UK’s first driverless ‘pod’ readies itself for public trials

Britain wants to be at the forefront of driverless car technology, so it’s funding a handful of research projects that will look at different vehicle designs and how people react to them. One of those initiatives, led by Transport Systems Catapult and the RDM Group, is inching closer towards public trials today with the unveiling of a new “Lutz Pathfinder” pod. We first saw the vehicle back in February, covered with Union Jack decals, but that was actually just a prototype. The new two-seater pod unveiled this morning is far closer to completion — it just needs to visit Oxford University’s Mobile Robotics Group, where it’ll be fitted with an autonomous control system. Researchers will then do a number of calibration tests on a private test track, before it’s finally sent out for public testing in Milton Keynes.

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If all goes to plan, the Lutz Pathfinder will be the first fully automated vehicle to be trialled in a pedestrianised space in the UK. “When you consider that there wasn’t even a design in place for this vehicle less than 18 months ago, it has been a really quick turnaround,” Steve Yianni, CEO for Transport Systems Catapult said. Safety is, unsurprisingly, the project’s primary concern. When it first hits the pavement, the pods will be driven manually so they can map their surroundings. They’ll then drive autonomously, with a trained operator on board that can override the controls if necessary. Transport Systems Catapult hopes the pods will eventually be used as a mode of public transport, with the option for commuters to summon them with their smartphone. It’s a long, arduous process, but the UK government is praying that its efforts will make it an early pioneer in self-driving technology, and eventually pay dividends as car makers grow increasingly dependent on it.

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Transportation

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Tags: driverless, DriverlessCars, lutz, pathfinder, pod, selfdriving, SelfDrivingCar

Engadget giveaway: win a set of Playbulb lights courtesy of Mipow!

Adding a splash of color to a room is now as easy as screwing in a lightbulb. The mood altering affects don’t stop there, either. Mipow’s Playbulb line of Bluetooth Smart LED bulbs includes the flameless Candle with a lavender scent and the speaker-packing Color for illumination and music. Just connect to the bulbs with the Playbulb X app (iOS and Android) to choose from millions of color combos, set timers, adjust brightness and more. Two lucky Engadget readers will each win a set with two of the Candle, Rainbow, Color and solar-powered Garden models to bathe your home in hues both inside and out. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances a winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

• Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
• Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
• Winners will be chosen randomly. Two (2) winners will each receive two (2) Playbulb Candle, two (2) Playbulb Color, two (2) Playbulb Garden and two (2) Playbulb Rainbow.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
• This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
• The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
• Entries can be submitted until September 16th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

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Tags: bluetooth, bluetooth bulb, contest, engadget giveaway, engadgetgiveaway, giveaway, playbulb

You should watch GTA drama ‘The Gamechangers’ on BBC Two tonight

Later this evening, the BBC will be airing a one-off TV special about the development of Grand Theft Auto and the criticism that surrounded its portrayal of violence. It’s called The Gamechangers and stars Daniel Radcliffe as Rockstar president Sam Houser and Bill Paxton (Apollo 13, Titanic and Nightcrawler) as Jack Thompson, a former attorney that campaigned against the series. The docudrama’s first trailer showed promise and, if nothing else, we’re keen to see exactly what caused Rockstar to take legal action against the BBC. You can catch it all tonight (September 15th) from 9pm over on BBC Two.

[Image Credit: BBC]

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Home Entertainment

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Tags: bbc, docudrama, documentary, drama, grandtheftauto, gta, rockstar, thegamechangers

Jeff Bezos’ space firm commits to building and launching in Florida

Blue Origins, Jeff Bezos’ private space travel company (and competitor to Elon Musk’s SpaceX), is setting up shop in Florida. Bezos announced this morning that the company is building a manufacturing facility for its reusable orbital vehicles, and that it’ll be launching from the nearby Spaceport Launch 36 complex, Geekwire reports. Blue Origin will be investing $200 million in Florida, according to Florida Governor Rick Scott, and creating 330 jobs. The news comes a week after Boeing and Lockheed’s United Launch Associates agreed to expand production of Blue Origin’s BE-4 rocket motor. While there’s still plenty of work ahead, Bezos now appears to be one step closer to making his dream of inexpensive space travel a reality. Most intriguingly, he says the company will be launching from the new site “later this decade.”

“One of the unique things about our Florida operations is that we aren’t just launching here, we’re building here,” Bezos said in prepared remarks. “At Exploration Park, we’ll have a 21st century production facility where we’ll focus on manufacturing our reusable fleet of orbital launchers and readying them for flight again and again. Locating vehicle assembly near our launch site eases the challenge of processing and transporting really big rockets.”

Blue Origins said earlier this year that it planned to begin testing the BE-4 engine in 2016, so today’s announcement is a sign that it may actually be on schedule.

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Science

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Source:
Geekwire, Blue Origin

Tags: BlueOrigins, JeffBezos, space

First UK drone pilot convicted for flying over packed football grounds

In what’s thought to be the first conviction of its kind in the UK, a Nottingham resident has been prosecuted for drone offences under the Civil Aviation Authority’s Air Navigation Order (2009). Nigel Wilson was initially arrested earlier this year, after he was caught flying a drone over Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. It soon came to light that he was a serial rule-breaker, using his drone to film many a footy match at various UK stadia, as well as indulging in some high-flying sight-seeing at various London landmarks, including Buckingham Palace. The Metropolitan Police note that in one particular incident at Liverpool’s Anfield ground, his drone spooked the horses of several mounted officers, endangering nearby pedestrians.

Specifically, Wilson disobeyed the Air Navigation Order’s requirements that drone pilots not fly in congested areas, keep their craft within direct line of sight, and stay at least 50 metres clear of buildings. Having plead guilty to a total of seven offences, Wilson has been sentenced and ordered to pay a £1,800 fine and £600 in costs. Likely more dejecting for the enthusiast, he’s also been slapped with a Criminal Behaviour Order that prevents him from purchasing, owning, flying, or basically having anything to do with drones for the next two years. If only he’d read our handy guide on UK drone laws before he took to the skies, eh?

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Robots

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Source:
Metropolitan Police

Tags: conviction, drone, metpolice, metropolitanpolice, uav