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Tesla software TECHNOLOGY A23
has self-parking, Friday 15 January 2016
limiting speed Tech Toys:
DEE-ANN DURBIN If you think drones are a passing fad, think again
AP Auto Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Some Tesla RYAN NAKASHIMA into things, and find things weight football helmet, its founder James Hong said
Motors vehicles can park AP Business Writer on its own,” he says. “That’s propellers pose less risk to its engineers still need sev-
themselves without a driver LAS VEGAS (AP) — If you’re pretty cool.” bystanders. eral months to modify the
inside with a software up- used to thinking of drones That’s assuming, of course, “Instead of doing collision way its drone uses wireless
date beamed to custom- as a passing fad, last that you’re not commuting detection and avoidance, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals.
ers over the weekend. week’s CES gadget show to work in one. At CES, Chi- we just make sure if it col- The changes should help
The update also puts new should give you second nese manufacturer Ehang lides, it won’t hurt,” says maintain a reliable con-
speed limits on Tesla’s semi- thoughts. Inc. unveiled a large drone CEO Laurent Eschenauer. nection to the user’s smart-
autonomous Autopilot Tiny, self-piloted copters that it said can carry a hu- Toy drone maker Spin phone, making possible
mode and makes several promise to buzzily follow man passenger at speeds Master Inc. showed off an the “follow me” function in
enhancements, includ- you around like something of up to 60 miles an hour. augmented-reality game the absence of GPS, which
ing automatically slowing out of a Neal Stephenson The four-armed quadcop- in which kids use a real-life the company considers
when the car is approach- cyberpunk novel. New
ing a curve and keeping drones that could find lost A drone hovers at the DJI booth during CES International, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, in Las Vegas.
the car in its lane even wilderness adventurers or (AP Photo/John Locher)
when the lane markings help them see out above
are faded. CEO Elon Musk treetops; others purport to ter has been on more than drone to rescue tiny virtual too power-hungry for small-
said the parking feature carry a human passenger 100 flights, mostly in wood- people, put out fires and er drones.
is a “baby step” toward at the touch of a button. ed areas of Guangzhou, fight aliens. In essence, With the potential for mil-
his eventual goal: Letting None of this, of course, will according to Chief Market- they’re interacting with a lions of new flying objects
drivers summon their self- be happening overnight. ing Officer Derrick Xiong. virtual world overlaid on buzzing around the country
driving, self-charging cars Limited battery life means Some — he didn’t say how the real world; they can in coming years, the FAA
from anywhere using their that many commercial many — have carried a hu- see the virtual elements on is working on new drone-
phones. “I actually think, models can’t fly for more man passenger. a tablet they’re using to safety rules. By this spring,
and I might be slightly op- than about 20 minutes Federal aviation regulators control the drone. the agency plans to unveil
timistic on this, within two at best. Manufacturers declined to comment on Robolink Inc. wants you to regulations to allow stream-
years you’ll be able to sum- haven’t yet figured out the Ehang’s human-carrying learn how to program us- lined approval of commer-
mon your car from across best way to keep many tiny drone, saying the com- ing its “CoDrone,” a flying cial drone uses, instead of
the country,” Musk said on drones where they ought pany hasn’t submitted any electronics kit you can in- the case-by-case system it
a conference call with re- to be, given that GPS po- proposal to authorities. The struct to jump off a table uses now. Last month, the
porters. “This is the first little sitioning sucks too much Federal Aviation Adminis- into someone’s hand with FAA began requiring reg-
step in that direction.” power for their minuscule tration advised an Ehang a simple line of code. CEO istration for drones weigh-
For now, though, the sys- batteries. Obstacle avoid- representative at the show Hansol Hong describes the ing between about half a
tem isn’t truly autonomous. ance systems that would to contact its unmanned educational product as pound and 55 pounds.
“It’s more like remote-con- let small drones pilot them- aircraft system office. “where Khan Academy Even as they come up
trol parking,” Musk said. selves are still under devel- In contrast with the bigger meets drone.” with new rules, regulators
Owners must line up their opment. And looming over drones, smaller ones were But the reach of some don’t know exactly where
Model S sedan or Model the entire field are new also on display. On the small drones still exceeds the technology is headed,
X SUV within 33 feet of the government rules intended small drone front, Kickstart- their grasp. Companies FAA Administrator Michael
space they want it to drive to keep people safe, but er-funded Fleye envisions like San Jose-based UNorth Huerta acknowledged in a
or back into. They must which may also slow inno- its camera-bearing flying Inc., maker of the Mota; speech to CES attendees.
then stand within 10 feet vation. sphere as a kind of per- Newark, Delaware-based “This is not going to be a
and direct the car to park So far, none of those ob- sonal videographer that Onagofly; and South Ko- finite process, where one
itself using the key fob or stacles are slowing down follows you around street rean ByRobot Co. all said day we sit back and say
Tesla’s smartphone app. an industry that appears corners; you’ll be able to they’re still tweaking the OK, we’re done,” Huerta
The car can also exit the to be in full lift-off. The Con- switch between settings system needed to make said in a speech Wednes-
spot when the driver sum- sumerTechnology Asso- such as “selfie,” ‘’panora- tiny drones weighing less day. “Maintaining the high-
mons it. If it’s going into a ciation estimates that U.S. ma” and “virtual tripod.” than half a pound follow est levels of safety requires
home garage, it can also consumer drone spend- And because it’s encased their owners. us to constantly evolve in
open and close the ga- ing will more than double in what looks like a light- For instance, ByRobot co- our approach.” q
rage door. Tesla says the to $953 million next year.
system is helpful for tight ABI Research believes the
parking spots, but cautions global market for drones
that it should only be used will hit $8.4 billion in 2018,
on private property since with users ranging from the
it can’t detect every po- military and oil companies
tential obstacle. The car to farmers, journalists, and
could hit bikes hanging backyard tinkerers.
from a garage ceiling, for As drone capabilities con-
example. The software up- tinue to grow, drones may
date also puts new speed become a mass-market
limits on Tesla’s semi-auton- product for average con-
omous mode. The car will sumers in about three
now only drive at or slight- years, says Patrick Moor-
ly above the speed limit head, principal analyst of
when the Autopilot mode research firm Moor Insights
is being used on residential & Strategy.
roads and on roads with- “You should be able to get
out a center divider.q a drone that can effec-
tively follow you, not run
