The pains of travel are more than rewarded with the human connection it makes possible. From CES to the Smart Driving Car Summit to the Independent Show, this issue features some of those connections. And speaking of ConneXions, look for Viodi at Calix’s must-see event starting tomorrow and going through Tuesday.
Reunion of the Work Family – #TIS22
“It is great to be back here,” says ACA Connects EVP & COO, John Higginbotham. Likening the Independent Show 2022 to a work family reunion, he describes the magic of being with and catching up with colleagues and friends from all parts of the country. Having been an attendee from the operator side of the business for many years, this was Higginbotham’s first-time as a staffer at this annual conference.
Removing Roadblocks for Others – Stephen Still
Stephen Still’s memorial to Heyward Patterson at the 5th Annual SmartDrivingCars Summit provided a tragic example of why better mobility options are needed for people in countless neighborhoods and regions of the U.S. The challenge of improving mobility for the citizens of Buffalo and beyond is something that the Stephen Still Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics has been tackling since its 2017 inception.
The Long Run to Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous vehicles (AV) provide the opportunity to correct government transportation failures is how the Brookings Institution’s Clifford Winston characterized the potential opportunity provided by autonomous vehicles. Winston spoke to the possible economic impact of autonomous vehicles in an online media briefing (YouTube video) that also included speakers from Princeton and the Reason Foundation who touched on the technology and the role of public policy and regulation. The discussion is reminiscent of the early days of the Internet.
Whisk Over the Traffic Jams & Beyond
With what seems like daily announcements about electric aviation, particularly electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), it is easy to believe that we are at the peak of inflated expectations for this mode of travel. In the meantime, there are thousands of smart people from credible organizations working on the nuts and bolts to make travel by air more ubiquitous, sustainable, and affordable. This brief post looks at one such effort and how it could impact everything from the city core to the rural edge.
Some Tweets and Short Thoughts
- @EAMaven – “A mile of road or rail will get you a mile while a mile of runway will get your where you want to go. This is even more relevant in an era of #ElectricAviation. The scary thing is that newer hybrid #eVTOL concepts such as @OdysAviation can get you up to 750 nm. No runway needed.”
- Michael Sena on page 4 of the October 2022 Dispatcher (PDF), “I want to convince you that the advantages to democracies of pumping the brake pedal on automotive electrification will cause less climate damage in both the short and long term, will cause less environmental damage than the current pillaging of minerals is causing,”
- This is a notable example of climate adaptation, as USC Provost Professor of Economics Matthew Kahn would say. In addition to its solar grid and flood protection, Babcock Ranch is a fiber to the home community and it also been in the news for its early autonomous school bus experimentation.
- Is there a linkage between the pulling of SpaceX’s RDOF funding and Musk’s reported request for the Pentagon to pay for Starlink’s satellite service to Ukraine?
The Korner – Detect with Pee Tech – #CES2022
As can be seen in the background shots of Viodi’s interview with Guy Goldman, Olive Diagnostics takes a lighthearted approach to marketing their especially important product. Make no mistake, they are serious about helping people easily monitor health data to stay healthy. Their smart toilet attachment should be of particular interest to those in rural areas and has the potential to be part of a broadband service provider bundle.