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Joe Manna

Content authored by Joe Manna

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The real ethical dilemma with self-driving vehicles is not what it seems

Joe Manna · December 5, 2016 ·

Would you trust being driven in a self-driving vehicle?

One of the concerns that some of you have expressed on our Facebook page [1, 2, 3] about self-driving vehicles such as Olli revolve around vehicle safety and more specifically, ethical dilemmas when an autonomous vehicle has to make a split-second decision to maintain overall vehicle safety. I want to preface that my opinions here are designed to get us thinking critically about some of these concerns so that we can improve safety and survivability for all scenarios of autonomous driving.

Researchers from MIT have set out to learn about people’s preferences for how they would expect an autonomous vehicle to behave in a catastrophic situation. The Moral Machineasks the user to choose between two different scenarios faced by an autonomously operated vehicle. The complex outcome of these decisions and why the user has made them is daunting even to fantasize about when it comes to choosing between life and death for passengers or pedestrians. After judging 13 scenarios, you’re presented with your results and how they deviated from the average by other participants.

I don’t deny that this survey is a neat tool to measure rationalizations for who should be the beneficiary of crash-avoidance maneuvers. This survey functions as a powerful tool to spark a great conversation, which is one of the project’s stated purposes. However, there are two reasons I don’t subscribe to the presumption that every outcome results in one or more fatalities. First, I don’t think autonomous vehicles need to operate faster than their onboard technology can reasonably keep up with. Second, I don’t believe every potentially hazardous scenario has to result in one or more fatalities.

Low-speed autonomous vehicles are the place to start

It’s not necessary for driverless vehicles to go 0-60 in 2.2 seconds or to travel more than 75 MPH. Autonomous driving technology is rather nascent; it could perhaps keep up with a driving environment moving at 35 MPH or less. As the technology is developed and becomes proven, manufacturers can certify and ratchet up the speeds as needed. The industry has already seen success in the form of adopting automatic emergency brakingstandards by 2022.

When a vehicle moves at a slower speed, it’s able to make better decisions over a longer period. In situations where an impact is inevitable, the vehicle can take evasive action sooner to protect both passengers and third parties alike. Think about how many objects you can remember when you’re cruising down the highway at 75 MPH versus an urban environment at 35 MPH. Consider the fact that autonomous vehicles are designed to maintain full 360° visibility, unlike human’s near-180° field of view.

As with any new technology, self-driving vehicles will have defects as they’re being developed. We can’t dismiss potential risks with driverless vehicles. However, we can engineer them to be safer, smarter, and more consistent than human drivers. (Not to mention that with additive manufacturing, we can make cost-effective iterative improvements for future vehicles, too.) And while some legitimate security concerns may linger, security researchers are eager to test and propose updates to strengthen vehicle security to prevent unwanted vulnerabilities.

Human drivers are prone to error, sometimes highly so

There’s a common perception that human drivers operating vehicles are innately better (or more ethically sound) than autonomous vehicles. Hard data begs to differ.

In 2014, NHTSA reported that there were 3,179 people killed in the United States from vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers, representing 10 percent of all the motor vehicle fatalities seen that year. Out of those fatalities, 520 non-occupants such as pedestrians and bicyclists that have been killed as a result of distracted driving. It’s not only the deaths that count; NHTSA estimated 431,000 people were injured due to distracted driving.

These figures make a strong case that human drivers are not infallible in their driving habits. We can create legislation to mandate the use of hands-free cell phones while driving, and public service announcements to discourage phone usage while driving, but it isn’t making a dent in our behaviors. I didn’t even touch on intoxicated driving, either.

We have a problem and we ought to confront these with practical solutions that save lives.

Developing autonomous vehicle technology is ethical

For us to hold autonomous vehicles to an ethical standard, we have to understand that ethics are a set of principles defined by a moral code. Are we being intellectually and morally honest by impeding the progress of developing autonomous vehicles? I don’t think we should be blind to the risks, but we have a very real problem to solve. We owe it to ourselves to improve the odds of survival for more than 30,000 people every year in the United States.

Innovation in driverless cars is legitimately disruptive, and that goes against what we’re used to in transportation. We’ve become cozy with incremental progress in today’s cars. Add an airbag here, add another airbag there, and add blindspot alerts and we have only seen marginal safety improvements to show for it. We have the opportunity before us to remove the largest causal factor in automotive crashes: us. This is a scary thought for some because it would eventually relegate human-controlled driving to closed-course tracks and become a hobby, not a rite of passage into adulthood.

One ethical aspect of the industry that needs improvement is how we describe and set expectations in the eyes of consumers. Additionally, we need to do a better job of educating consumers about autonomous vehicle technology so they are informed about how the vehicle operates and what their responsibilities are. I’m confident that once consumers understand the immediate and long-term benefits of self-driving cars, they’ll give them the green light.

If we avoided developing new transportation solutions for fear of the potential risks, we’d still get around riding on the back of exactly one horsepower. The moral cost for not positioning autonomous vehicles for success is something that not too many of us think about — but maybe you have now.

Do you support or oppose the idea of having autonomous vehicles on the streets? I’d love to learn why you think so in the comments below.

Read Local Motors’ comments on the NHTSA’s Federal Automated Vehicles Policy

Joe Manna · November 30, 2016 ·

Several months ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed new guidance that provides the initial regulatory framework and best practices for highly automated vehicles and self-driving vehicle systems. These guidelines are a significant step forward from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in leading the public, government and commercial aspects of automated transportation in the safest manner possible.

The DOT also understands that its guidance and policies will likely change quickly as methods and modes of transportation will evolve in the coming years. As such, the DOT asked the public and stakeholders to participate in the process by providing their feedback in the form of comments, insights and experience. A wide range of stakeholders participated, and Local Motors was proud to do so.

After reviewing the proposed Federal Automated Vehicles Policy, our CEO and Co-founder Jay Rogers, submitted a letter on behalf of Local Motors focused on three areas: low-speed vehicles, vehicle testing and vehicle classifications.

 

We’re eager to introduce highly automated vehicles onto America’s roadways. We look forward to working with all stakeholders involved to deliver safer, smarter and more sustainable mobility options for everyone.

Employee Spotlight: Robert Bedsole

Joe Manna · November 14, 2016 ·

Everyone at Local Motors cares about passenger safety, but Robert Bedsole takes that concern down to the molecular level — quite literally.

Robert has spent an inordinate amount of time studying the scientific properties of the various 3D-printed materials that go into our vehicles. As an advanced materials engineer, he regularly pushes the limits of manufacturing technology to identify optimal materials that can be printed for automotive applications.

He works each day to make our vehicles safer and more sustainable by using the best of what advanced manufacturing technology has to offer. There’s a lot more to the success of our vehicles than simply how they look — Robert contributes significantly to our wealth of research and development of them. We’re excited to see what’s next for the materials we use in automotive applications.

If you have questions for Robert, drop us a note in the comments, and we’ll answer them. For now, let’s get to know him a little better.

Where were you born and raised? Birmingham, Alabama

What’s your favorite food? Mexican

What’s your dream vacation? I enjoy hiking in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah.

What do you do for Local Motors?
As an advanced materials engineer, my colleagues and I focus on finding better materials to print on the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) 3D-printer. We are also exploring better ways to print on a large-scale, which includes improving the BAAM system that we have as well as keeping abreast of the latest 3D-printing technology. We work closely with our designers and investigate new manufacturing methods to supplement large-scale printed materials.

What did you do before Local Motors?
I recently earned my Ph.D. from Auburn University. While there, I studied high-speed fracture of carbon fiber composites. I also studied the mechanical effects of carbon nanotubes dispersed in thermoset polymers.

What projects are you working on now?
I primarily drive the printing of new materials on the BAAM in our Knoxville Microfactory. Once new materials are determined to be printable and dimensionally stable, samples are machined into test specimens and mechanically characterized on our test stand. Our most exciting finding so far has been a nylon with approximately 400 percent better mechanical properties than traditional ABS plastic in both the printing and stacking directions.

What do you love about Local Motors?
I love our team’s freedom to explore many different materials solutions as we develop new vehicles using Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) technology. We have incredible resources to perform groundbreaking research and development that will have an enormous impact on the future of the automotive industry.

What advice do you have for future employees?
We’re a fast-paced company, so don’t be afraid to be decisive and make things happen to help the company. In many respects, we all share a sense of ownership in every innovation we produce, so I recommend that you be willing to take the initiative no matter if it was asked of you. We’re also a highly fluid company — as soon as we find a better way to enhance technology, we can turn on a dime and make it happen. Feel encouraged to seek new solutions and question our current direction.

Why Local Motors has transformed its original microfactory

Joe Manna · October 20, 2016 ·

As Local Motors expands its vehicle portfolio, its original microfactory has undergone an evolution that is changing the way we build. Our Phoenix-area microfactory has been transformed from building high-octane vehicles like the Rally Fighter to assembling high-voltage, self-driving shuttles like Olli.

Located in Chandler, Arizona, our microfactory has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent months to become an agile, cellular manufacturing facility. Until recently, the build floor was used to build the iconic Rally Fighter, Verrado, and Racer vehicles in a traditional, linear way.

Our build floor has all the tools and equipment to enable the Local Motors team to build vehicles in a methodical and safe way, but there’s much more to it. The build floor is optimized with precisely the exact-size wrenches, sockets, and equipment to make building vehicles as efficient as possible. A build floor positions resources in a way to make sure there aren’t “too many cooks in the kitchen” and that tools aren’t moved from their original spot.

Where’s that 18mm deep well socket? It’s right where it should be. Every time.

One of the limitations of the Chandler microfactory before this transformation was that it was optimized primarily for the Rally Fighter. We’ve recently entered into a license agreement with Anytime Auto Works, operated by Buddy Crisp, to build and service Rally Fighters on our behalf. As a result, we now have the opportunity to update the build floor in Chandler to support the manufacturing of multiple vehicles in alignment with local demand and unique requirements of each one. For instance, we’re now able to produce an Olli, Strati, and a cargo drone all within the same facility.

olli-stages.jpg

Olli was designed with capabilities unlike any other vehicle we’ve built. It’s loaded with the latest in 3D-printed components, an electric powertrain, a comfortable interior, and uses parts sourced domestically and abroad. After carefully analyzing the way we assembled the first couple of Ollies, we’ve established a pragmatic process to assemble the vehicles in a way to maximize everyone’s time and resources.

Phillip Rayer, our general manager in Phoenix, is more passionate about organized processes, safety, and scalability than anyone I know, and has worked tirelessly to lead efforts to transform our microfactory.

“The transformation of the Chandler microfactory is important to Local Motors because it now gives us a flexibility we’ve never had before,” Rayer said. “Our build team is excited to get to work and create some of the most innovative vehicles on the road.”

As a lean manufacturing methodology, the goal of cellular manufacturing is to move as quickly as possible, make a wide variety of similar products, and produce as little waste as possible. The benefits for Local Motors include reduced setup time, reduced flow distance and increased production lead time.

As an employee, it’s refreshing to see the new look of the 20,000-square-foot microfactory. With the racks of old inventory now gone and a trimmed set of tools and equipment, the space has opened up so everyone can observe the end-to-end build process of Olli and other vehicles.

There are now six universal stages within the cellular manufacturing model that can apply to current and future vehicles in our portfolio. Here are the stages:

Stage 1: Chassis
chassis.jpg

Stage 2: Electrical
electrical.jpg

Stage 3: Harness
harness.jpg

Stage 4: Exterior
exterior.jpg

Stage 5: Interior
interior.jpg

Stage 6: Final Assembly & Test
final-assembly.jpg

With an optimized build floor, we’re now able to build Ollies in a parallel fashion. Building multiple vehicles at once speeds up the production process and enables our versatile build floor team to focus on their specialties — resulting in deep mastery in one or more areas.

knoxville-olli-build-floor.jpg
The build floor optimization hasn’t only happened in Chandler; our Knoxville Microfactory has been designed in a similar way.

The microfactory transformation is not only about the equipment or tools. It’s about how people can best apply their skills to create amazing vehicles. Our build floor transformation creates new opportunities for personal and professional development since every automotive engineer and build technician is critical to the success of the vehicle.

The transformation of our build floor is a reflection of our team’s willingness and ability to adapt quickly to changing market conditions. Could one of the big automotive manufacturers evolve this quickly if they developed a hit vehicle? I’m not so sure they could. And that’s why we welcome the future of transportation, no matter how many wheels or seats the next vehicle has.

Employee Spotlight: Florian Feise

Joe Manna · October 11, 2016 ·

Have you participated in a co-creation challenge this past year? If so, you might have worked with Local Motors Project Manager Florian Feise. Flo, as we all call him, has been critical in the success of our recent challenges hosted on our co-creation platform, most notably, the Airbus Cargo Drone Challenge.

He has a genuine passion for helping our co-creation community succeed by ensuring they are provided with current and accurate information on various projects. Flo is quick to listen to their concerns and deliver solutions to ensure that the everything goes smoothly for challenge participants, Local Motors, and any project sponsors that might be involved.

One of Flo’s first projects he helped with was the Urban Mobility Challenge. The winning vehicle design was Berlino, later named to Olli, which is a self-driving shuttle we debuted in June. Most recently, Flo led efforts in the Airbus Cargo Drone Challenge that attracted more than 420 qualified entries. At the Farnborough Air Show this summer, he helped announce the winners.

When he’s not interacting with our co-creation community, you can find him rolling up his sleeves to expand the Local Motors presence where he works in Berlin.

Here’s more about Flo that you probably didn’t know.

Where were you born and raised?
In the rural surroundings of Hanover, Germany.

What’s your favorite food? 
I enjoy all kinds of Mexican food. It’s almost the sole reason I visit Phoenix. Haha!

What’s your dream vacation?
I’m a big fan of road trips, especially mountain bike road trips. In the past I have spent quite a while on my bike traveling. I’d say that one of the most amazing destinations for a mountain biker would be Kamloops, BC, Canada. I loved it so much that I stayed for one year.

What do you do for Local Motors? 
I joined Local Motors as a Community Manager when the Local Motors entity in Germany had only one staff member, Damien Declercq. I spent most of my initial time supporting the Urban Mobility Challenge, which eventually became the Olli.

After that, I worked as a Brand Manager in the EMEA region. A few months ago, I managed the Airbus Cargo Drone Challenge. At the moment, I’m closely involved in the expansion of the Local Motors presence in Berlin, which has steered me toward more tactical work instead of conceptual work, which I also enjoy.

All in all, I’ve taken on numerous different roles and responsibilities on the team in Berlin, which has resulted in a steep and exciting learning curve. This dynamic is appealing so I can get involved with all kinds of fields and functions. Every once in awhile, I love to get out my toolbox and actually physically work on something that needs to get done.

What did you do before Local Motors?
I joined Local Motors after my graduation from International Business School of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. Before that, I traveled through Canada working in the mountain bike industry as a mechanic, social media manager, and as a trail guide. Later, I was able to also build up my portfolio as a freelance mountain bike photographer.

What projects are you working on now? 
Now, I’m supporting the buildout of our new microfactory in Berlin. There’s plenty of exciting work to do — stay tuned!

What do you love about Local Motors? 
I love the breadth of responsibilities that every employee carries. As the Berlin team is still growing, people tend to carry multiple roles. One day, you might fly across for an important business meeting or be part of a panel and the next day you’re back on the build floor. Switching between these different tasks can be quite challenging but it’s sure a lot of fun.

What advice do you have for future employees? 
I have one piece of advice for future employees so you enjoy your time here: Build your ambiguity tolerance! The reality is that you will have to be able to deal with opposing or contradictory information and sometimes even unexpected tasks while we are growing so quickly. Depending on your background, that can be very tricky. I recommend a few books that have have helped me:
– Opposable Mind: Winning Through Integrative Thinking by Roger L. Martin
– Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink
– Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness by Frederic Laloux

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