Today, AUVSI and SAE International co-hosted the first Business of Automated Mobility Forum. Designed to help companies create an actionable roadmap to success, the event brought together participants and speakers from across the automated mobility industry, as well as experts in navigating standards and regulations.
Below are top takeaways from discussions about technology, regulatory, and social acceptance issues that must be addressed as we progress along the continuum toward automated mobility.
Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous Vehicles
Funding for Unmanned Systems in the FY 2022 Defense Budget Request
Each year, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) reviews the United States (U.S.) defense budget to determine funding that will support the research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) and procurement of unmanned vehicles (UxV) and associated technologies. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, over 1,000 unique efforts were identified as having past, present, or future support of UxV systems accounting for estimated appropriations of $7.5 billion. Similar research is underway for FY 2022 and some preliminary analysis will be discussed in this report.
Millenia Smart Park: The beginning of San Diego’s Autonomous Alley
With three connected campuses totaling 1.5 million square feet dedicated to everything autonomous, Millenia Smart Park in the San Diego region makes an ideal location for tech-forward companies in search of a new headquarters or office.
Unmanned Systems Defense Phase I: Ground
Today, AUVSI hosted Day Three of the 2021 Unmanned Systems Defense (USD) Conference with a focus on technologies and systems within the ground domain. During the keynote address and panel discussion, attendees learned about key capabilities DOD will seek out in new systems and heard from private sector stakeholders about how emerging technologies can meet needs in both the commercial market and the defense and military ecosystem.
MG Ross Coffman, Director, Next Generation Combat Vehicle - Cross Functional Team, expressed his appreciation in his keynote address for the way the unmanned industry collaborates and learns from each other. He urged the industry to work together to solve cross-functional challenges: “Together, we can solve really complex problems.”
FL Sen. Jeff Brandes Continuing to Lead on AV
In late February, Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes (R-FL-24) introduced a bill authorizing the operation of low-speed autonomous vehicles (AV) on certain streets and roads. Long a champion of AV innovation and adoption, AUVSI commends Sen. Brandes for continuing to push these issues forward and establish Florida as a leader of autonomous technology.
Congressional Hearing on the Administration’s Priorities for Transportation Infrastructure
This week, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg to understand the Biden Administration’s priorities on infrastructure. Major topics included the current and forecasted regulatory regime, how to effectively engage industry, and steps the federal government should take to continue fostering innovation.
'Disruptive Women' summit to spotlight cutting-edge AV technologies and female leaders helping to bring them to the fore
The trigger for the upcoming virtual summit, “Disruptive Women Powering Our Autonomous Future,” won’t likely make any history books, but it felt like a milestone – or at least an aha moment.
Pamela Gauci, events director for Velodyne Lidar, was reviewing the lineup for a panel discussion that was to be part of another event that the company hosts, an annual conference on safety and autonomous vehicles. With her was Sally Frykman, Velodyne Lidar’s chief marketing officer.
Neither the general topic of that other conference nor the specific topic designated for the panel – the regulatory road ahead – had anything to do with gender. Yet every expert on the list was a woman.
