a leading independent automated vehicle technology evaluator and advisor.
EE Times Presents: Roadmap to Next-Gen EV & AV
EE Times | February 2021
Phil Magney, founder of VSI Labs, explains how best to combine sensors — each of which might not be perfect on its own — to get better results.
Recogni to Push out High TOPS AI Chip to AV’s Very Edge
EE Times | February 2021
Phil Magney, founder and president of VSI Labs, observed, “We are seeing a lot of innovation right now aimed at improving the ML vision pipeline for ADAS and AD applications. This applies to both the training and inference models.”
The Fusion Project Works To Accelerate Data Management For Connected And Autonomous Vehicles
Airbiquity | February 2021
“Automakers are constantly challenged with implementing complex technologies such as those required for the next phase of advanced ADAS and autonomous vehicle features,” said Phil Magney, Founder and President of VSI Labs, and former Co-Founder of the Telematics Research Group. “There are many facets to a next-generation data management technology stack that continuously improves and deploys AI machine learning models, so automakers need a vehicle-to-cloud solution like the one created by The Fusion Project that leverages key technologies from across the automotive ecosystem.”
Fusion Project Speeds Car-to-Cloud AI Training
EE Times | February 2021
Phil Magney, founder and president of VSI Labs, described the Fusion Project as “a good reference architecture for the cloud-to-car technologies involved in developing, deploying, and maintaining AI-based ADAS and AD driving applications.”
Teledyne Acquires Flir in $8 Billion Cash and Stock Deal
EE Times | January 2021
Phil Magney, founder and president of VSI Labs, told EE Times, “It appears that Flir fills a gap in the Teledyne portfolio especially when it comes to low-cost thermal detectors.”