Day: July 8, 2016

As the convoy traveled down Interstate 69, regular Michigan motorists might have not believed they were driving next to the future of warfare. But for all their humdrum khaki looks, these were platooning, semi-autonomous army trucks, moving as one organism.

Late last month, the army dropped these four beta trucks into real Michigan traffic, with human drivers aboard as backups. Over seven miles, the vehicles used cameras and LIDAR to watch the road. They used dedicated short-range radio, also known as vehicle-to-vehicle communication, to chat with each other and even with infrastructure Michigan’s DOT installed for the purpose, getting advance notice of things like changing speed limits and closed lanes ahead.

The US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center is not the only big organization experimenting with autonomous trucks. Peloton Technology, Daimler, and a new startup called Otto are working in this space, too. But the US Army’s involvement could make armed conflict a lot safer for soldiers.

The trucks drove as a convoy of one, also called a platoon: When the leader braked, the others braked, too. That instant responsiveness allowed them to travel so closely together, each drafted off the truck in front of it, enjoying the limited wind resistance like Tour de France cyclists.

In 10 to 15 years, Army engineers say, fully autonomous truck convoys will be ready to serve in conflict zones. The reasoning’s obvious: “We do want to get soldiers out of the convoy vehicles, in case they could be on roads with IEDs,” says Alex Kade, who helps direct the Army center’s research in ground vehicle robotics. Robo-trucks could hump supplies around bases, or resupply soldiers at far-flung outposts.

Despite ethical questions around robotic warfare, the military is pushing ahead on autonomous technology, with everything from self-flying helicopters to robo-snipers, not to mention Predator drones.

But, for the trucks at least, there are challenges ahead. Like most other autonomous vehicles, the technology will need to reliably spot obstacles and use advanced computation to make split-second decisions, just like human drivers. It’ll have to navigate places where they can’t communicate with infrastructure, and where markings, signs, and pavement are out-of-date and poorly maintained. It’s a big challenge, but a nice reminder that fancy engineers and computers support the troops, too.

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Everyone carries the Internet in their pocket, yet radio and television remain the primary way people get information in an emergency. So when a disaster knocks out power and takes down cell service—along with those government emergency alerts—you’re going to need a radio to know what’s going on.

A radio? Who owns a radio anymore?

You do. Every smartphone in the world has an FM tuner built in. But here in the US, just one-third of them actually works, even though the Federal Emergency Management Agency says radio can save lives in an emergency. “We know that if Internet networks or cell phone networks go down, FM still works so long as you have a battery to turn the device on,” says agency spokesman Raphel Lemaitre.

Broadcasters and public safety officials have long urged handset manufacturers and wireless carriers to universally activate the FM chip, and recently brought the campaign to Canada. Carriers have little financial incentive to do so because they profit from streaming data, says Barry Rooke of the National Campus and Community Radio Association. But the wireless industry is coming around, and says anyone who wants a phone with FM radio can find one.

FM capability is baked into the Qualcomm LTE modem inside nearly every cellphone, including iPhones. Tuning in on a smartphone is common in the developing world, so it’s easier to deactivate the chip then install different modems for different markets, says Paul Brenner, CEO of NextRadio, a radio-tuner app for FM-enabled phones. Manufacturers can activate the chip, but the decision to do so typically rests with carriers. If you’re Verizon customer, tough luck. AT&T and T-Mobile are embracing activation for all Android phones, following a move Sprint made in 2013.

Apple remains the biggest holdout. The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but critics say it has little incentive to do anything that might undermine Beats One, Apple Music, and other streaming services.

Congress has held multiple hearings on the issue over the years and the FCC could require handset makers and carriers to activate FM capability, but it has been reluctant to act by fiat. Agency chairman Tom Wheeler told lawmakers last year “the issue may be resolving itself in the marketplace.” 

Broadcasters aren’t clamoring for the government to step in, either. “Mandating or requiring FM chip activation as some sort of public policy imperative is probably not the way to go,” says Michael Reskin of National Public Radio, which has long urged carriers to let people tune in on their phones. He believes continued pressure from listeners will prompt manufacturers and carriers to come around. Until then, it’s probably a good idea to get a transistor radio, just in case.

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