ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO — A veteran computer scientist hates sitting in his car at stop lights, so he creates software that makes the experience less annoying. A former engineering professor wants to double the range of today's electric vehicles. And an aeronautics expert believes flying cars shouldn't be science fiction.
It's no secret that technology is changing the car industry. The major automakers, as well as tech giants such as Google Inc. and possibly Apple Inc., are laying the groundwork for the first driverless cars.
Meanwhile, a number of engineers and entrepreneurs have started companies to tackle other automotive challenges.
Here are some start-ups that want to change the way you drive:
TERRAGUGIA
Terrafugia, a privately backed start-up in Woburn, Mass., says on its website that flying cars have become a pop-culture symbol for dreams that don't come true. Chief Executive Officer Carl Dietrich wants to change that.
Two years ago, Mr. Dietrich and his co-founders — all MIT graduates — wowed observers at a Wisconsin air show by flying a gasoline-powered light plane the size of a sport utility vehicle, which can fold its wings and meet legal requirements for highway driving. The firm hopes to deliver a version to customers in 2017, at an anticipated price of $279,000.
Terrafugia is also working on a concept for a sleeker, electric-powered vehicle with rotors for vertical takeoff. Mr. Dietrich acknowledged it will take years to use software and automation to build a car that doesn't require a pilot's license to fly.
"Our first product is very much an airplane that can be driven," he said, "but it's putting our company in position to make a car that can fly.
CONNECTED SIGNALS
Matt Ginsberg, entrepreneur and computer scientist, hates red lights. They take forever to change green, and then your mind wanders while you wait, until the guy behind you starts leaning on his horm.
So Mr. Ginsberg started Connected Signals, based in Eugene, Ore., to collect real-time data from cities that synchronize their signals. The company's smart-phone app tells motorists if an upcoming signal is about to change color. It shows drivers how long they'll have to wait if a light is red and chimes a warning just before it turns green.
The app helps prevent distraction, unnecessary acceleration, and delays, Mr. Ginsberg said. BMW has added it to its driver display. Mr. Ginsberg also sees an opportunity in selling data for automotive systems that shut off a car's engine to save gas during longer red lights. One hurdle is getting the raw data from individual cities: Mr. Ginsberg has agreements with about 100 towns and hopes to cover half the United States by 2017.
PARKME
Sam Friedman and Alex Israel missed the start of a movie because they couldn't find a place to park. That's when the two friends since kindergarten decided to launch Los Angeles-based ParkMe, one of several start-ups with smart-phone apps that help drivers find, reserve, and pay online for parking spots.
But ParkMe boasts parking information from 1,800 cities worldwide, much of it collected via live feeds from ticket dispensers at commercial and municipal lots.
The company also gets street-parking data from meters that accept credit cards and from cities that use pavement sensors for parking enforcement. ParkMe also sells the app to planning agencies and car companies, including Audi, for their navigation systems.
METROMILE
That little diagnostic port under your car's dashboard isn't just for mechanics. It can provide useful information for drivers and insurance companies too.
Several start-ups use matchbox-sized devices that plug into the port and send information on a car's performance to the driver's smart phone. San Francisco start-up MetroMile sells car insurance on a pay-per-mile basis, using a similar device to verify the miles driven.
Other insurance firms are trying similar devices to track drivers' behavior, but MetroMile says it won't penalize a customer for speeding or slamming the brakes. The company promises significant savings for people who don't drive much. That may limit the potential market, although CEO Dan Preston said drivers get useful data from the app.
CRUISE AUTOMATION
You don't need to wait years to enjoy autonomous driving. At least that's the premise behind Cruise Automation's "highway autopilot" kit.
Cruise engineers have retrofitted some recent Audi models with prototype kits consisting of rooftop sensors, a computer in the trunk,, and controls that fit behind the steering wheel. Founder Kyle Vogt says the system will keep a car within its freeway lane, while steering around curves and maintaining safe distance from other vehicles.
Mr. Vogt, a software engineer who helped launch streaming video service Twitch.tv, said last year he hoped to deliver the first kits to customers this year. But he stressed the importance of testing the product to ensure it is safe. Cruise received a permit in June to conduct tests on California highways.
SAKTI3
Most electric vehicles on the market only go 100 miles on a charge. A better battery is the industry's "Holy Grail," said investor Quin Garcia of Auto Tech Ventures, which funds automotive start-ups.
Sakti3, based in Ann Arbor, is among several start-ups trying new approaches to lithium-ion batteries. Founder Ann Marie Sastry, a former engineering professor at the University of Michigan, was invited to a White House event last month to explain her ideas for making powerful batteries more cheaply.
It's not enough to come up with an idea for a new battery, Ms. Sastry said. "If you can't make it cost-effectively, you can't have an impact." She's using computer simulations to design processes for making solid-state batteries that are lighter and hold twice the energy, providing more range. Appliance-maker Dyson Inc. has invested in Sakti3 as had General Motors.
Source: Tech firms steer changes in driving
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