SAE Tomorrow Today

This week, we dig into the world of mapping as Mark Wheeler, Co-Founder & CTO of DeepMap, chats with host Grayson Brulte about the impact of HD maps on the evolution of autonomous vehicles.

Mark takes us on his career journey, from grad school at Carnegie Mellon University to his first job at Apple to the cryptic email that led to his groundbreaking mapping work at Leica to his reluctance to join “that search engine company,” Google. Mark also shares his personal history with his DeepMap co-founder and former Google desk mate, James Wu.

Grayson and Mark jump into why HD maps are the missing piece to solve full self-driving. Mark discusses the challenges that HD maps can solve by being able to “look around corners and look 10 seconds into the future." He explains the importance of being able to update maps on-the-go, in a matter of seconds, and how precise localization improves change detection to create a safer mode of transportation. He also disputes Tesla’s claim that a "map-based approach to deploying self-driving cars is not sustainable" by emphasizing the inevitability of HD maps and his energy for the task.

Mark shares some more information about DeepMap, detailing the company’s solutions and capabilities, early concepts, goals, the number of countries they’ve mapped, and the investors who have helped them grow and demonstrate confidence in the technology.

The conversation closes out with some industry insight from Mark as they discuss how mapping technologies are being incorporated into various mobility market segments as well as how the race to market between robo-taxis and SAE Level 2+ consumer vehicles will shape the future approach to mapping.

Learn more about DeepMap at www.deepmap.ai.

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We are headed for the stars and traveling faster than the speed of sound, as Dale Tutt, Vice President, Aerospace and Defense Industry at Siemens Digital Industries Software, joins host Grayson Brulte to discuss all things aerospace.

Dale shares how early moon exploration missions kickstarted his lifelong interest in space and aviation, then offers insight on how private sector investment has jumpstarted us to get to the moon faster, more frequently and even, permanently.

As the conversation shifts to Dale’s time at Bombardier and Cessna, he and Grayson discuss the future of supersonic jets: speed of transit, sustainability, business efficiencies and effectiveness, and alignment with eVTOLs that will enable market growth.

The passion for flight shines though as Dale recounts his role as the lead for the Textron Air-Land Scorpion project, which culminated in his chance to actually fly the Scorpion, as well as stories about his first solo flight as an instrument-rated pilot. Dale also shares that space is not his “final frontier” but his next frontier.

Grayson and Dale dig into the role of simulation and how it helps Siemens’ customers with cost savings, reduced testing and to-market time, and inspires confidence in engineers and investors, alike. They discuss how simulation software is being incorporated in the design of complex aerospace systems and create efficiencies for the creation of best-in-class products.

The conversation wraps up with a look at the future of both the commercial and defense aerospace industries, including the impacts of supersonic, hypersonic and electric/hybrid propulsion aircrafts

Learn more about Siemens Digital Industries Software at https://www.sw.siemens.com/.

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We take to the sky as a pioneering voice in VTOL, Mark Moore, Director of Strategy at Uber Elevate, joins host Grayson Brulte to walk through his journey from NASA to Uber and how eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) will lead to redesigned cities with transportation freedom.

Mark breaks down the misconceptions of eVTOLs and their benefits compared to helicopters, including reduced noise pollution and the safety parameters built into eVTOL design that create thrusting control redundancies to ensure continued operation even if a part is broken. He shares his unique perspective on how the traditional roles of commercial operators and government agencies have flipped with Silicon Valley leading the charge on the technological innovations and capital investment for eVTOLs.

The two discuss Uber’s Elevate strategy of collaboration for the establishment of an ecosystem of developers, public officials and key stakeholders to make the endeavor a reality. Mark compares the current and future eVTOL landscape with that of the early days of aviation and offers his insight on how the industry will evolve over the next two decades to allow city planners to “take off the gloves” and redesign cities for productivity around a nodal mobility system.

And for the first time, Mark shares with Grayson how his groundbreaking “NASA Puffin Electric Tailsitter VTOL Concept” paper caught the eye of Google’s Larry Page and ultimately led to a meeting where Larry showed Mark the building where he was going to start the industry’s first eVTOL company.

Learn more about Uber Elevate at https://www.uber.com/us/en/elevate/.

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The “middle mile” is the segment where Gatik AI is planting its flag. Gautam Narang, Co-Founder and CEO of Gatik AI, joins host Grayson Brulte to talk about how the company’s focus on middle mile autonomous delivery to help alleviate logistical and delivery challenges has set them apart from others in the AV industry.

The conversation kicks off with how Gautam’s early life played a major role in the founding of Gatik, starting with his mother’s job as a science teacher in India spurring his interest in robotics to his professional desire to have a big impact on society. Gautam and Grayson discuss recent developments at Gatik, including the launch of the autonomous box truck and partnership with Walmart, which have helped enable the retailer’s rapid growth of online grocery delivery.

They also identify Gatik’s target market segments, thoughtful approach to growth, and goal to serve entire middle mile segment with different kind of form factors. As the conversation turns to shifting delivery time expectations, Gautam explains how the further adoption of a hub-and-spoke model has increased the number of delivery routes and need for more trucks, which has allowed Gatik’s autonomous solution to prosper.

The two examine COVID-19’s impact on the surge of online grocery shopping and how contactless delivery is here to stay. The conversation concludes with some prognostication of future trends in logistics and “middle mile” autonomous delivery.

Learn more about Gatik AI at http://gatik.ai.

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David Estrada, Chief Legal Officer at Nuro, joins host Grayson Brulte to discuss the leading factors of the mobility revolution. David kicks off by sharing the familial inspiration that shaped his well-rounded perspective.

The two dive right in to how mobility has changed over the past two years and the role that tech companies’ heavy investment in self-driving cars will shape the future. David then shares his perspective on how an elected official’s first impression of riding in an AV compared to his own. Grayson and David dig into how the vision of Larry Page at Google pushed investment and development into AV.

David then shares insights on driving behaviors and what kinds of trips can be replaced by AVs. The two look at what’s next for Nuro’s AV delivery services, why Houston as the ideal test market for AV delivery services, the benefits of Nuro’s vehicles and the greatest challenges for scaling services.

The AV conversation shifts to why SAE Level 2 automated systems will eventually become commonplace in future vehicles. And finally, “Tomorrow Man” offers his insights on flying cars and the challenges that urban air/eVTOL must overcome to increase widespread adoption and development in major cities worldwide.

Learn more about Nuro at https://nuro.ai/.

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Technological advancements are the backbone for mass deployment of connected solutions. When Jeff Stewart, Assistant Vice President of Global Public Policy at AT&T, joins host Grayson Brulte at SAE’s Government/Industry Meeting, they run the gamut of innovations impacting the world around us.

As the world shifts focus to 5G, Jeff shares AT&T’s 5G policy, explores what the town of the future looks like and digs into the importance of fiber backhaul for continued advancement. Grayson and Jeff talk about the importance of cyber security as it relates to developing public trust of technology and bridging the gap between politicians and connectivity.

Jeff then provides details on the AT&T Drive Studio Lab that has positioned the company in the AV sector with its first facility solely dedicated to connected car innovation and research.

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To close out the first series of SAE Tomorrow Today, Vince Lichtinger, Manager of Fuels and Emerging Technology Group at the Marathon Petroleum Corporation, talks with host Grayson Brulte at SAE’s Government/Industry Meeting about the changes in the petroleum business over his 31-year career and the impact that Marathon has had on the industry.

Vince discusses the ever-increasing importance of educating consumers about petroleum technology as the demand for energy continues to grow. Grayson steers the conversation to get Vince’s thoughts on the industry’s shift to autonomy and how that impacts the future of Marathon.

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Hospitals aren’t often associated with mobility innovation. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) shifts that thinking.

Valentina Graci, Ph.D., a research scientist at CIRP/CHOP, sits down with host Grayson Brulte at SAE’s Government/Industry Meeting to discuss all things child safety in vehicles, including her research efforts on automotive safety, autonomous vehicles warnings, safe seat design and position, seatbelts and why AV designs should consider the current and future unique safety needs of children.

Valentina details why CHOP is focusing on AV research, discusses the proper use of booster seats for keeping children safe and looks to when children might ride in an AV without a parent.

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The career journey of Brad Stertz, Director of Government Affairs at Audi, took him from the news desk to a leadership role in the automotive industry.

Brad joins host Grayson Brulte at SAE’s Government/Industry Meeting to talk about the importance of showcasing autonomous technology to local government officials as a way to create understanding and develop legislation.

Throughout the conversation, Brad shares his insights on a number of government-related topics, including the differing AV policy laws in New York, California and Florida, as well as how the deployment of scooters in cities compares to AVs.

Grayson and Brad discuss the importance of the perception of AV safety among public and government officials, focusing on the false narratives in the Autonomous Vehicle Engagement Reports, building trust and the AV Start Act.

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Dr. R. Dean Foreman, Chief Economist at API, talks with host Grayson Brulte at SAE’s Government/Industry Meeting about the strides the natural gas and oil industry has made over the past decade to drive innovative solutions to the real-world problems of today.

Dean discusses the efforts that the industry is focusing on to remain part of the climate change solution, while looking at the new technologies being employed to deliver results.

As the automotive industry shifts priorities to electric vehicles, Dean speaks to the immediate market trends to focus on the increasing market share of natural gas for power generation as a cost alternative option for today’s needs and the supply chain issues impacting the EV market.

Grayson and Dean wrap up their conversation exploring the future of the changing industry in the U.S.

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