Last month we heard that George Hotz had cancelled his Comma One self-driving hardware after they were contacted by regulators in the US about the device and the software.
Now George Hotz has announced that he is making his self-driving software open source and also making the plans for his self-driving hardware available for free. The hardware is now called Comma Neo.
Open Pilot: An Open Source Alternative
The software is now called Open Pilot, and it is apparently an open-source alternative to Tesla’s Auto Pilot. According to George Hotz, his Open Pilot software and the Comma Neo provide almost the same functions as Tesla’s autopilot 7. This is a significant development in the field of autonomous driving technology, as it opens up the possibility for more developers and enthusiasts to contribute to and improve upon the existing technology.
George Hotz revealed that they decided to make the software and hardware open source as a way to sidestep the NHTSA and the California DMV. By making the technology open source, Hotz is effectively bypassing the regulatory hurdles that come with selling a physical product. This move could potentially accelerate the development and adoption of self-driving technology by allowing a broader community to experiment and innovate.
Regulatory Challenges and Future Prospects
“NHTSA only regulates physical products that are sold,” Hotz said. “They do not regulate open source software, which is a whole lot more like speech.” He went on to say that “if the US government doesn’t like this [project], I’m sure there are plenty of countries that will.”
This statement highlights the complex regulatory landscape surrounding autonomous driving technology. While the NHTSA and other regulatory bodies focus on physical products, open-source software operates in a more ambiguous legal space. By releasing Open Pilot and Comma Neo as open source, Hotz is not only sidestepping US regulations but also inviting global participation in the project.
The implications of this move are far-reaching. For one, it democratizes access to advanced self-driving technology, allowing smaller companies and individual developers to experiment with and improve upon the software. This could lead to rapid advancements in the field, as more minds work on solving the challenges associated with autonomous driving.
Moreover, the open-source nature of the project means that it can be adapted to different regulatory environments around the world. Countries with more lenient regulations on autonomous driving could become testing grounds for new innovations, potentially leading to faster adoption and refinement of the technology.
In addition to regulatory challenges, there are also technical hurdles to overcome. Autonomous driving technology relies on a complex interplay of sensors, algorithms, and real-time data processing. By making the software open source, Hotz is inviting a global community of developers to tackle these challenges collectively. This collaborative approach could lead to more robust and reliable self-driving systems.
Furthermore, the open-source model encourages transparency and accountability. With the code available for anyone to inspect, potential flaws and vulnerabilities can be identified and addressed more quickly. This is particularly important for safety-critical systems like autonomous driving, where even minor errors can have serious consequences.
In conclusion, George Hotz’s decision to make Open Pilot and Comma Neo open source is a bold and innovative move that could have a significant impact on the future of autonomous driving technology. By bypassing regulatory hurdles and inviting global collaboration, Hotz is paving the way for rapid advancements and broader adoption of self-driving systems. It will be interesting to see how this open-source project evolves and what new innovations emerge from the global community of developers.
Source The Verge
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