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Velodyne LiDAR’s Safety Summit: That’s a wrap (part 9)
Oct 31, 2018 | By Velodyne Lidar

The numbers don’t lie.  Car crashes kill 1.3 million worldwide each year.  About 93 percent of the accidents are caused by human error.

The focus of the first-ever Velodyne LiDAR Safety Summit took aim at how the new technology of AV can reduce the numbers dramatically – maybe even forever.

Yes, the Velodyne LiDAR World Safety Summit was about safety and its intersection with technology.

Anand Gopalan, Velodyne LiDAR’s chief technology officer, said it as well as anyone as the first Summit celebrated its successful debut.

“We’re learning what it takes to improve safety using these technologies, but also to deploy this technology safely,” he said.  “We’re creating a space for people to do that and to collaborate in a non-competitive manner.

Anand Gopalan – Chief Technology Officer, Velodyne LiDAR

“A lot of this technology is amazing, but safety is paramount.  We have to find a way to collaborate across the industry.  I think it’s definitely a big concern where people look at new technology and they’ve been bitten by this in the past. People rush forward to develop new technology without thinking about the implications on society.  Maybe we should learn from mistakes and come together to learn from that ahead of time.”

Maybe, as they say, the future actually is now.  Tomorrow is here early.

“It really is happening,” Gopalan said. “We are at the cusp of something that, over next couple of decades, is really going to bring this ‘Jetsons’ age to life.  We have a unique opportunity to do a lot of good.  But as with all of these things, we have to think about it carefully and responsibly…and we also have the danger of actually harming society.  That’s why I think safety is not just about how this technology can be used, but how this technology can be deployed.”

Robert Adragna and Adam El-Masri, University of Toronto with Christopher A. Hart – Former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman (middle)

Part 1: Velodyne LiDAR’s Safety Summit
Part 2: Let’s get it started
Part 3: Look, up in the sky!
Part 4: It’s a learning process
Part 5: And now, what about the DMV?
Part 6: Regulations. Responsibility
Part 7: Watch what you drink
Part 8: The driverless car rides
Part 9: That’s a wrap

About Velodyne Lidar

Velodyne Lidar (Nasdaq: VLDR, VLDRW) ushered in a new era of autonomous technology with the invention of real-time surround view lidar sensors. Velodyne, a global leader in lidar, is known for its broad portfolio of breakthrough lidar technologies. Velodyne’s revolutionary sensor and software solutions provide flexibility, quality and performance to meet the needs of a wide range of industries, including robotics, industrial, intelligent infrastructure, autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Through continuous innovation, Velodyne strives to transform lives and communities by advancing safer mobility for all.

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