[Nfbc-sj] AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN THE BAY AREA
Adrian Rodriguez
arodriguez at cs.stanford.edu
Thu Dec 6 15:50:37 PST 2018
Hi everyone,
My name is Adrian Rodriguez and I’m a former NFB Illinois scholar and a new member of the San Jose chapter. I also believe I may be an ideal representative for us in this matter.
I’m a legally blind computer scientist at Stanford University— I graduated from the School of Engineering in 2016 and I currently work as a research engineer at the School of Medicine. Moreover, I recently founded a company called Group Theory whose goal is to create novel computer interfaces and digital careers for the blind and visually impaired. Here’s a clip from an interview <https://twitter.com/AtlanticLIVE/status/1060615539490414592> I recently did for The Atlantic if you’re curious about our work.
Though I'm not personally affiliated with Waymo, I specialize in Human-Computer Interaction for the blind, and I’ve collaborated with Google in the past. My impression is that Alphabet’s companies do have open channels with blind users. You may recall this video of Waymo’s first blind user <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_d3MCkIvg8> from 2016. Of course, we all know that this kind of coverage rarely translates to impact. So we should definitely make as much noise as possible.
That being said, I’d be happy to ask my friends at Google about their pilot and/or represent us in any arena at any time.
Please let mw know how I can help.
Best,
Adrian
> On Dec 6, 2018, at 1:59 PM, Timothy Elder <telder at trelegal.com> wrote:
>
> All,
>
> I’ve been participating in some of the AV hearings at the California PUC. My understanding is that Waymo is looking at some of these issues, including being able to honk the horn from the app to locate the vehicle for boarding. I still think someone should go to the event and represent our interests and promote the organization. Maybe this can be leveraged into getting our local chapter members into the testing program on the street before it is commercially available in California, not likely for another year at least. Kevin, Kyle and anyone else who wants to attend, can you coordinate with John Pare <> <>and Anil Lewis from the national office to ensure we are giving a consistent message? They can probably give you guide points on what to emphasize at the event.
>
>
>
> Timothy Elder
> Attorney
> TRE Legal Practice
> 1155 Market Street, Tenth Floor
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>
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> From: nfbc-sj-bounces at nfbcal.org <nfbc-sj-bounces at nfbcal.org> On Behalf Of Kevin Andrews
> Sent: Thursday, December 6, 2018 12:34 PM
> To: NFB San Jose/Silicon Valley Chapter <nfbc-sj at nfbcal.org>
> Subject: Re: [Nfbc-sj] AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN THE BAY AREA
>
> I hear you there. If it was earlier in the week it might be tougher for me to scoot out of work before 5 as that is one of our busiest times with exams next week, but Thursday should be okay. I do plan on taking the light rail or Caltrain--whatever makes sense with time. I actually think it might be better to do that over Uber/Lyft because traffic is probably garbage at that time. Others including Kyle, let me know if you end up deciding to go. Thanks.
>
> On Thu, Dec 6, 2018 at 12:32 PM Kyle Garcia <kgarcia2432 at gmail.com <mailto:kgarcia2432 at gmail.com>> wrote:
> Thanks Kevin. Unless I can move my final (which really I probably can, it's more so do I want to) then I won't be able to attend. I will definitely think about it as the topic of autonomous vehicles definitely interests me.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 6, 2018, 12:09 PM Kevin Andrews <kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com <mailto:kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com>> wrote:
> I echo the concerns that both Santiago and Kyle have raised. Pasted below for your convenience, directly from the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce website:
>
> Name: Forum on Self-Driving Cars
> Date: December 13, 2018
> Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM PST
> Event Description:
> Waymo, formerly the Google self-driving car project, has been developing this technology since 2009. These vehicles should be familiar to residents of
> Mountain View and surrounding communities with Waymo testing in the area for many years. Now, hear from the Waymo local policy and technical teams about
> their test program and others insights on what’s next for Waymo at a community forum at the Historic Adobe Building. The presentation will include question
> and answer, plus a chance to view a Waymo vehicle up close.
> Location:
> Historic Adobe Building
> 157 N Moffett Blvd, Mountain View
>
> Street parking available at 157 Moffett Blvd and 100 Santa Rosa Ave.
> Public Transit: Across from Mountain View Caltrain/VTA Transit Center
> Date/Time Information:
> Thursday, December 13, 2018
> 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
> Fees/Admission:
> Free
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 6, 2018 at 12:04 PM Santiago H <santiago.blue.hernandez at gmail.com <mailto:santiago.blue.hernandez at gmail.com>> wrote:
> Definitely. Another possible issue I think we’ll experience if not addressed soon is knowing where the driverless car is parked when requesting a ride, especially for those of us with no usable sight. Not to mention, knowing which driverless car is picking up which passenger will also pose its challenges. A visual image of the vehicle would not help us much. It’s important to have some sort of communication with someone who can provide the feedback to the appropriate department within Waymo.
>
>
>
>
> On Dec 6, 2018, at 11:58 AM, Kyle Garcia <kgarcia2432 at gmail.com <mailto:kgarcia2432 at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> I would love to attend, but I'm guessing it will be in the evening and I have a final from 4 to 7pm. If it happens to he mod day then I will try to attend. This seems to be the newest article that mentions the meeting, so I'm not sure where to find out exact location or time of it. .
>
> Hopefully Kevin can attend, it would be great to have somebody representing the blind there. With driverless cars quickly approaching a regular reality our ability to interact with them will be key to avoidance of accidents or at minimum awkward situations where neither party knows what the other one is doing. At least we can assume that a sighted driver will see us and stop or get out of our way.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 6, 2018, 9:17 AM Kevin Andrews <kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com <mailto:kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com>> wrote:
> I have all intentions of going up there. Anyone know what time this thing is at? It is important we have our voices heard. We might also get somebody from the city there and we can talk to them about getting involved.
>
> On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 12:22 PM Brian Buhrow <buhrow at nfbcal.org <mailto:buhrow at nfbcal.org>> wrote:
> hello. Below is a story from the San Jose Mercury News about Waymo's
> plans to begin testing fully driverless cars in Bay Area cities in the next
> few months. Mountain View is supposed to be holding a public hearing
> regarding Waymo's plans on December 13 of this year. that's a week from
> tomorrow, thursday the 13th. I can't be at that meeting, but I think we
> should have a representative there. I'm excited by the possibility of
> being able to use an autonomous vehicle, but I'm a bit frightened at the
> prospect of being a pedestrian interacting with a car that has no driver. I
> really want to know how they behave, how to know when the thing is about to
> take off, stop, turn, etc. While I can't see, I often use hand gestures to
> signal to drivers what my intentions are. that helps them know what I'm
> doing. And, in many cases, if there's confusion, the driver will roll down
> their window and we'll chat to get things straightened out. I realize
> these are issues that sighted drivers and pedestrians will have to deal
> with as well, but I think Waymo and other companies should know we're here.
> For example, I read a story about the driverless testing going on in Texas,
> referenced in the article below, where the solution to pedestrian confusion
> about what the cars were doing was to put an LED display on the front of
> the vehicle with messages about what the car wanted. For example, if the
> car was waiting for a pedestrian to cross in front of it, it would put up a
> sign saying it was waiting for pedestrian crossing. Such a solution
> wouldn't work in my case, nor other blind pedestrians who might be
> traveling near these vehicles.
> In any case, if anyone can get to this meeting in Mountain view next
> week, I'd be very interested in knowing what they have to say. Even
> better, if it gets us some contacts in Waymo, that would be awesome!
>
> -thanks
> -Brian
>
>
> https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/11/27/is-silicon-valley-ready-for-fully-autonomous-waymo-vehicles/ <https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/11/27/is-silicon-valley-ready-for-fully-autonomous-waymo-vehicles/>
>
>
>
> Is Silicon Valley ready for fully autonomous Waymo vehicles?
>
> By Levi Sumagaysay | lsumagaysay at bayareanewsgroup.com <mailto:lsumagaysay at bayareanewsgroup.com> | Bay Area News
> Group
> PUBLISHED: November 27, 2018 at 5:30 am | UPDATED: November 27, 2018 at
> 10:34 am
>
> Waymo, the first company to get approval from the Department of Motor
> Vehicles to test fully self-driving vehicles on California roads, faces
> questions and concerns galore as it prepares to roll out the cars in
> Silicon Valley.
>
> For example, what happens if one of its vehicles -- which won't have a
> driver behind the wheel -- gets into an accident?
>
> The self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, equipped with a two-way
> cellular communication link, will notify Waymo's fleet-response
> specialists. Those specialists will call 911 if needed. Then Waymo will
> send a response team to help passengers and first responders on the
> scene.
>
> That's what Waymo has shared on its website and with police, including
> officers in Los Altos, one of the cities where the company will be
> doing the testing.
>
> "Waymo has been very proactive and very cognizant of community
> concerns," said Captain Scott McCrossin of the Los Altos Police
> Department.
> Waymo will test fully driverless vehicles in the Silicon Valley cities
> within the blue area marked in this map. The company got DMV approval
> in October, but it has not indicated publicly when testing will begin.
> (Courtesy Waymo)
>
> Waymo first talked to Los Altos city officials in April, when the
> company submitted an application to test its fully driverless vehicles
> to the DMV. In late October, the DMV approved Waymo's application for
> testing in five cities. Besides Los Altos, the cars will be tested in
> Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto.
>
> The Alphabet-owned company has not publicly announced when testing will
> begin, and the cities say they have not been informed of a timeline.
>
> But Waymo has been engaged in various levels of outreach, according to
> those cities' representatives and correspondence included in the
> company's application with the DMV.
> * Waymo held a safety training for first responders in September
> where the company explained its safety and law-enforcement
> interaction protocols, McCrossin said. In September and October,
> Waymo held public forums in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.
> * Over the summer, Waymo displayed a self-driving vehicle at the
> Sunnyvale library. In September, the company was at a tech expo
> downtown. And Waymo has held a training session with the city's
> public-safety officials.
> * In Palo Alto, there's a public forum scheduled Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. at
> the Cubberley Community Center, where residents will hear from
> Waymo and get a chance to ask questions. The police department is
> in talks with the company about scheduling a meeting.
> * Mountain View has asked the other cities to meet on Dec. 6 and is
> planning a public forum Dec. 13. Mountain View police recently met
> with Waymo, and they are talking about a future training session.
>
> Is that outreach enough? In Silicon Valley, Google/Waymo's self-driving
> cars with drivers behind the wheel have been a common sight for a long
> time. Each accident involving the vehicles -- 17 so far this year --
> has been documented, as required by the DMV. But despite Waymo's years
> of testing, its move to fully driverless vehicles on public roads
> concerns some Silicon Valley residents.
>
> "I followed a Waymo on Castro, the principal street in Mountain View,
> and it proceeded at 12 mph (in a 25 mph zone) with a queue of cars
> behind and caught us all at a red light," John Joss said last week. "It
> then turned right after stopping but only gave a turn signal after it
> had stopped. Severely dumb."
>
> The 84-year-old Mountain View resident added that when a Waymo vehicle
> reaches the intersection of Cuesta and Bonita Avenue, "it goes into a
> state of fibrillation, saying, `oh, we can't go, we can't turn!'
>
> "It's too soon" for fully autonomous vehicles, Joss said.
>
> Other residents agree. Karen Brenchley said she recently saw a Waymo
> vehicle make a right turn from a left-turn lane.
>
> "I'm like, `Did that really happen'?" said the 55-year-old Sunnyvale
> resident, who has a master's degree in computer science and works in
> artificial intelligence. "Thirty years ago I took an AI class in grad
> school. One of the things we wrote was how to change lights based on
> traffic patterns. We're still trying to figure that out. How long have
> we had self-driving cars? I'm delighted that they're doing what they're
> doing, but I think they're not ready."
>
> The company is hearing people's concerns. In September, Barbara
> McCarthy of Los Altos saw a Waymo vehicle fail to stop at an
> intersection with a flashing light, which means pedestrians were
> getting ready to cross. She was concerned enough that she contacted
> Waymo.
>
> "They were very helpful," McCarthy, 67, said. She spoke with a
> community manager by phone and email. That made her feel like Waymo
> will take residents' concerns into account, she said.
>
> In Phoenix, Waymo has been testing a fully autonomous program since
> April 2017. There, Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans shuttle
> early-rider volunteers to work, school, the mall and elsewhere. The
> company has signed up more than 400 riders since it began the program,
> and a recent report indicates that it will start a new driverless car
> service in the area next month -- although there will be safety drivers
> behind the wheel of those vehicles, a spokeswoman confirms.
>
> In Silicon Valley, Waymo's first testers will be its own employees.
> Then it will open up the program to members of the public, as it has
> done in Arizona. The company will test vehicles day and night on city
> streets, rural roads and highways with speed limits of up to 65 miles
> per hour. The DMV approved testing of 39 vehicles, all Chrysler
> Pacifica Hybrids.
>
> Waymo started as Google's self-driving car division in 2009 before it
> was spun off as a standalone subsidiary in 2016. Last month, Waymo CEO
> John Crafcik boasted that its vehicles had reached 10 million miles
> driven on public roads in 25 cities.
>
> Merely having all those miles under its belt is not enough, some
> critics say.
>
> "The DMV is letting Waymo turn all of us into human guinea pigs for
> testing their robot cars, without an adequate explanation of what's
> going on," said John Simpson, Privacy and Technology Project director
> for Consumer Watchdog, a longtime Google critic, in a statement at the
> time the California DMV announced its approval of Waymo's permit.
>
> In an interview, Simpson expressed concern about Waymo's plan for
> remote "drivers" who will be monitoring the vehicles. A Waymo
> spokeswoman would not say how many vehicles at a time each remote
> driver will be watching.
>
> "It's like they're playing a video game," he said, "but if something
> goes wrong, somebody might get killed."
>
> Consumer Watchdog also is urging the DMV to release more information
> about Waymo's insurance coverage, pointing to redactions in its
> insurance documents.
>
> But DMV spokesman Marty Greenstein said Waymo has met the agency's
> requirements: "The insurance information was redacted from Waymo's
> public application because it was deemed to relate to confidential
> business strategies that have competitive significance."
>
> This story has been updated with additional information about Waymo's
> upcoming driverless car service.
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>
> --
> Best,
> Kevin Andrews
> Email: kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com <mailto:kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com>
> Mobile Telephone: (248) 508-8569
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> --
> Best,
> Kevin Andrews
> Email: kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com <mailto:kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com>
> Mobile Telephone: (248) 508-8569
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>
> --
> Best,
> Kevin Andrews
> Email: kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com <mailto:kevin.andrews94 at gmail.com>
> Mobile Telephone: (248) 508-8569
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