Latest news with #reliability
Forbes
18 hours ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Why Reliability Is The Hardest Problem In Physical AI
Dr. Jeff Mahler: Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer, Ambi Robotics; PhD in AI and Robotics from UC Berkeley. getty Imagine your morning commute. You exit the highway and tap the brakes, but nothing happens. The car won't slow down. You frantically search for a safe place to coast, heart pounding, hoping to avoid a crash. Even after the brakes are repaired, would you trust that car again? Trust, once broken, is hard to regain. When it comes to physical products like cars, appliances or robots, reliability is everything. It's how we come to count on them for our jobs, well-being or lives. As with vehicles, reliability is critical to the success of AI-driven robots, from the supply chain to factories to our homes. While the stakes may not always be life-or-death, dependability still shapes how we trust robots, from delivering packages before the holidays to cleaning the house just in time for a dinner party. Yet despite the massive potential of AI in the physical world, reliability remains a grand challenge for the field. Three key factors make this particularly hard and point to where solutions might emerge. 1. Not all failures are equal. Digital AI products like ChatGPT make frequent mistakes, yet hundreds of millions of active users use them. The key difference is that these mistakes are usually of low consequence. Coding assistants might suggest a software API that doesn't exist, but this error will likely be caught early in testing. Such errors are annoying but permissible. In contrast, if a robot AI makes a mistake, it can cause irreversible damage. The consequences range from breaking a beloved item at home to causing serious injuries. In principle, physical AI could learn to avoid critical failures with sufficient training data. In practice, however, these failures can be extremely rare and may need to occur many times before AI learns to avoid them. Today, we still don't know what it takes in terms of data, algorithms or computation to achieve high dependability with end-to-end robot foundation models. We have yet to see 99.9% reliability on a single task, let alone many. Nonetheless, we can estimate that the data scale needed for reliable physical AI is immense because AI scaling laws show a diminishing performance with increased training data. The scale is likely orders of magnitude higher than for digital AI, which is already trained on internet-scale data. The robot data gap is vast, and fundamentally new approaches may be needed to achieve industrial-grade reliability and avoid critical failures. 2. Failures can be hard to diagnose. Another big difference between digital and physical AI is the ability to see how a failure occurred. When a chatbot makes a mistake, the correct answer can be provided directly. For robots, however, it can be difficult to observe the root causes of issues in the first place. Limitations of hardware are one problem. A robot without body-wide tactile sensing may be unable to detect a slippery surface before dropping an item or unable to stop when backing into something behind it. The same can happen in the case of occlusions and missing data. If a robot can't sense the source of the error, it must compensate for these limitations—and all of this requires more data. Long-time delays present another challenge. Picture a robot that sorts a package to the wrong location, sending it to the wrong van for delivery. The driver realizes the mistake when they see one item left behind at the end of the day. Now, the entire package history may need to be searched to find the source of the mistake. This might be possible in a warehouse, but in the home, the cause of failure may not be identified until the mistake happens many times. To mitigate these issues, monitoring systems are hugely important. Sensors that can record the robot's actions, associate them with events and find anomalies can make it easier to determine the root cause of failure and make updates to the hardware, software or AI on the robot. Observability is critical. The better that machines get at seeing the root cause of failure, the more reliable they will become. 3. There's no fallback plan. For digital AI, the internet isn't just training data; it's also a knowledge base. When a chatbot realizes it doesn't know the answer to something, it can search through other data sources and summarize them. Entire products like Perplexity are based on this idea. For physical AI, there's not always a ground truth to reference when planning actions in real-world scenarios like folding laundry. If a robot can't find the sheet corners, it's not likely to have success by falling back to classical computer vision. This is why many practical AI robots use human intervention, either remote or in-person. For example, when a Waymo autonomous vehicle encounters an unfamiliar situation on the road, it can ask a human operator for additional information to understand its environment. However, it's not as clear how to intervene in every application. When possible, a powerful solution is to use a hybrid AI robot planning system. The AI can be tightly scoped to specific decisions such as where to grasp an item, and traditional methods can be used to plan a path to reach that point. As noted above, this is limited and won't work in cases where there is no traditional method to solve the problem. Intervention and fallback systems are key to ensuring reliability with commercial robots today and in the foreseeable future. Conclusion Despite rapid advances in digital GenAI, there's no obvious path to highly reliable physical AI. It isn't just a technical hurdle; it's the foundation for trust in intelligent machines. Solving it will require new approaches to data gathering, architectures for monitoring/interventions and systems thinking. As capabilities grow, however, so does momentum. The path is difficult, but the destination is worth it. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Telegraph
a day ago
- Automotive
- Telegraph
‘I'd rather travel by horse or donkey than drive an electric car'
Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most likely type of car to break down, according to a major survey of tens of thousands of drivers. The latest What Car? Reliability Survey found that 16.8 per cent of EV owners reported a breakdown in the past two years – a higher rate than petrol (10.7 per cent), hybrid (14 per cent), and diesel (15 per cent) car owners. Telegraph readers have long expressed scepticism about switching to electric cars and according to an exclusive Telegraph poll, a striking 83 per cent of more than 270,000 respondents said they would not buy an EV. 'EVs are manifestly inferior' For many, like reader Glenn Ewen, buying an electric car is 'senseless'. Mr Ewen says: 'If EVs were viable, they would have flooded the market by now, but they're not. The average driver will have very little use for one.' Reader Nigel Curtress, from Surrey, argues that electric cars are 'manifestly inferior to the product they are trying to replace.' Among Mr Curtress' chief concerns is the overall cost of owning an EV, which he says is 'materially higher than the equivalent ICE. They cost more to buy and depreciate at an eye-watering rate.' Inconvenience is another major concern for Mr Curtress. At a wedding he recently attended, guests with electric cars who were staying overnight had to compete for the two charge points in the hotel car park. He says: 'Many had long journeys the following day. I am not kidding, they were setting alarms in the middle of the night for their one hour time slot [at the charge point]. It sounds like a joke, but it's the reality of living with an EV.' Reader Philip Graham, 54, took the plunge and bought an EV, however just three years later, he couldn't wait to get rid of it. Mr Graham, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, West Suffolk, took advantage of government incentives to buy a small electric car. However, he sold his Honda E Advance when the repayment scheme came to an end and reverted back to a petrol car. In addition to the serious battery issues, which were particularly bad in the cold winter months, Mr Graham says: 'The Honda E was exceptionally difficult to connect to the Honda App, which you need to control practically every aspect of the vehicle. They talk about 'range anxiety', but that car gave you that feeling in spades every time you got in it.' When asked what it would take to buy another EV, Mr Graham proclaims: 'If it was the last car in the world, I'd still rather travel by horse or donkey.' In agreement, John Evans adds: 'I've never been so relieved to get rid of a vehicle as I was when I sold my Porsche Taycan EV. The problems are too many to list. I will never have another full EV.' 'Petrol cars are yesterday's technology' Despite the overwhelming majority of Telegraph readers who voted that they would never buy an electric car, a spirited few made the case for why it was a worthwhile investment. Stuart Hargreaves, 55, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire recently became an EV owner. After weighing the pros and cons he decided to buy a two-and-a-half-year-old Hyundai Ioniq and 'hasn't looked back.' Mr Hargreaves shares: 'It is extremely efficient and easily averages five plus miles per kwh. I am self-sufficient in charging my car and don't have any expensive and inconvenient visits to dirty petrol stations anymore.' Likewise, an anonymous reader adds: 'The whole car industry is having to shift to a new paradigm. Internal combustion engines are yesterday's technology.' While reader Percy Flage argues: 'The Government should subsidise EV purchases and invest in the charging infrastructure.' Colin and Sue Sutter, both in their 80s are also proud EV owners. The pair bought a Kia E-Nero five years ago and have never had an issue with their car. 'We've driven it from our home in Bedfordshire to Scotland and have never had a problem finding a charge. On a day-to-day basis, we drive it, return home and recharge it overnight on cheap electricity. It is easy to fuel, easy to run and so quiet.' Mr Sutter says he doesn't understand all of the hate EVs get: 'Our car has never caught fire and [our battery] has never run out. If you are scared of change, or a slave to the oil and gasoline companies, that's your problem, but do please grow up!'
Auto Car
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
How to get a Mini on your drive for £2000
Overall the Mini is a reliable, well built small car that shouldn't cause you any major problems. Indeed, it is not totally free from mechanical gremlins, but by now any recalls will have been addressed and dealers, as well as independent specialists, are familar with the issues that might afflict them. For more peace of mind, the Mini Hatch ranked fifth out of 19 cars in the small car class in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, with an impressive overall rating of 97.9%. Engine: Be wary of Cooper S Minis built between 2014 and 2015: a recall was issued to repair a defective crankshaft bearing and engines were either rebuilt or replaced. Check that the whole engine has been replaced because other parts may have been damaged by the faulty crankshaft. High oil consumption is common on hotter models so check oil levels and make sure the car is serviced every year. Exhaust: Ensure the Pro exhaust on the JCW cars is fitted properly. You'll know it isn't if the heat shield is rattling underneath the car. Suspension: Listen out for a knocking noise from the front suspension as the control arm bushings like to make a racket when they're worn. A new bushing is around £30. Body: Door seal rubber can rub away the paint on the inside so check for any damage. You can buy door-shut paint protection film to stop the issue from recurring. Check for clouding in the wing mirrors. New glass is around £20. Interior: Don't be surprised if the dashboard rattles, especially on higher-mileage cars. A creaky sunroof isn't uncommon either and some lubricant around the seal can assuage the issue. Check that the heated seats work and that the light doesn't go out on the dashboard when they're switched on. If they're faulty, then it could be either the heat element or control module that's to blame. An owner's view Rachel Lowe: 'I was looking for a step up from my 2013 'R56' Cooper and the F56 model was what I was hoping for in terms of reliability and performance. In the end, I bought a 2016 JCW from Scotland and the seven-hour drive home proved that this was the right car for me. It's very responsive, handles superbly and is surprisingly economical on longer journeys. I've added a few modifications, including a wrap, JCW Pro exhaust, front splitter/side skirts and the JCW Pro suspension kit. It's been very reliable and easily the most fun car I've ever owned.' Also worth knowing If you want the fastest version of the F56-gen Mini, your best bet is the John Cooper Works GP, launched in 2020. This track-focused hot hatch is an absolute riot to drive thanks to its lowered suspension, larger brakes and 302bhp turbocharged motor. There are plenty of special editions to choose from, such as the 1499GT, a play on the 1275GT of the original car. There's also the 1to6 Edition, a limited-run version of the JCW that was the last Mini to feature a manual gearbox.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
4 Car Brands You Should Only Buy Used in 2025
The average used car price is $25,470, according to Kelley Blue Book. It's hard to beat that price, especially if you're on a budget and want to avoid taking on a large car loan. Check Out: Read Next: But cost shouldn't be the only factor when choosing a new-to-you car. Certain car brands are best purchased used, according to car experts. Toyota is well known for producing reliable, durable vehicles. Consumer Reports even ranks Toyota as one of the most reliable manufacturers — right up there with Subaru and Lexus. The most reliable Toyota vehicles include the RAV4, Corolla, Prius, Highlander, Grand Highlander and the hybrid variations. But you don't have to buy new to benefit from Toyota's reliability. 'Toyota vehicles have proven that they can withstand the test of time and high mileage, while still retaining their performance and value over the years,' said Calkins Ruth Schmidt, automotive expert and general manager at FindByPlate. 'Plus, Toyota vehicles age gracefully, with minimal depreciation and maintenance issues.' If that's not enough reason to consider a Toyota, the fact that there are plenty of mechanics to handle any maintenance and repairs might be. And you won't have to spend an arm and a leg on keeping your car up to date as you would with more specialty cars. A used Toyota Corolla costs an average of around $16,821, per CarGurus. The average price of a used Toyota RAV4 is about $23,400, CarGurus reported. Explore More: Next up is Honda. If you're in the market for a Honda, look for an HR-V, Accord (including hybrid), CR-V (including hybrid), Odyssey, Pilot or Civic. Take the Honda Civic as an example of a car worth getting. The average price of a used Civic starts is just under $18,000, per CarGurus. 'A Honda Civic … that receives proper maintenance can reach more than 200,000 miles without requiring significant repairs,' said Alan Gelfand, owner of German Car Depot. 'You can purchase a vehicle with 50,000 to 70,000 miles on the odometer and experience numerous trouble-free years at a fraction of new car prices.' A brand-new Lexus can be costly, so get one used at a fraction of the price. Some of the most reliable models include the NX, NX Hybrid, ES, RX Hybrid, ES Hybrid, TX, NX Plug-In and the RX hybrid. Alex Black, chief marketing officer and auto industry expert at EpicVIN, said Lexus is a top contender for used car brands — up there with Honda and Toyota. Lexus is 'very dependable long-term, and parts are readily available and not prohibitively costly,' Black said. 'Used vehicles by them tend to run 200K+ miles when well maintained.' A new Lexus NX has a starting MSRP of over $42,000. The average price of a used model is just over $31,000, per CarGurus. Gelfand also recommended Subaru if you're looking for a used car. Like Toyota, Subaru has maintained a strong commitment to reliability and innovation. Consumer Reports also ranked Subaru as the most reliable manufacturer of new cars. To save on money, look for used models like the Forester, Impreza, Legacy, Outback, Solterra or Ascent. A used Subaru Forester costs an average of around $21,000, CarGurus reported. One of the biggest advantages of buying a used car is depreciation. 'A new vehicle loses 20% to 30% of its worth in the first year,' Black said. 'When you buy a used vehicle (2-4 years old), another party already bore the brunt of that loss for you.' But do your due diligence to ensure you're getting a good deal. Here are a few tips: Do a VIN check. Check the service and maintenance records. Take your time so you don't make a rushed decision. Compare interest rates (if financing). More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 6 Big Shakeups Coming to Social Security in 2025 4 Affordable Car Brands You Won't Regret Buying in 2025 This article originally appeared on 4 Car Brands You Should Only Buy Used in 2025
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
EVs ‘more likely to break down and leave drivers stranded than petrol or diesel cars,' damning report reveals
ELECTRIC vehicles are reported to be more likely to breakdown on the road than cars with petrol or diesel engines, according to research. A survey of nearly 30,000 drivers looked into their experiences with breakdowns over the past two years. 3 3 The Reliability Survey conducted by What Car? in association with MotorEasy looked at a comparison of petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric cars in terms of whether they were likely to break down, as well as be fixed or towed. Overall, 11 per cent of respondents of the survey had suffered a fault in the last 24 months that made it undriveable. A similar figure of 10.7 per cent of petrol car owners reported a break down in this time, which is a significantly lower rate than batter car owners. Hybrid and diesel cars were also at a lower rate, at 14.1 per cent and 15.4 per cent respectively. Results of the survey come just days after the boss of AA reported attending a higher proportion of electric car breakdowns. In 40.6 per cent of these break downs, the EVs had to be towed from the roadside to a garage. However, only 29.6 per cent per cent of petrol cars required this. CEO of the breakdown service provider, Jakob Pfaudler, added EVs are prone to not only punctures, flat batteries, but also jammed charging cables and technical glitches. He claimed EV breakdowns are more common despite the "idea "common misconception" that they are more reliable than internal combustion engine cars due to having fewer moving parts. On top of that, the report found there was only a one in four chance EV drivers would have their cars permanently fixed by a breakdown company after being stranded on the road. This is in comparison to two in five petrol car owners who were able to get back on the road after calling out roadside assistance. The Sun's Motors Editor Rob Gill takes the new electric Renault 5 for a spin As a result, EVs were the most commonly transported vehicles taken to garages for repairs, as they cannot be towed. They are unable to be towed due rotation of their driven wheels risking of damage to their e-motors. Edmund King, president of AA, also suggested EV drivers are more likely to be confused and flustered by warning lights in their cars, leading them to call for roadside assistance. Whereas petrol car drivers often drive to a garage when being given warning alerts. King estimated, however, that only 86 per cent of traditional cars could be dealt with at the roadside compared to nine in ten battery powered cars which tend to just need a "simple reboot". An additional positive for EV drivers from the survey data suggested their breakdown-related faults could typically be resolved for free, more than any other fuel type. 89 per cent of EV faults could be resolved at zero-cost for the driver, according to the survey, with only three per cent paying more than £1,500 for fixes. Hybrid cars did even better on this front, with 91% being fixed for free, and only two per cent paying over £1,500. However, 76 per cent of petrol car owners reported having their vehicle repaired at no cost following breakdown, and only two-thirds of diesel car drivers.
