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Jaguar Aims to Make Autonomous Cars Drive More Like Humans

Self-driving cars may represent an important achievement in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics, but one car manufacturer is hoping to develop new technologies that could help these autonomous machines drive less like robots and more like, well, humans.

British automotive company Jaguar Land Rover is taking part in a new research project, dubbed MOVE-UK, to foster the development of safer and more effective autonomous cars. The initiative aims to study how human drivers behave in real-life situations, such as when roads are congested, when weather is bad or when routes are diverted because of construction.

“Customers are much more likely to accept highly automated and fully autonomous vehicles if the car reacts in the same way as the driver,” Wolfgang Epple, director of research and technology for Jaguar Land Rover, said in a statement. “By understanding and measuring positive driving behaviors, we can ensure that an autonomous Jaguar of Land Rover of the future will not simply perform a robotic function.” [Photos: The Robotic Evolution of Self-Driving Cars].

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Japan Airlines introduces robot customer service agent at Tokyo Airport

I knew this was coming. Customer agent robots in Japan’s airports coming soon. Next will be baggage handlers, flight attendants, and maybe a co-pilot. Not totally sold on a robot captain besides FAA, NTSB, HHS has to approve that one.


Description: ‘Nao’ offers flight, airport information in three languages, Author: Ray Montgomery — TravelMole Media Group LLC, Publish Date: 10 February 2016, Image:, Category: Travel News.

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Researcher aims to engineer spray paint that can soak up sun’s elusive energy

Now, that’s a concept! Spray paint from a can that harnesses solar energy. Imagine, you can spray paint windows, patio tables, your car, a bike, etc. with Solar Spray Paint in a can; and watch your gadgets get charged. It is almost like the “Computer Screen in the Can” idea that I had last week. Geez, wonder if she could partner with me on that concept?


Researcher aims to engineer spray paint that can convert sun’s elusive energy to electricity.

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Tesla says its new Summon technology can save lives

Last month, Tesla Motors introduced the “Summon” feature in its 7.1 software update which allows its cars to enter or exit parking spots or garages without the driver in the car.

On Monday, in a blog post titled “Enhancing Safety and Convenience with Summon”, Tesla outlined three reasons why it believes the Summon feature will push automotive safety and convenience forward.

“While many of (the new features from the update) move the ball forward toward a safer autonomous future,” Tesla said in the blog post, “none is more significant than the remote parking technology known as Summon.”

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New algorithm improves speed and accuracy of pedestrian detection

What if computers could recognize objects as well as the human brain could? Electrical engineers at the University of California, San Diego have taken an important step toward that goal by developing a pedestrian detection system that performs in near real-time (2−4 frames per second) and with higher accuracy (close to half the error) compared to existing systems. The technology, which incorporates deep learning models, could be used in “smart” vehicles, robotics and image and video search systems.

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