Foxconn and self-driving trucks: Wishing won't make it so

Sources:

• Foxconn plans self-driving trucks on I-94 as early as 2021.  (Milwaukee Business Journal, 4/30/2018)
• Five reasons not to worry about self-driving trucks.  (RTS Carrier Services)

For The Long Haul, Self-Driving Trucks May Pave The Way Before Cars.  (NPR, 10/13/2016)

Kornhauser, who heads the Autonomous Vehicle Engineering program at Princeton University, says long-haul trucks are well suited for self-driving technology. Trucks log most of their miles on highways, where the lanes are well marked, where the roadways are smooth and where there are no pedestrians, no bicyclists and no kids playing ball. 

"The self-driving is easy," Kornhauser says. 

Kornhauser says he expects to see plenty of self-driving trucks within a decade. But he points out that self-driving doesn't mean driverless. It's likely a trucker will still be in the cab, probably in the driver's seat, ready to take control if something goes wrong. He thinks this change will make the lives of truckers safer and less stressful.

Not to be a buzzkill, but keep in mind that most of these truck deliveries are made in densely populated areas.



Other Foxconn posts:
April 2018
Did Louis Woo just let the cat out of the bag?  (4/30/2018)
UPDATE: So, basically, Louis Woo, what's really going on in that rental building?  (4/30/2018)
Foxconn and robots:  Joined at the hip.  (4/26/2018)
UPDATE. Woo sez Foxconn wowed by 4 billion dollars' worth of Walker wooing.  (4/26/2018)
State Senator Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) conducts a Foxconn storytime at the Greenwood Cafe.  (4/26/2018)
Question of the day: Do you take Foxconn's pledge at face value? (4/25/2018)
Foxconn decision: The $4.7 billions in assistance, of course, has nothing to do with it.  (4/19/2018)
In deep red Ozaukee County, disparagement of Scott Walker's Foxconn giveaways.  (4/19/2018)
City of Milwaukee publishes Foxconn company profile.  (4/18/2018)
That Foxconn sucking sound: Up to $40 million for a single county highway project vs. a $47 million funding distribution for the entire North Central region of Wisconsin. / (4/8/2018)

March 2018
The fantasy life of our sloganeering governor Scott Walker.  (3/21/2018)
Racine County air quality alert: Foxconn emissions of ozone precursors.  (3/16/2018)
Here's a proposal that's chock full of nuts.  (3/9/2018)
The toxic possibilities of Foxconn's wastewater discharge.  (3/8/2018)
Marquette Law School poll: Most folks aren't buying Scott Walker BS about statewide benefits of Foxconn deal.  (3/5/2018)
Wisconsin Department of Administration policy analyst: Walker pretty much shot his wad with Foxconn deal.  (3/5/2018)
UPDATE. John and Kim Mahoney take issue with that 'generous offers' happy talk.  (3/3/2018)

February 2018
Make way for robots.  (2/25/2018)
Foxconn now classified as public works project.  (2/21/2018)
Two peas in a pod: Scott Walker in top 10 of least popular governors, Terry Gou's Foxconn in top 10 of America's most hated tech companies.  (2/13/2018
Scott Walker pins his hopes on an old-fashioned manufacturing kind of guy.  (2/13/2018)
Con artists reap benefits of Scott Walker's Foxconn deal.  (2/10/2018)
Get me rewrite: Foxconn CEO Terry Gou interested in UW-Madison AI expertise to automate his factories.  (2/9/2018)
Foxconn puff piece: Will the real Naoki Hosoya please stand up.  (2/8/2018)
Wisconsin taxpayers carry the burden for job creators.  (2/6/2018)

January 2018
Not to mention Grantsburg, Hayward, Bayfield, Ashland, Hurley, Eagle River, Crandon, and Florence.  (1/26/2018)
Wisconsin cities with highest unemployment rates could use some of that Chicago millennials Foxconn love that Scott Walker is dishing out.  (1/27/2018)
GOP bastion in Racine County sez 'no' to Foxconn-related development.  (1/21/2018)
UPDATE. Here comes that specious Foxconn-Boeing comparison again.  (1/18/.2018)
The Foxconn ka-ching ka-ching ka-ching.  (1/17/2018)
FierceWireless's buzzkill on the Foxconn deal.  (`/16/2018)
Official press agency of People's Republic of China: 'Villagers' in Racine County rebel against Foxconn land grab.  (1/12/2018)
Owner of company that wins Foxconn road construction contract serves up heaping helping of hyperbole, as well campaign contributions to GOP incumbents.  (1/5/2018)

December 2017
Historic giveaways: Most expensive taxpayer-funded jobs in history is Scott Walker's top accomplishment in 2017.  (12/26/2017)
Gateway Technical College cutting-edge Foxconn curriculum does not include workforce development, employee relations, and management concepts.  (12/25/2017)
Let's put this Foxconn deposit in perspective.  (12/23/2017)
UPDATE. Scott Walker Monday tweet storm attempts to distract us from his highway funding mess.  (12/19/2017)
GOP legislative aide and letter writer Keith Best needs to brush up on his Foxconn analogies.  (12/16/2017)
UPDATE: The Wisconn Valley Way to Wisconsin's fiscal and moral bankruptcy.  (12/15/2017)
Scott Walker, meet Andrew Ng, who wants to help Foxconn bring intelligence displayed by machines to Racine County.  (12/14/2017)
Billions for Foxconn but a raw deal for Mount Pleasant residents John and Kim Mahoney.  (12/13/2017)
Some residents of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois will help to foot the bill for a $140,000,000 Foxconn campus electrical substation.  (12/12/2017)
A deafening silence: What role will robotics play at Foxconn's Mount Pleasant manufacturing plant?  (12/12/2017)
Inquiring minds want to know why driverless technology wasn't discussed during Foxconn contract negoatiations, Scott Walker.  (12/12/2017)
Donald Trump and Terry Gou: Scott Walker loves these two peas in a pod.  (12/9/2017)

Foxconn moves into Hallmark territory: They like us, they really like us!  (12/3/2017)

November 2017
Scott Walker and Terry Gou agree that a projection is not the same as an obligation.  (11/30/2017)
Multinational company earning billions in annual revenue gets loan from Racine County.  (11/26/2017)
Scott Walker:  Dealmaker, optimist.  (11/25/2017)
Foxconn now hiring: Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits.  (11/19/2017)
Hypocrisy alert: The free-market, individual responsiblity, limited government-lovin' MacIver Institute approves Wisconsin's $3 billion Foxconn dole.  (11/14/2017)
Scott Walker views his Foxconn deal through rose-colored glasses.  (11/13/2017)

October 2017

Survey says (in so many words): "Pshaw" to the hogwash that Foxconn will benefit all of Wisconsin.  (10/27/2017)
UPDATE. Robin Vos doesn't want to count his chickens before they hatch but remains confident it's going to happen.  (10/23/2017)

Big payday for some Racine County farmers, not so much for homeowners.  (10/12/2017)

Racine County, Mount Pleasant, to Foxconn: No need to reach for your wallet.  (10/11/2017)

Incoming Quality Control Specialist at Foxconn requires high school diploma or equivalency.  (10/9/2017)

In the bonus round, Tammy finds herself in a big yellow taxi mood.  (10/9/2017)

Mount Pleasant Village President welcomes average debt of $3,917.55 per person with open arms.  (10/8/2017)

Dear Politifact, Hairsplitting aside, America has a gun violence epidemic.  (10/5/2017)

August 2017

WEDC hasn't done its Foxconn homework yet and GOP committee members are fine with that.  (8/16/2017)

UPDATE. Funny how there's all this talk about Foxconn jobs that pay well below the alleged average salary.  (8/12/2017)

Reggie White:Green Bay Packers:: Foxconn:Wisconsin (Scott Walker analogy reveals his crazed desperation).  (8/10/2017)

Foxconn has been looking to replace workers with robots for at least 2 years. (8/9/2017)

Scott Walker and Terry Gou share a laugh at Wisconsin taxpayers' expense.  (8/8/2017)

Really, Ray, all this and heaven too provided by a factory to assemble display panel screens?  (8/6/2017)

That was then. This is now. The free market/small government Robin Vos.  (8/4/2017)

Bloomberg sees short-term gain, long-term pain for Wisconsin's Foxconn deal.  (8/4/2017)

Sean Duffy gets it wrong.  (8/3/2017)

Scott Walker and Paul Ryan collude on campaign digital ads for Foxconn.  (8/3/2017)

Here's some news that pains Scott Walker to his core: Foxconn considering Dane County site.  (8/2/2017)

Fast Company: Scott Walker deal a transfer of wealth from Wisconsin taxpayers to Foxconn shareholders. (8/2/2017)

Donald Trump pinches off another loaf.  (8/1/2017)

Scott Walker lets Fiserv piggyback onto Foxconn legislation.  (8/1/2017)

Calendar UPDATE. In the case of the committee hearing, 1 day is sufficient time to prepare, sez Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.  (8/1/2017) 

Rep. Bob Kulp sprinkles Foxconn fairy dust all over the Badger State.  (8/1/2017)

July 2017

Of which just 3,000 of these 'new' jobs are permanent.  (7/31/2017)

UPDATE. State Sen. Van Wanggaard on board with Wisconsin's Foxconn deep-pockets strategy.  (7/30/2017)

A Ring of Familiarity. Once upon a time in Pennsylvania.....  (7/29/2017)

Matt, it doesn't appear that 'rigorous' and 'review' are in Scott Walker's and Foxconn's vocabulary.  (7/29/2017)

Scott Walker and Foxconn steamroll environmental regulation going forward.  (7/29/2017)

UPDATE.  The luring of Foxconn intensifies in Wisconsin.   (7/20/2017)

While Wisconsin and Michigan duke it out for low-paying jobs, Foxconn announces $5 billion investment in India.  (7/8/2017)

UPDATE. Foxconn becomes pawn in Wisconsin transportation funding tussle.  (7/6/2017)

Foxconn officials eyeing sites in Michigan.  (7/6/2017)