In my opinion this was the most interesting vehicle at the cruise-in last night. It has been on several Hot Rod Power Tours, and is probably quite reliable, with a Camaro engine. A resto-rod that was very nicely done.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Beavercreek Cruise-In, July 27, 2018: a Very Nice 1956 Pontiac Wagon
In my opinion this was the most interesting vehicle at the cruise-in last night. It has been on several Hot Rod Power Tours, and is probably quite reliable, with a Camaro engine. A resto-rod that was very nicely done.
Thoughts on the Design of Porsche Electric Vehicles
A battery-powered Porsche differs from a sports car with a combustion engine in terms of its typical design elements. The brand identity is not called into question. But we do have to highlight the fact that this is an e-Porsche. That’s illustrated by the front headlights around the air intakes, for example. The exterior architecture disappears visually. At the same time, the four-point design is recognizable even with the headlights switched off. The logo in the back is illuminated. The familiar Porsche light strip communicates with the environment: it signals the current charge level, for example.
The Mission E Cross Turismo’s rims in Thunderstorm Blue establish a clear distinction from the Acid Green of the hybrid models. So the upper edge of the front and rear protective strips also features a contour line in blue. The purist technical structure of the rims is striking to behold. They’re extremely strong but appear exquisitely light and are thoroughly customizable—with carbon elements, for instance.
In principle, the Mission E Cross Turismo is an ultra-sleek off-roader. It’s a sports car with the character of an SUV. The family resemblance to the Panamera Sport Turismo and the Mission E is unmistakable. As are, of course, the Macanesque undertones. What stands out is the higher roofline due to the batteries positioned under the passengers. The result is a dramatic, compelling relationship between width and height—the most important characteristic of typical sports car proportions.
The two recesses in the front hood are an allusion to the prominent additional headlights featured on the Porsche rally vehicles of yore. It’s conceivable that sensors for autonomous driving could be concealed behind the openings.
Friday, July 27, 2018
Porsche Digital, AI, and the Start-Up Miles, from Santa Clara, CA
“Our aim is to tailor our approach to the Porsche customers’ behaviour patterns wherever possible, working across the entire mobility chain to ensure that we support them and they engage with our brand. Set against this backdrop, the strategic approach and the technology behind Miles make it an extremely promising prospect”, explains Thilo Koslowski, CEO of Porsche Digital.
Thilo Koslowski, CEO Porsche Digital
The Miles platform is based on artificial intelligence, which makes it possible to develop a better understanding of a customer’s needs throughout a complete journey, and to anticipate those needs accordingly. Examples might include suggesting a suitable point to stop and refuel or recharge, or to stop for a break, or suggesting suitable mobility solutions for transport connections.
“Mobility today is a universal behavior that goes largely unrewarded,” said Miles Co-Founder and CEO Jigar Shah. “To date, travel rewards have been siloed and limited to one form of travel – with consumers facing exclusions when it comes to earning and redeeming rewards. Miles solves this gap in market by allowing anyone to earn rewards - simply by traveling how they do every day.”
Porsche Digital GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Porsche AG and represents its competence centre for digitisation. The company defines and implements new value creation strategies and innovative digital product ranges in close cooperation with all Porsche AG departments. Porsche Digital identifies and evaluates trends and invests in start-ups, thus securing access to relevant technologies. The subsidiary of the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer sees itself as an interface between Porsche and innovators all over the world. The company has sites in Ludwigsburg, Berlin and Santa Clara in Silicon Valley, and further locations in Asia are planned.
The First all-electric Porsche: Taycan
A Brief Review of Earl Swift's "Auto Biography: A Classic Car, an Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 Years of the American Dream"
I stumbled on this book while trolling the shelves at my local library, and I am glad I did. Once I opened the cover, I could not put this book down. While it is a highly focused work about the owner of a Mock, NC junkyard and collectible car business, its themes probe far deeper and wider elements of the recent American experience. The author asserts that "What makes America who and how we are is in no small measure tied to pour status as the most automotive people on the planet.... Arney's cars are time capsules not only of automotive engineering and design, but Americanism itself." At the center of the story is Moyock Muscle owner Tommy Arney and his associates: best friend Skinhead, ex-exotic dancer Victoria Hammond, also known as Slick, and Painter Paul. And then there are twelve previous owners of a 1957 highland green Chevrolet Townsman six passenger station wagon, thirteen if you count Arney.
Auto Biography then is a story of a 1957 car and 13 Americans living in the Tidewater area of Virginia and North Carolina. The car is reflective of the golden age of automobiles in the 1950s, its optimism and the Jet Age. How can I forget a 1957 Chev, since while growing up my best friend's family car was a purplish 4 door sedan that featured gunfights on the hood and a dashboard that simulated a jet fighter, with its clustered gauges and speedometer?
At the heart of the book is the story of Arney, a man I am grateful to have never crossed paths with. He introduced to there reader as a man who is "Crazy. Brash. A rough customer. Charming, Funny shrewd. A case could be made for any and all of them, to which I'd add: a scholar....He is a historian, a curator of memories, a student go American popular culture in the mid-twentieth century."
Arney is also brutal and violent beyond description. as the author sums up, "Arney's hands have been known to usher lengthy convalescence. He has stabbed at least two men. he has bitten, chewed, and swallowed a mouthful of neck for ma third, and ripped the scrotum of another. And when an associate lied to him once too often, Arney knocked him unconscious and bored twice through his kneecap[ with a Black & Decker cordless drill. Unsatisfied, he drilled into the tip of the man's head. He failed to hole through before the bit snapped.
Besides Arney there are twelve other stories, some quite engaging as well. There is the story of the first owner of the wagon, a boilermaker by the name of Thornhill, and then his grandson a veterinarian, who inherited the car. In secession then we are introduced to a body shop owner; struggling and free-spirited single mother; a gay physician and his partner; pawnshop winner; any sailor; high school dropout with a father who was obsessed with old cars; born again Christian garbageman; electrician and hotrodder; and fairly Arney who along with painter Pal respires the vehicle.
So this book is the tale of a car and its owners, reminiscent of a 1947 German rubble film that I once viewed that traced the history of ownership of an Opel through the Nazi era and immediate post-WWII aftermath. On one hand, the story is sad, in that it chronicles the difficult lives of so many of the characters. But the story ends with a restoration. If an old car be put back together good as new, perhaps so can a person who went through a valley of sorrows.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
The New Porsche Macan, Unveiled July 25
The new Macan stays true to the Porsche design DNA with a three-dimensional LED tail light strip. LED technology also features in the headlights as standard. The most striking innovations inside the vehicle include the 11-inch touchscreen of the new Porsche Communication Management (PCM), re-designed and re-positioned air vents and the GT sports steering wheel familiar from the 911. The PCM enables access to new digital functions, such as intelligent voice control and the online navigation system provided as standard. The vehicle’s range of comfort equipment has also been expanded to include a traffic jam assist, an ioniser and a heatable windscreen.
LED headlights and new tail light strip as standard
Thanks to a number of conscious changes to the exterior, the new Macan now has an even sportier and more modern look. Numerous details reflect the DNA of the iconic 911 sports car and the 918 Spyder. In particular, the topic of lighting plays a key role: The new Macan is equipped with headlights featuring LED technology as standard.
This high-quality lighting system featuring modules with a three-dimensional design can be further optimised if desired: The Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS) can be used to adaptively control the light distribution. The front end of the Macan has been meticulously re-worked so that it now appears even wider, while the comprehensive overhaul at the rear builds on the sleek design of the predecessor model. The three-part, three-dimensional LED light strip represents another typical Porsche design element at the rear. The four-point design of the brake lights also reflects the brand’s identity.
New options: GT sports steering wheel, ioniser and Traffic Jam Assist
The link to the 911 is consolidated in the interior of the new Macan with the optional GT sports steering wheel. The mode switch plus Sport Response Button integrated into the steering wheel is also showcased in the Macan as part of the optional Sports Chrono Package. Porsche has extended the list of comfort options to include a heated windscreen and an ioniser to improve the air quality in the interior. New exterior colours such as “Miami Blue”, “Mamba Green Metallic” “Dolomite Silver Metallic” and “Crayon” combined with new interior packages ensure that the Macan is now more customisable than ever before.
11-inch touchscreen display and full connectivity
Through the new Porsche Communication Management (PCM), the Macan offers total connectivity and numerous digital functions. Above the typical Porsche rising centre console, a full-HD touchscreen enlarged from seven to eleven inches has been incorporated seamlessly into the newly designed instrument panel. Just like in the Panamera and Cayenne, the user interface on the infotainment system can be customised using predefined tiles. The air vents have also been re-designed and are now positioned below the central screen.
Each Macan is equipped with a Connect Plus module, making every vehicle fully networked as standard. This module underpins various digital functions and services such as intelligent voice control and the real-time traffic information that forms part of the standard online navigation system. One of the key elements of this system is the “Here Cloud” connection, which offers cutting-edge, swarm-based traffic data. Using the new Offroad Precision App, it is also possible to record and analyse off-road driving experiences in the Macan.
Optimised chassis with new tyres and wheels
Thanks to its optimised chassis, the new Macan is able to consolidate its exceptional status as a sports car in the compact SUV segment. Fine-tuning of the chassis delivers enhanced neutrality while maintaining stability and improving comfort. Although unusual for the SUV segment, the Macan still features mixed tyres with different widths on the front and rear axles. As with Porsche sports cars, this arrangement enables the driver to take full advantage of the intelligent, all-wheel drive Porsche Traction Management (PTM) when it comes to driving dynamics. Newly developed tyres with improved performance characteristics enable even better lateral dynamics for enhanced driving pleasure, while the new 20- and 21-inch wheels also offer greater scope to customise the design.
A model of success: more than 350,000 Macan deliveries since 2014
The Macan is a genuine success story. The combination of typical Porsche performance on any terrain coupled with a high degree of everyday practicality impressed customers right from the start: Since 2014, Porsche has delivered more than 350,000 units. With over 100,000 deliveries to date, the model is especially popular in the Chinese market where Porsche unveiled the redesigned compact SUV. The model presented in Shanghai will be offered exclusively in the Chinese market. Other models and markets will follow during the course of the year.
Automotive Industry Global Collaboration: Germany and China, Daimler and Baidu
- The pace of technological change is unprecedented. The automobile of 2030 will in no way be like those of 2018. A brave, new world with social and psychological changes on the horizon.
- Daimler and Baidu signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand partner-ship through the Apollo autonomous driving platform and to integrate Baidu’s vehicle connectivity services into Mercedes-Benz infotainment system MBUX.
- Dr. Dieter Zetsche: “Automated driving and connectivity are progressing at an unprecedented rate in China. Daimler and Baidu already enjoy a strong partnership in these two fields, and the signing of this memorandum marks a new milestone in our cooperation.”
- Mr. Robin Li: “This era marks an optimal time for global automakers and tech companies to work together and deepen cooperation. It is my hope that this partnership will lead to more cross-industry collaboration and push forward the global automated driving industry.”
- Mr. Hubertus Troska: “Realizing local automated driving and connectivity services requires understanding the many characteristics that make the Chinese market unique. The close work between Daimler and Baidu has created a new depth of Sino-German collaboration in regards to intelligent connected vehicles.”
- Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang: “The combination of automobiles with technologies is revolutionizing the century-old auto industry by transforming the way humans interact with vehicles. This partnership will drive the productization of automated driving and vehicle connectivity for the Chinese market and establish a benchmark for Sino-German intelligent R&D collaboration."
Beijing – With collaboration between Germany and China accelerating in automated driving and intelligent connected vehicles, Daimler and Baidu have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance their Sino-German cooperation in these strategic fields. The two companies have agreed to deepen their partnership through joint automated driving and connectivity projects, including further strengthening their collaboration through Baidu’s Apollo open platform. Both companies will also work to explore new fields in vehicle connectivity services.
Daimler was one of the first partners to join Apollo, Baidu’s open autonomous driving platform launched in April 2017, which provides a comprehensive all-in-one solution that supports major features and functions of an automated vehicle. In December 2017, Daimler became a member of the Apollo Committee, which pursues the goal of accelerating research on safer solutions in automated driving in China and promoting the drafting of related laws and regulations.
Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “With the changes facing the industry today, we have worked consistently to implement our C.A.S.E. strategy for innovation both globally and at a local level in China. In particular, automated driving and connectivity are progressing at an unprecedented rate in China, and our continued success depends not only on staying ahead of these trends but on leading them. Daimler and Baidu already enjoy a strong partnership in these two fields, and the signing of this memorandum marks a new milestone in the cooperation between our two companies.”
Mr. Robin Li, Chairman and CEO, Baidu: “In the era of artificial intelligence and big data, the automotive industry will evolve according to a drastically different logic – from vertical integration to a platform-based ecosystem – making now the optimal time for global automakers and tech companies to work together and deepen cooperation in building an intelligent ecosystem. It is my hope that this strengthened partnership between Baidu and Daimler will lead to more cross-industry collaboration and push forward the global automated driving industry.”
Mr. Hubertus Troska, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Greater China:“Realizing local automated driving and connectivity services requires understanding the many characteristics that make the Chinese market unique. The close work between Daimler and Baidu has created a new depth of Sino-German collaboration in regards to intelligent connected vehicles. With the Apollo platform supporting our road tests in Beijing, our cooperation on automated driving allows us to create solutions that address China’s specific conditions. Side by side with strong local partners, we will continue to strive for products and services that aim to best fit the needs of our customers in China.”
Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang, President, Baidu: “The combination of automobiles with technologies such as automated driving and Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is revolutionizing the century-old auto industry by transforming product forms and the way humans interact with vehicles. Daimler is a leading automaker, and Baidu has extensive expertise in autonomous driving. Together, the companies will drive the productization of automated driving and vehicle connectivity for the Chinese market. This strengthened partnership will establish a bench-mark for Sino-German intelligent R&D collaboration and accelerate an enhanced driving experience for the Chinese consumers.”
Earlier this July, Daimler became the first international automaker to receive a road test license for highly automated driving research vehicles (level 4) in Beijing, marking a major new milestone in the company’s local research and development efforts in China. The test vehicles are based on the versatile Mercedes-Benz V-Class with its advantages in flexibility and loading capacities. The Mercedes-Benz research vehicles are equipped with additional technical applications from Baidu Apollo. As of now, these vehicles have undertaken extensive testing at the National Pilot Zone (Beijing and Hebei) for Intelligent Mobility to qualify for the license. According to the newly signed MoU, both companies will extend use cases and enrich scenario complexity both on approved public roads and dedicated proving grounds, with safety as their primary concern. Under the terms of the agreement, the two sides also intend to launch a new joint project in vehicle connectivity, integrating further Baidu connectivity services into Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX), the intelligent infotainment system.
Given the increasing pace of digitalization, Daimler has continuously built strong local partnerships including those with Chinese tech giants in research and development. The company has actively expanded its cooperation with Baidu to provide further “ Inspired by China, Innovated for China” products and services of the Mercedes-Benz brand for its local customers. Daimler began its partnership with Baidu in 2013, with initial cooperation to develop point of interest (POI) and destination searches. In 2014, Mercedes-Benz was the first premium automobile manufacturer to bring Baidu’s panoramic maps, Baidu Quanjing, to its products, and in 2016 introduced Baidu CarLife, the vehicle-smartphone integration solution, for Mercedes-Benz models sold in China. After joining Baidu’s Apollo platform in July 2017, Daimler became one of the ten founding members of the Apollo Committee, a body of partner companies in tech and automotive, which serves to discuss the development of urban automated driving and management, as well as to promote the drafting of related laws and regulations.
About Mercedes-Benz Research and Development China
Daimler’s local R&D efforts began in 2005 with the first localized Mercedes-Benz E‑Class. Since then, it has continued shaping mobility by developing products and services with the aim to best fit the needs of local consumers. In 2014 the Mercedes-Benz Research and Development China Center in Beijing was opened, allowing the company to better learn the needs and tastes of Chinese customers. The number of designers and engineers is now almost three times larger than in 2014. Daimler will continue to invest in local R&D, enabling the company to emphasize C.A.S.E. topics and tailor them to the Chinese market.
About Baidu
Baidu, Inc. is the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. Baidu aims to make a complex world simpler through technology. Baidu’s ADSs trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “BIDU”. Currently, ten ADSs represent one Class A ordinary share.
Baidu Media Contact intlcomm@baidu.com
Monday, July 23, 2018
E92 m3 vs Volvo 850 Nürburgring
Well, another video of a Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon like ours at the Nurburgring. The car has become a true classic.
A Brief Review of David N. Lucsko's Junkyards, Gearheads & Rust: Salvaging the Automotive Past (Johns Hopkins, 2016)
It has been a couple of months since I have made my obligatory trips to the three pick-and-pull junkyards near my home in Centerville, Ohio. Over the past year or so the dates of the cars in the yards have been almost all post-mid-1990s or later, and my cars date from 1996, 1982 and 1971. A few years ago I featured on older Mercedes cars that had parts that fit my 1982 Mercedes 380 SL or 1996 Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon. Before that -- especially when I either visited or temporarily lived in Dan Diego, my treasure hunts of years in Chula Vista and Oceanside were both exhilarating an profitable. But alas those days seem to be now in the rear-review mirror, as specialty years have taken away from me the hulks I once feasted on.
David N. Lucsko's Junkyards, Gearheads & Rust: Salvaging the Automotive Past was thus right down my alley. This is a serious scholarly book, one that has several major points that fit in themes related to both the history of technology and environmental history. And it is an important topic, as the author argues that "salvage yards constitute a vital and by-and-large responsibly managed secure of the economy." These facilities also quicken the pulse of "gearheads," those enthusiasts who go to the yards often on treasure hunts. But the author fails to really develop the intone that many of these businesses also serve a vital purpose to those less than well-healed automobile owners who vastly outnumber the gear heads on any given day. These folks need to save money buy doing it yourself and by getting the least expensive engines, transmissions, wheel, tires and other key parts to keep them going.
The author's book is organized into six chapters, beginning with an overview chapter on the history of the business from its early 20th century origins to the end of the century. It next moves on the discuss the users of these yards. specifically hot rodeos an restoration hobbyists, customizers, import and sports car fans, and street rodders (also known as tuners). chapter three examines more closely the commercial practices of these auto recyclers, including communications, advertising, customer access, inventory control, and geographic location. Treasure hunting and barn finds are the focus of chapter 4, with the final two chapters dealing with local state and federal regulation, including land use laws and zoning. As exurban growth has spread into once-rural areas, these yards become unwanted, blighted sites no mater how tall and attractive the visually obstructive fence. Scrappage programs close out the main text, as major reparations used the removal of old cars from the roads as a way of offsetting industrial pollution. Yet these "cash for clunker " programs led to renewed debates about what is obsolete, inefficient, old and new in the American economy,.
Lucsko raises important questions towards the end of this book -- questions about waste, proper and efficient recycling, and technological obsolescence. If like me you get excited when going to a junk yard, restore or maintain and older car, then this book is a must read.
Saturday, July 21, 2018
1948 Porsche 356 no. 1
The “Number 1” could be forgiven for being a bit daunted by this prospect, particularly given that the outdoor temperature had risen to an oppressive 31 degrees. Even the traffic lights in the Swiss capital of Bern seemed to be against the very first Porsche, the mid-engine roadster from 1948, allowing what seemed like no more than three cars through each time that the lights turned green. By the time that the vehicle eventually reached the inclines of the Bernese Highlands, bubbles had already started to form in the fuel system, forcing the driver to give the car a break. The good thing about all these pit stops was the fact that it gave us more time with this unique relic from Germany’s largest sports car brand.
The “Number 1” was returned to Porsche in 1958 and after a long period out of action the vehicle has been restored for use on the road. It was high time to get it back on the asphalt from its early years – and specifically the roads of Switzerland. The mid-engine purrs behind the occupants while at the same time generating an incredible amount of heat. Despite intermediate acceleration and double clutching, the unsynchronized four-speed transmission crunches slightly as it moves through the gears, while the speedometer needle dances to its own rhythm.
From a technical perspective, there’s not much to write home about in the world’s first Porsche. An aluminum body has been hammered over a lattice tube frame and the axles, steering, wheels and brakes all originated from the VW Beetle, as did the 1.1-litre engine. At one time, Porsche did enhance the engine by 10 hp with the help of newly constructed cylinder heads, although the output was still just 35 hp. However, the engine needs to move just 585 kilogrammes of vehicle weight, enabling a maximum speed of at least 135 km/h. The engine still bears the original number.
During its tour through Switzerland, the “Number 1” is flanked by four other classics: a 356 A 1600 S Coupé, a 356 B 1600 Super 90 Coupé, a 356 A 1600 S Speedster and one of the ultra-rare 356 B 2000 GS Carrera 2 Cabriolets with a Fuhrmann vertical shaft engine from 1962, of which only 34 were built. The convoy gets a lot of attention – perhaps because the “Number 1” is not recognised immediately by everyone.
From the “VW Sport” to the forefather of all Porsche models
The “Number 1” actually began life as the “Type 356 VW sports car”, or the “VW Sport” for short. The idea for the vehicle was conceived back in the summer of 1947. And by February 5, 1948, Ferry Porsche took his place behind the wheel in the new chassis for the first time. This first outing actually took place in the Austrian town of Gmünd as the Porsche company had been ordered to leave Germany in 1944. Ferdinand Porsche re-embraced his Austrian roots and moved his business across the border. It was also at this point that the connection between the “Number 1” bodyshell and Switzerland first cropped up: During those post-war years, lightweight metals were incredibly difficult to get hold of in Austria, but not in Switzerland. In return for his sales permit, Porsche had to promise the government in Vienna that the vehicle being made of this precious commodity would be sold abroad – Austria needed foreign exchanges.
However, it was several months before the car was stable and ready. In fact, before even completing the “No. 1”, Porsche had already started constructing the 356 series models, which featured a rear engine rather than the mid-engine. In spite of this, Porsche chose not to assign the series a new development number, no doubt because he was already busy with other designs, such as the Type 360, the Cisitalia racing car.
When the time came to present the “Sport 356/1” as the roadster was officially known, Porsche looked to Switzerland once again, choosing the surroundings of the popular Swiss Grand-Prix held at Circuit Bremgarten, which was already teaming with representatives from the trade press. It was here that the first journalists tested the car before the race on the 7.26-kilometre and incredibly dangerous track. The ever first driving report about a Porsche was thus published in the Swiss Automobil-Revue magazine on July 7, 1948: The report professed “full confidence” in the car, a “modern, low-slung, practical sports car”, suitable for “daily use by a sports driver but also for participating in sporting events...”, offering “control and stability in tight bends”.
The “Number 1’s” road through Switzerland
Suffering from a continuous lack of funds because the 356 models still in progress had to be pre-financed, Porsche eventually sold the “No. 1” in Switzerland. As the first road-approved Porsche, the vehicle received its ZH 20640 number plate on December 20. Peter Kaiser, a German architect living in Zurich, became the vehicle’s first private owner, paying CHF 7,500 for the privilege. Kaiser replaced the cable-actuated brakes with a hydraulic mechanism and tinkered with the “Porsche” signature to make it read “Pesco”, the idea being that it sounded Italian and therefore would not function as advertising for Porsche. Due to various problems with the vehicle, he sold it to a car dealer about a year later. After that, this unappreciated classic changed hands in Switzerland every couple of months until sports car fan Hermann Schulthess discovered the treasure in 1952. Schulthess got Porsche to install new brakes and convert the engine to 1.5 litres so that he could take part in Swiss slalom events, which he did until six nuns in an Opel drove into the back of him during an trip up into the mountains. He used the significant repairs required as an opportunity to make further enhancements, including larger wheel arches and round tail lights. After further changes in ownership, the “No 1” eventually made its way back to Porsche – owner Franz Blaser received a brand new 356 Speedster in exchange for the original vehicle.
A Very Cool Mid-1980s Mercedes-Benz 240D
Sorry for muddied photos -- cars & coffee was held in a parking garage due to a threat of rain.
Note exhaust on this car coming up through a hole in the hood. A very creative modified car!
Note exhaust on this car coming up through a hole in the hood. A very creative modified car!
When you are bored at cars & coffee, July 21, 2018
Hi folks -- a not-so-good weather day at Cars & coffee, so the group meeting took place inside a parking garage at Austin Landing. This wife decided that she had seen enough, and was wisely reading the Dayton Daily News Saturday morning edition while her husband was out and about. Better than my wife, who refuses to come to such events!
Friday, July 20, 2018
"The Dance of the Skoda Ambulances"
Ed is currently touring Romania and became interested in Skodas. He found this video on Youtube. Great music and an urban Eastern European setting makes for a fun3 minute viewing!
Anyone Need 1950s Skoda Parts?
Ed found this 1950s one-eyed abandoned Skoda while touring a Roma village in Romania. Do you preserve or restore this interesting artifact?
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Lidar and Self-Driving Cars
From Wired, 2/6/18 https://www.wired.com/story/lidar-self-driving-cars-luminar-video/
"IF YOU'VE BEEN in Silicon Valley, Pittsburgh, Boston, San Francisco, or any of the other cities where autonomous cars are crawling the streets in a 21st century version of drivers ed, maybe you've wondered: What's up with that overgrown gumdrop-looking spinning thing on the roof? That, dear carbon-based life form, is lidar, perhaps the most important piece of hardware in the race to unlock self-driving cars for everybody.
Lidar works much like radar, but instead of sending out radio waves it emits pulses of infrared light—aka lasers invisible to the human eye—and measures how long they take to come back after hitting nearby objects. It does this millions of times a second, then compiles the results into a so-called point cloud, which works like a 3-D map of the world in real time—a map so detailed it can be used not just to spot objects but to identify them. Once it can identify objects, the car's computer can predict how they will behave, and thus how it should drive.
Self-driving cars use other sensors to see, notably radars and cameras, but laser vision is hard to match. Radars are reliable, but don't offer the resolution needed to pick out things like arms and legs. Cameras deliver the detail, but require machine-learning-powered software that can translate 2-D images into 3-D understanding. Lidar, by contrast, offers hard, computer-friendly data in the form of exact measurements.
That's why every serious player in the self-driving car race believes the laser sensor is an indispensable ingredient for a fully robot car, the kind that doesn't need a steering wheel or a human hand. (The notable exception is Tesla's Elon Musk, who insists cameras can do the job.) This is why lidar is at the center of the blockbuster legal case between Waymo and Uber: The company that started life as Google's self-driving car project says that when its longtime engineer Anthony Levandowski left for Uber, he brought Waymo's lidar trade secrets with him.
It's also why dozens of companies are competing to overcome lidar's key weakness: It's too young for a rough life on the road."
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