Updates On Autonomy: How Self-Driving Technology Dominated September

September was really quite something for advances in autonomous technology — both on land and under the sea.

What Schools Of Fish Can Teach

Florida Atlantic University is studying the movement of fish to develop advanced autonomous technology capable of navigating beneath the shore. Dr. Oscar Curet, an assistant professor at the university, is spearheading a project in which he uses a robotic fish developed from his research on Knifefish to measure underwater movement. The school announced in September that the Office of Naval Research issued the project a grant totaling nearly $260,000.

Michigan And Driver Presence

At the beginning of the month, the Michigan State Senate voted unanimously not to require drivers to be present in autonomous vehicle testing on public roads. Supporters of the legislation believe it will help the state progress in the technological space.

Related Link: Recode: Google Isn't Building A Self-Driving Car, It's Building The Driver

Otto Developments

Acquired in August by Uber Technologies, self-driving truck startup Otto received a lot of attention in September as the company began disclosing its post-acquisition development plans. Although many experts do not anticipate Otto to release fully self-driving trucks to the road for another 20 years or so, Otto did recently announce plans to place trucks equipped with other Otto-owned technology on the road as early as next year. Additional technologies include tracking, mapping and navigation.

California DMV Requirements

September’s autonomous technology trend wrapped with California’s Department of Motor Vehicles announcement that it would not require autonomous car operators to be licensed drivers for many advanced vehicles. These vehicles would be subject to certain safety requirements, however. This decision comes less than a year after the state drafted regulations limiting drivability of autonomous vehicles to licensed drivers. The revised regulations will not require a human to be in autonomous cars as long as the vehicle maintains communication with a second party while on the road.

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