San Diego, CA
What’s with those weird-looking cars on San Diego streets?
There’s another tech company tooling around San Diego.
Nuro, an autonomous driving technology company based in Silicon Valley, has deployed a test car onto the streets of Hillcrest, Little Italy, Bankers Hill and portions of downtown and Golden Hill.
The vehicle is not driverless; the Toyota Prius hybrid that Nuro is using has a human behind the wheel who is trained to operate it.
Equipped with sensors that include radar, lidar and cameras on the roof, the car is collecting data as part of a larger testing program Nuro has in place in selected cities across the country to help accelerate a self-driving future.
The vehicle gathers virtually countless data inputs such as traffic lights, stop signs, driving patterns and safety points, and then process the information “into a single view of the world around it,” said David Salguero, Nuro’s head of communications.
“The cars have onboard processing and storage, and then we use cloud computing to take that data and train our model,” he said.
Nuro chose San Diego as one of its test sites because the city combines urban, coastal and residential neighborhoods with a transportation network that serves drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and public transit.
But that does not mean the company has plans to launch autonomous service in the San Diego area.
Rather, Nuro makes money by developing self-driving tech and then licensing it to automakers and mobility platforms. Those partners then make the decision whether to bring autonomous driving — be it commercial fleets, robotaxis or even personal car services — into a given area.
In cities such as San Diego, “we are starting to build the foundation so that if and when our partners want to deploy there, we’ve already laid a lot of the groundwork,” Salguero said. “It’s kind of like digging the well before you’re thirsty, as it were.”
Nuro’s work thus far is highly targeted, so it only requires a single vehicle in San Diego that will operate for about 10 days, covering a focused five-square-mile area.
“We’ll be back for the next stage of testing down the line and will have more to share then,” Salguero said.
At least one other autonomous driving company has also taken to the streets of San Diego.
Waymo earlier this year started conducting test drives with humans behind the wheel in similar neighborhoods, as well as Route 163 and Interstate 5.
“This testing will show us where we should further tune our perception models before expanding to new cities,” a spokesperson for the Bay Area company owned by Google parent Alphabet Inc., told the Union-Tribune in February.
Waymo has already deployed driverless cars/taxis in parts of San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Phoenix and Los Angeles but the company has not announced any plans to roll out service in the San Diego area.
“This testing will show us where we should further tune our perception models before expanding to new cities,” the Waymo spokesperson said.
Waymo rides are also available in Atlanta and Austin, Texas, through the Uber app, and the company has announced plans to expand to Miami and Washington D.C.
Autonomous driving has moved from concept to reality in recent years, with many transportation experts predicting a revolutionary change in the auto industry.
Tesla has implemented autopilot and self-driving features on its vehicles that include traffic-aware cruise control, semi-autonomous navigation, response to traffic lights and the ability to summon the car from a parking space. Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he’s staking his company’s future on investments in robotics, autonomous vehicles technology and artificial intelligence.
Supporters of self-driving technology say it allows drivers who, for instance, are stuck in traffic jams to spend their time on more productive tasks. Plus, autonomy can provide access to consumers who otherwise may not have access to reliable transportation.
“For example, many folks are approaching their 80s or people who at some point are no longer able to drive but live in a suburb where you have to rely on an automobile to get around,” Salguero of Nuro said. “At a certain point when autonomy is more ubiquitous and reasonably priced, they can either rely on robotaxis or on autonomous solutions in their own vehicle to get them where they need to go. That’s the vision we see for the future.”
Backers also predict an autonomous future will improve road safety and help prevent car accidents. But some consumers are leery.
Tesla is facing dozens of lawsuits tied to its autopilot and self-driving features. Last month, Waymo issued a recall after a glitch in part of its self-driving software reportedly caused some vehicles to crash into low-visibility barriers like chains and gates. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the problem affected 1,212 vehicles.
A survey released by AAA in February said that six in 10 drivers in the U.S. are afraid to ride in self-driving vehicles — although the percentage who say they are fine riding in them increased from 9% last year to 13% this year.
“For Nuro specifically, we do a lot of testing, we do a lot of validation and we do so much work before our cars are ever out on public streets,” Salguero said. “Safety’s really at the core of everything we do … So the one thing I would say to that person who was worried about self-driving cars is that it is up to Nuro and the industry to earn that trust from them.”
Salguero said Nuro’s vehicles have logged 1.2 million miles in auto-mode without any at-fault incidents.
Created in 2016 and counting about 700 employees, Nuro raised $106 million in its latest funding round, boosting its valuation to about $6 billion.
Waymo, after banking $5.6 billion in fresh capital last November, is currently valued at more than $45 billion.
San Diego, CA
Neymar expected to return from right calf injury and play for Brazil in World Cup against Scotland
Neymar is expected to return from a right calf injury and play for Brazil in its final World Cup group match, coach Carlo Ancelotti said Friday night.
Neymar missed Brazil’s first two games of the tournament, including Friday’s 3-0 win over Haiti.
Ancelotti said Neymar would go through individual training on Saturday, train with the team on Monday and “will be available” for Brazil when it closes Group C play against Scotland on Wednesday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Neymar is Brazil’s career scoring leader with 79 goals in 129 international appearances.
The 34-year-old midfielder has yet to practice in full sessions with the team since reporting to Brazil’s squad while nursing the calf injury.
Looking to play in his fourth World Cup, Neymar had tests on his calf last Monday to determine the progress of the injury that he sustained while playing for Brazilian club Santos on May 17.
There was widespread debate in Brazil over whether Neymar, whose first World Cup was on home soil in 2014, should have been called up for the tournament. He has struggled since returning from tearing the ACL in his left knee in October 2023 in a World Cup qualifier.
Neymar has four goals and two assists in eight matches for Santos this year.
CORONADO, Calif. (KGTV) – Everyone from NASCAR officials to the drivers to those who serve on Naval Base Coronado is beaming with excitement, waiting to kick the tires and light the fires this race weekend for NASCAR San Diego Weekend.
“Fans can expect one incredible time. History is being made this weekend,” Matt Humphrey, Sr. Director of Track Communications for NASCAR, said.
The racing track is up at Naval Base Coronado.
“It’s been amazing from seeing the bones of the track going up to driving the track, going to work in the morning. It’s incredible,” Seaman Naylei Fausto of the U.S. Navy said,
And now it’s time to race.
The NASCAR San Diego weekend is officially underway, with the first event held at an active military base.
“They’re going to be able to see a lot of what NASCAR is about with all the different fan displays, the kids’ zone, all the different activations from our partners around, but most importantly, they’re going to see the United States Navy showcased in the best form possible,” Humphrey said.
One of those sailors, Seaman Fausto, who is a lifelong NASCAR fan, never thought she’d see her station transformed into a NASCAR track, let alone any base.
“Joining the Navy, I thought I was going to be out taking pictures and doing Navy-related things, and now I get to work with NASCAR, which is just amazing and it’s fulfilling my inner child,” Fausto said.
Those behind the wheel say that, in their experience, there’s nothing like this event.
“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I think we’ve had some opportunities. We did the street course in Chicago for the last couple of years,” Cody Ware, NASCAR Driver, said. “But to show up here, getting the opportunity to race on an active military base just for the US Navy and NASCAR to be able to work together to put the show on is really incredible.”
There will be a Truck Series race starting at 4 p.m. on Thursday. On Saturday, that’s when the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts race will be happening. That begins at 2 p.m. This is the second tier of NASCAR races where drivers hone their skills, looking to get into the top level of the NASCAR circuit. Sunday is the main race with the NASCAR Cup Series happening at 1 p.m.
While it’s incredible to host NASCAR at the naval base, NASCAR officials hope people plan ahead to avoid the painful process of getting to the track.
“But if you do not have that government-issued photo ID or passport, you’ll be turned away. So very important that you bring that. But then bring your patients, come early,” Humphrey said. “If you think it’s going to take a half hour to get here, add an extra 30 to 40 to even 60 minutes on top of that; just to give yourself enough time to get over the bridge to make sure you get through the gates, get through security.”
Humphrey added that NASCAR is working together with local, state and federal agencies to make sure traffic is moving smoothly, and everyone is getting into the race and having fun.
San Diego County will be the center of NASCAR nation this weekend, with fans flocking to Naval Base Coronado for three days of events.
This is the first-ever Cup race held in San Diego County and the NASCAR community is also presenting it as its way of celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy.
Tickets are completely sold out, but locals can still get in on the fun at various event and activities taking place across the region.
Here’s what to know about this one-of-a-kind weekend in San Diego. Full coverage of NASCAR San Diego Weekend can be found at sandiegouniontribune.com/tag/nascar.
What is NASCAR San Diego Weekend?
The three-day event begins with Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series race, continues with an O’Reilly Auto Parts series race on Saturday and wraps Sunday with the Anduril 250.
Grandstands with a capacity for 40,000 fans have been erected, with another 10,000 spectators expected to occupy standing areas around the grounds.
Here’s a turn-by-turn look at Naval Base Coronado’s race circuit
When is it taking place?
Parking lots, which are on base, open each day at 7 a.m. and gates open at 9 a.m.
The Craftsman Truck Series takes place Friday at 4 p.m. The O’Reilly Auto Parts series race blasts off at 2 p.m. Saturday. The main event, NASCAR Cup Series Race, happens Sunday at 1 p.m.
A race-by-race look at NASCAR’s San Diego Weekend
Each day will also feature entertainment, driver Q&As and other activities.
Where is it?
Naval Base Coronado will host the weekend’s activities. All fans in attendance must carry a valid government-issued photo ID at all times.
Going to this weekend’s NASCAR races in Coronado? Here’s what you need to know
All event parking will be located on Naval Base Coronado. There is no event parking available within the city of Coronado.
Who is racing?
Shane Van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick, Mike McDowell, Chase Elliott and Ty Gibbs are just a few of the names to expect this weekend. A full lineup can be found at nascarsandiego.com/nascar-san-diego-mission-lineup.
These 13 Cup racers could all win Sunday’s Anduril 250 in Coronado
How to watch on TV:
Craftsman Trucks Series race: 4 p.m. Friday on Fox Sports 1
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race: 2 p.m. Saturday on The CW
NASCAR Cup race: Sunday at 1 p.m. on Prime Video
Local events:
San Diegans have a range of options for getting in on the fun of NASCAR weekend in Coronado, including meet and greets with drivers, watch parties and fan zones.
Your guide to fan events during NASCAR San Diego Weekend
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