Knight Transportation, Inc. Announces Participation In Upcoming Conferences

Knight Transportation, Inc. is a truckload transportation provider offering dry van, refrigerated, intermodal and third-party services to customers through a network of service centers located throughout the United States serving North America. As "Your Hometown National Carrier," Knight strives to offer customers and drivers personal service and attention through each service center, while offering integrated freight transportation nationwide and beyond through the scale of one of North America's largest trucking companies. The principal types of freight we transport include consumer staples, retail, paper products, packaging/plastics, manufacturing, and import/export commodities.

The presentation or discussions at the conference may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Please refer to various disclosures made by the Company in its stockholder reports, press releases, and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any such forward-looking statement. The Company does not assume, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Car Steered With Eyes, Computer Scientists Demonstrate

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Scientists at Freie Universität working under the computer science professor Raúl Rojas have given a completely new meaning to this standard rule for drivers: Using software they developed, they can steer a car with their eyes.

Information about the Software: EyeDriver

The eyeDriver software is a prototype application for steering the research vehicle Spirit of Berlin using eye movements. The software was designed by computer scientists at Freie Universität Berlin in collaboration with the company, SMI (SensoMotoric Instruments). The eye movements of the driver are collected and converted into control signals for the steering wheel. The speed is controlled separately and is not included in eyeDriver. The software shows that you can drive a vehicle alone with eye movements.

The HED4 solution by SMI is used for detecting and tracking the eye movements. It is a converted bicycle helmet equipped with two cameras and an infrared LED, as well as a laptop computer with special software. One of the cameras is pointed to the front in the same direction as the person wearing the helmet (scene camera), while the other camera films one eye of the wearer (eye camera). The infrared light supports the eye camera and is pointed to the eye under observation. A transparent mirror that reflects only the infrared light is used to allow a reasonable viewing angle for the eye camera, without limiting the wearer's ability to see. After a brief calibration the software on the laptop of the HED4 is not only able to capture the position of the pupil in the eye camera, but can also calculate the position in the scene camera that the wearer is looking at. These coordinates in the image of the scene camera (viewing position) are transmitted via an ordinary LAN to the onboard computer in the Spirit of Berlin. The eyeDriver software in the onboard computer in the Spirit of Berlin receives the viewing positions at regular intervals over the LAN in the vehicle and uses it to control the steering wheel. The driver can choose between two modes: "free ride" and "routing."

In the "free ride" mode the viewing positions are linked directly with the steering wheel motor. That means that the x-coordinates of the viewing position are used to calculate the desired position of the steering wheel. The further the driver looks to the left or right, the further the steering wheel is turned in that direction. The speed of the vehicle is set in advance and kept constant, as long as the position of the gaze is recognized. In case it is not possible to detect which direction the driver is looking in, for example, if the driver's eyes are closed, the vehicle brakes automatically.

In the "routing" mode, the Spirit of Berlin steers autonomously most of the time. Only where there is a fork in the road, or an intersection, the car stops and asks the driver to select the next route. This requires the wearer of the helmet to look to the left or right for three seconds. If the driver's gaze lingers long enough in one direction, the eyeDriver software confirms acoustically that the choice has been accepted. The decision is communicated to the planner in the vehicle. Then the artificial intelligence in the Spirit of Berlin can plan the route accordingly and continue to run independently.

The Autonomous Vehicle Project

Prof. Dr. Raúl Rojas is a professor of artificial intelligence at the Institute of Computer Science at Freie Universität Berlin. He gained international success with his soccer robots, the "FU-Fighters." They were world champions twice in the small-size league. Since 2006 Prof. Rojas and his team have been designing technologies related to autonomous vehicles. As part of this project, they developed the research vehicle Spirit of Berlin, making it to the semifinals in the DARPA Urban Challenge in California in 2007.

In the fall of 2009, in the innovative vehicle steering series, based on the test vehicle, the computer scientists Tinosch Ganjineh and Miao Wang developed iDriver, with which it is possible to steer the research car using an iPhone. This series is now complemented with the EyeDriver software. It was developed primarily by Miao Wang and David Latotzky in cooperation with the firm SMI. These two developments are simply sub-projects. The core of the research continues to be the autonomous driving.

The AutoNOMOS Project

Since November 2010 the team around Prof. Rojas has been working on the further development of autonomous or semi-autonomous cars in the AutoNOMOS project headed by Tinosch Ganjineh. The project is being funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in its ForMaT (Forschung für den Markt im Team) program. The funding is for two years. The project will make a significant contribution to the development of accident-free, efficient, and environmentally friendly mobility. AutoNOMOS is a modular system for the operation of autonomous or semi-autonomous cars. Using AutoNomos, it will be possible to detect impending dangers on roads, highways, and crossings (lane change, traffic jams, rights of way) at an early stage and accidents can be prevented. Once the technology is ready, it will be introduced at first on private property and, finally, in public traffic.

The Spirit of Berlin

The Spirit of Berlin is an autonomous vehicle that was designed and built by the Artificial Intelligence Group at Freie Universität Berlin as of 2007. It is a car that can be driven without a driver. A conventional car (Dodge Grand Caravan, 2000) was equipped with sensors, computers, and actuators. The sensors collect information about the immediate environment. Using this information, the software on the computers selects what to do. The resulting action is then implemented with the help of mechanical actuators.

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by Freie Universitaet Berlin, via AlphaGalileo.

Important tips to keep your child safe and secure…

• Use the right seat for the child's height and weight.
  
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for correct child car seat installation and use.
  
• Be sure to secure the child correctly. Make sure harness straps are snug and tight. Use a tether strap with a forward-facing child car seat. Keep children away from all active air bags. Children under 13 years of age are safest in the back seat.
  
• Use caution when buying or using a pre-owned child car seat. Buy new, or from someone you know, and check it carefully. Make sure the car seat has:
  • instructions and all necessary hardware
  • not been in a collision
  • a Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) sticker
  • not expired or is not older than 10 years
  • no discoloured (stress) marks or cracks and the harness is not worn or torn.

NHTSA Launches Probe into Timeliness of Three Toyota Recalls

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced that it is using its statutory authority to obtain documents from Toyota to determine if the automaker conducted three of its recent recalls in a timely manner. Federal law requires all auto manufacturers to notify NHTSA within five days of determining that a safety defect exists and promptly conduct a recall.

"Safety recalls are very serious matters and automakers are required to quickly report defects," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The auto safety agency is requiring Toyota to provide documents showing when and how it learned of the defects affecting approximately 6 million vehicles in the U.S. alone. The probe will examine how the manufacturer learned of these defects, such as through consumer complaints or factory testing. Investigators are also looking into whether Toyota discovered the problems during pre-production or post-production of the affected vehicles.

Officials are checking whether Toyota has covered all affected models in its recent recalls to ensure Toyota did not miss any problems. The agency will obtain information on production data, incidents, complaints, warranty complaints, copies of tests, dates of meetings, timelines, and supplier information.

The three recalls in question involve various Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Two of the recalls are related to the entrapment of gas pedals by floor mats. The first recall was announced on September 26, 2007, and was followed by a subsequent one on October 6, 2009. The October recall was expanded on January 29, 2010, to include additional vehicles. The third recall, involving sticking gas pedals, was announced on January 21, 2010. Click here for more information.

"Our top priority is safety and we expect that all manufacturers address automotive safety issues quickly and in a forthright manner," said David Strickland, Administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA has the authority to seek civil penalties for a variety of violations by manufacturers, equipment suppliers, registered importers and vehicle customizers. If agency officials determine that an auto manufacturer violated its statutory obligations, the manufacturer could be liable for a maximum of $16.4 million in civil penalties.

The Electric Car Ecosystem and the Future of the Industry

6 Areas of Opportunity in the Electric Car Ecosystem

Electric cars like GM's Chevrolet Volt—due to be launched in November 2010—are pretty much everything the U.S. economy is banking on for a recovery. But before the use of electric cars becomes widespread, the industry must prepare for the parts and technologies that will be necessary to advance in order for the transition to occur. Here are six areas in the electric car ecosystem that are currently evolving to achieve this outcome.

The New Parts and Suppliers

Presently, many of the conventional cars we see on the road each day are powered by belts. In the future, when electric cars take over our roadways, car belts will be replaced by electric motors. The companies that develop integrated components - such as power steering and air conditioners - will be crucial first-tier suppliers in the electric car industry.

Battery Makers and Integrators + Battery Farmers

The undertaking of developing innovative designs to make car batteries cheaper, lighter, and more powerful will become a challenge as several companies and agencies compete to solidify their stake in the business. The winners will therefore becomes suppliers to the automakers, and there will be plenty of room to expand their businesses in the years ahead. So far, the U.S. Department of Energy is just one organization that is bestowing companies with grants to build a lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility.

Additionally, there will still be usefulness for old car batteries that can no longer store enough electricity to power an automobile. In an effort to keep the electric car industry green, companies will assemble with the purpose of collecting the old batteries, and work to connect them to sources of sustainable energy. The batteries will then be able to store the energy, and sell it to power companies and consumers. For example, a Japanese company called Yazaki has developed a new design for recharging electric cars, from virtually any wiring up to 240 volts.

Auto-Telecom Companies

Electric cars will link directly to the electric company, sending data about their charging status and needs. The development of this industry will most likely be centered on this communications path, which will allow companies to be able to monitor car components and navigation records. It will also allow new companies to trace navigation the way that Google tracks Web surfing.

Builders of the Smart Grid

The need for seamlessness in the electric car industry will require new communications standards. America’s 3,200 electric utilities will require massive upgrades of infrastructure and technology, and public areas will have to be restructured electrically for charging, such as apartment blocks, airports, and supermarket parking lots.

The Connectors

We are already seeing the first businesses involved in the installation and maintenance of home and commercial charging stations. Five connectors will run from battery packs: one will be used for cooling, heating, charging, monitoring the car’s performance, and the final connector will be used with the vehicles information and entertainment system. This system will allow the businesses to network with power companies to create an integrated bill for customers.

The Future of the Industry

It is important to understand that electric cars will benefit from a supplier base already structured like an ecosystem—and there are far too many living things in the emerging ecosystem to be anticipated by any single OEM. It will take an implicit partnership of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of suppliers to fill out the technology. The key is to bring them into alignment and, for that, the public sector may play a major role. "If governments act to consolidate standards, they can really make a difference in catalyzing competition among suppliers," says Tony Posawatz, the line director for the Volt.


source : inc.com

2015 - Autopilot Vehicles Common

It is expected that by 2015 a number of models of popular cars and trucks will be equipped to drive themselves at least part of the time with the help of on-board computers, GPS satellite navigation, and sensors, lasers and video cameras that will detect other objects around them. However, most experts say that people will generally want to retain control for some aspects of driving and manual options will still be included in vehicles. The concept car pictured here is the winner of a 2005 Peugeot design contest; the car design was proposed by Andre Costa.

General Motors announced in 2005 that it expects it could have a self-driving car that could pilot itself in heavy traffic at a speed of up to 60 mph in production by 2008. A team from Stanford University won a $2 million cash prize in 2005 for designing a robotic car that maneuvered across a difficult 132-mile course in the Mojave Desert.

A car on autopilot would allow the driver to take a nap, read or complete work for his or her job. There might be a feature for dimming the windows or altering their look to provide a more soothing interior environment with few distractions.

KPMG analyst Bernard Salt says cars will also be "smaller and tailor-made to the owner's specifications; they will be micro-designed and micro-marketed; an electronic fusion of home and office; a communications center as much as a means of transportation." He says people may also have the option of owning cars that have changeable exterior colors to fit their moods.

Travel update

Roads

The low temperatures and snow have been causing hazardous road conditions.

In the current severe weather conditions, road users are being advised by the Highways Agency to check their route and the weather forecast before setting out and take extra care if they decide to travel. In the worst affected areas, if a journey is not essential then drivers are advised to delay setting out until local conditions improve. If you have to travel, be prepared with a severe weather emergency kit and keep up to date with the road and weather conditions.

When driving, take care around vehicles clearing snow or speading grit. Only overtake if you can do so safely, without driving on uncleared snow. Even when driving on treated roads, you should still take care, especially on stretches that have a greater risk of ice forming due to the local road layout or landscape.

You can monitor the traffic and weather conditions and plan your journey by using the Highways Agency website, listening to DAB digital ‘Traffic Radio’ or local radio stations, or by calling their information line (08457 50 40 30).

If you have an iPhone, try Directgov's Travel News app. For live traffic information the Highways Agency also provides a 24-hour voice activated telephone service on 08700 660 115. (Calls from BT landlines to 0870 numbers cost no more than 8p per minute; mobile calls usually cost more.)

• 'Travel News' mobile app from Directgov

• Transport Direct - live travel news Opens new window

• Highways Agency Opens new window

• Winter driving

Rail

Many train operators have been cancelling trains or running revised timetables . Passengers are advised to check how services are operating before travelling, by following the link below. Eurostar is continuing to run a restricted service up to and including Monday 11 January.

Air

If you are flying you should check directly with your airline in case your flight is affected, and allow extra travel time to get to the airport. For advice on what to do if your flight is cancelled or delayed, follow the 'UK flight services' link below.

• National Rail service disruptions Opens new window

• Eurostar website Opens new window

• UK flight services

Tata Motors admits trouble through brake systems in DTC buses

Rubbishing previous reports stating that Delhi awful roads, and not defective maintenance, was causing fires and smokes in its buses, Tata Motors, dealer of low-floor Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses, admitted that the vehicle had a trouble with the brake system. However, the company maintained that there were no natural design and developed defects.

“There have been eight incidences reported of buses catch fire starting December 3, which has encouraged corrective action,” the company said, adding up that it would suffer a safety check for the buses which would be finished by January 31.

The Delhi administration on December 14 had compulsory a fine of Rs 4 crores on Tata Motors for not appropriately maintaining the low-floor buses that it artificial for the DTC.Chief Minister Sheila Dixit has said that a expense of Rs 150 crore to the Tatas had also been suspended.

The government said it would file an illegal case against the company if the bus problems sustained.

Gyrowheel for kids cycle

Airbus’ A400 military transport acquires to the air for the primary time

At 10:15 local time this morning in Seville in Spain, the Airbus A400M military transport model took to the air for the first time. For the sake of prosterity, the experiment pilots be Chief Test Pilot Military, Edward “Ed” Strongman, 60, as captain and Experimental Test Pilot Ignacio “Nacho” Lombo, 43, in the co-pilot’s seat. There were also four engineers on plank – Jean-Philippe Cottet, Eric Isorce, Didier Ronceray and Gerard Leskerpit – who will in the middle of them seem after the powerplants, aircraft systems and handling traits of the aircraft through the test program.

According to the Airbus press release, the crew have logged further than 31 000 hours of flight time among them. Fine, the outcome is that the aircraft has made that leap from amazing that had only ever flown on paper to real flight. Moreover late for the South African Air Force, although, who, having seen their much-anticipated substitute for the ageing C-130s snatched from under their noses just a few weeks ago, will now have to content themselves by scrutiny the world’s latest military freighter go during its paces.

Transport for London One ticket for London as Oysterisation of rail and river confirmed

Oyster pay as you go will be accepted on National Rail services from 2 January 2010.Mayor announces Oyster pay as you go will be accepted on Thames Clipper commuter services from today.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, Transport Secretary, Andrew Adonis, and the Train Operating Companies serving the Capital, today confirmed that the hundreds of thousands of passengers who travel on National Rail services within Greater London will be able to use Oyster pay as you go from 2 January 2010.

The extension of the ticketing system will cover all commuter rail routes within Greater London, and will particularly benefit commuters living across south and northeast London, where Oyster pay as you go is not currently accepted on the vast majority of rail services.

The Mayor has also confirmed that Oyster pay as you go will be accepted on all Thames Clippers river services from today, making river travel more convenient for thousands more Londoners and helping to boost usage of London's underused thoroughfare.

Awards for Shanghai student's sterilization invention

A local high school student's invention of an ultraviolet sterilizer to kill germs in vehicles has won him local and international awards and may be put to use in public transport in the future.

Guo Haijun, 18, has just returned home after winning two prizes at the 2009 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest pre-college science competition, held in the United States last month.Guo, a senior student at a Luwan District high school, has applied for a patent for his invention and some taxi companies have already shown interest in the innovative device.

"I came up with the idea about two years ago," Guo said. "Many taxi drivers and passengers are prone to coughs and flu."

Guo suspected that microbe contamination in the public vehicles could be the cause. He carried out studies on public transport with his schoolmates from March last year to February this year. They collected air samples from three taxis companies, eight bus routes and four Metro lines over the past year.

"We collected more than 7,000 samples from 1,280 taxis, buses and Metros," he said.

Using a local university laboratory, they found bacteria responsible for causing sneezing and the common cold in quantities exceeding the national standard in many vehicles. Germs in taxis were 5.12 times more concentrated than national standards, while those in buses were 3.04 times worse. Microbes in subways were found to be within the national limit.

"My device can kill 83 percent of bacteria in vehicles within 30 minutes," Guo said. "It costs about 80 yuan (US$12)."

Using three ultraviolet lamps and a timer taken from a fan, Guo created a device small enough to fit unobtrusively into a taxi.Drivers can operate the device when outside the vehicle using a remote control to avoid exposure to ultraviolet rays.Guo applied for the patent for the device last year, but he has no intention of selling it yet.

Wearing a pair of glasses, a school uniform and a pair of white running shoes, Guo looks no different from his peers - who view him as a future scientist.The invention has brought him domestic science prizes, but Guo paid a hard price for it - in order to devote time to the invention, he gave up playing the violin.

"Most of the time, research and experimenting are boring," Guo said. "But it becomes more exciting when you start to make a little progress."

Japan Joins Green Asia and Pacific Aviation Partnership

Japan became the latest partner in the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE), which is designed to make aircraft operations in the region more efficient in order to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

“This is an important milestone in our collective effort to lessen aviation’s environmental footprint,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, who signed the agreement along with Ryuhei Maeda, the Director General of the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), today in Osaka. “We have all pledged to adopt and promote best practices that will benefit the environment.”

Japan joins the FAA, Airservices Australia and Airways New Zealand as partners to ASPIRE, which began in February 2008. Goals of the partnership include identifying and sharing procedures that produce environmental benefits, quantifying green enhancements in the region over the last decade, and establishing fuel and emissions baselines for current operations, along with future performance benchmarks.

A Japan Airlines flight from Honolulu to Osaka preceding the signing ceremony is the latest ASPIRE flight demonstration to reduce emissions and to save time and fuel by utilizing the most efficient, advanced technologies and procedures. These include procedures such as just-in-time fueling, using preferred routes over the ocean, optimizing speed and altitude and using a tailored-arrival approach to the destination airport.

There have been three previous ASPIRE demonstration flights. An Air New Zealand 777 flying from Auckland to San Francisco last September saved 7,700 pounds of fuel and 27,700 pounds of carbon dioxide. A Qantas A380 flying from Los Angeles to Melbourne last October saved 19,600 pounds of fuel and 61,700 pounds of carbon dioxide. And a United 747 flying from Sydney to San Francisco last November saved 10,500 pounds of fuel and 33,100 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Electric vehicle e3 by esave transport systems inc

Green Space Age Cars

Funny driving

This is a new type of invention in transport. It is a different type of driving, the car is designed in the form of shoe which shows diverse image from the other cars.

One-Litre Car from Volkswagen

The world's first One liter car

This is a great Innovation of Volkswagen launched in 2010. It's named as the One-Litre because it can pass through 100km/litre (283mpg), has two seats and powered by a 330cc single-cylinder diesel engine.

Expect Volkswagen can keep the price point down so it will be reasonable to majority of people. Or else it will turn out to be one of those expensive nice to have toys.

Smart Car

This is about GM plus Segway’s new project P.U.M.A.


Carsharing 2.0 would mostly include on demand pick-up or drop-off, electric vehicles that charge while parked and automatic driving or parking. That last one would probable be carsharing 3.0 or 4.0 or 5.0.


This vehicle is part of a tendency of new vehicles planned particularly for cities. It makes the Smartcar appear like a Hummer! while stored it takes up a part of the space of a compact car. It’s rotating radius is zero, meaning similar parking is as simple as rotating your head. It is totally electric. One more disapproval, is that there is no cargo space, but according to the depiction below, a small cargo like to the Smartcar’s would extra than likely be incorporated in a production model.

Aerorider

This is not the tricycle you rode behind the driveway like a child. The Aerorider Sport is a part-electric, fraction muscle-powered cross under expansion in the Netherlands. Through a number of electric help, a traveler can handle to driove at 45 mph. Its aluminum unbreakable fiberglass corpse is lightweight (about 130 pounds) but protect the rider from the essentials. The Aerorider Sport’s 48-volt battery be able to last wherever from 12 to 60 miles, depending on the land traveled and the dimension of the battery set. The vehicle happily holds one driver and baggage. Its designers say the vehicle’s 4-foot height, headlight, tail lights and stop lamp make sure it’s safely able to be seen to other drivers. It includes a airing system and an electric wiper to assist give the driver a clear outlook, as well as two adaptable back view mirrors to stay an eye on travel.

According to Aerorider Company proprietor Bart de Wert, a little number have been shaped to date for trying and encouragement. A wholesome human-powered account of the Aerorider Sport known for the Sunrider is obtainable for acquire.

Women in Automobile Inventions

Prior to the manufacture of Henry Ford's Model A, Mary Anderson was granted her first patent for a window cleaning device in November 1903. Her invention could clean snow, rain, or sleet from a windshield by using a handle inside the car. Her goal was to improve driver vision during stormy weather.

The automobile gave women ample opportunity for invention. In 1923, of the 345 inventions listed under "Transportation" in the Women's Bureau Bulletin No.28, about half were related to automobiles and another 25 concerned traffic signals and turn indicators. Among these inventions were a carburetor, a clutch mechanism, an electric engine starter, and a starting mechanism. During the 1930s, Helen Blair Bartlett developed new insulations for spark plugs. A geologist by training, her knowledge of petrology and mineralogy was critical in the development of innovative uses of alumina ceramics.