LAS VEGAS: Hyundai’s Ioniq draws little attention as it maneuvers the streets of Las Vegas.
The mid-sized sedan is one of a number of autonomous cars roaming the city’s streets during the high-tech Consumer Electronics Show.
The South Korean automaker wants to stand out by being ordinary: Making a self-driving car for the average consumer.
“The autonomous Ioniq concept is a normal car, not a science project,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president of Hyundai North America, during a demonstration.
“We believe in democratizing this technology.”
Hyundai’s unremarkable car stands in contrast to others being shown at the huge tech show, which include a number of pricey models with more horsepower and luxury features.
Many automakers are planning for autonomous vehicles but O’Brien says Hyundai “can deliver at an affordable price point” for the average consumer.
In the demonstration, the Ioniq was able to use its turn signal, change lanes, stop at a red light and yield to pedestrians.
In one instance, it began to accelerate with a green light but then suddenly braked.
Vehicle technology manager Andre Ravinowich said the sudden shift came because “the car in front started moving, but braked” and the Ioniq acted to avoid getting too close.
Engineers are working to refine the algorithms which govern these kinds of decisions, based on data collected from sensors in the car and other information.
Hyundai and other automakers are using a technology called LIDAR, or light detection and ranging, for remote sensing of vehicles, pedestrians and other things in the environment.
Ravinowich said there are still a few hurdles before autonomous driving becomes mainstream.
“Technology-wise it’s not too far away, we’re closer than a lot of people think,” he said.
But he said that it will also depend on government regulations and infrastructure which is compatible with the new electronics.
“A lot of regulations need to change, infrastructures need to be in place,” he said.
The tests show the system is not perfect. When the Ioniq was behind an idled truck, the operator behind the wheel (as a safety precaution) had to manually use a turn signal to indicate a lane change to overtake the truck.
“It’s still something we need to work on,” Ravinowich said.
Hyundai has offered no date for when it would have an autonomous vehicle ready but some others have set a target for around 2020.
Hyundai eyes autonomous vehicles for the masses
Hyundai eyes autonomous vehicles for the masses
Airlines across Middle East, Asia extend flight suspensions for 3rd straight day
RIYADH: Airlines and airport operators across the Middle East extended flight suspensions for a third consecutive day after US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered widespread airspace closures, disrupting global travel routes.
Major Gulf hubs halted operations as authorities kept sections of regional airspace closed, forcing carriers to cancel thousands of flights and reroute long-haul services linking Europe, Asia and Australia.
This comes as flight cancellations affected seven airports across the Middle East on March 1, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Doha in Qatar, and Manama in Bahrain.
Emirates said in a statement that, due to multiple regional airspace closures, it has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai until 3:00 p.m. UAE time on March 3.
“The situation remains dynamic and is assessed continuously. We urge all customers to review the latest operational updates on emirates.com and check their email for any notifications about changes or cancellations to their flights before travelling to the airport,” the airline said.
Hamad International Airport said flights remain suspended and will resume once the Civil Aviation Authority announces the reopening of Qatari airspace. The airport advised passengers not to travel to the airport and to contact their airlines for updates.
The closures disrupted key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad — which operate from these hubs — normally handle around 90,000 passengers daily, with even more traveling to other Middle Eastern destinations, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The disruption has compounded volatility in airline shares amid concerns over higher fuel costs and prolonged operational uncertainty.
Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote, said: “The weekend was marked by tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran, leading to hundreds of explosions targeting broader Middle East countries as well, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.”
He added: “The flare-up was predictable; markets had been preparing for weeks as US warships advanced to the region preceding the explosions.”
Asian airlines shares plunge
Asian airline stocks slid on March 2, with Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific, Australia’s Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Japan Airlines falling more than 5 percent after the escalation disrupted travel flows and heightened concerns over fuel prices, Asharq Bloomberg reported.
Qantas shares dropped as much as 10.4 percent to a 10-month low at the Australian market open before trimming losses to trade down nearly 6 percent.
Other carriers, including Japan Airlines, Air China and Malaysia Airlines, also declined.
Cathay Pacific canceled all flights to the Middle East, including passenger services to Dubai and Riyadh, until further notice.
Singapore Airlines suspended flights to and from Dubai until March 7, while Japan Airlines halted services between Tokyo and Doha for the time being.
Flight data provider VariFlight said Chinese airlines have canceled 26.5 percent of their services to and from the Middle East scheduled between March 2 and 8.
