#comma.ai

On this podcast was a focus on comma.aI. Comma.ai touts themselves as being “Ghost riding for the masses” and the Company makes an Open Source module which can be installed on pre-existing cars for a mere $1,000 or less. As if that wasn’t intriguing enough, the podcast contained an extended interview with George Hotz, the man behind comma.ai. Hotz first rose from anonymity by being the first person to hack an iPhone, and let me start by saying that Hotz is my kind of dude. This guy tells it like it is: straight, with no chaser. As evidence, Hotz is quoted on his former feud with Elon Musk of Tesla in The Virge as saying, “I’m an Elon Musk fan. He jerked me around, I jerked him around, we’re even.” Yeah, this guy: this is my kind of guy right here.

In Hotz’s words, most incremental discoveries are in their essence pretty boring, but the magic really comes when these small breakthroughs are compounded. So, here’s why even though the fledgling venture isn’t exactly on the shelves yet, you should care: The basic issue with driverless cars is that although they’re cool, they’re not at all affordable. How is an $80,000 Prius with $150,000 tech reachable to anyone short of the C-suite of a global Fortune 500? Simple, it isn’t. A $200,000 + price tag might be okay for a commercial market - automated trucks maybe - but it is not a consumer-friendly option. So, what’s the answer? Open Source, that’s the answer.

Hotz has designed his whole system, called Open Piot (as opposed to Tesla’s “Autopilot”) on Linux, and using other Open Source projects. This allows him to keep his costs down, so he can offer you a self driving car for $1,000, or less - you’re welcome for Open Source magic, by the way. The code itself is for both an Open Source adaptive cruise control, and a lane keeping assist system. Code for Hotz’s software, and plans for his hardware known as Comma Neo, can be found on Github, here. Before you get too excited though, the software only supports the 2016 Acura ILX, and 2016 Honda Civic Touring Edition for certain at the time of this blog post (or as Hotz claims online probably all Acuras and Hondas). Comma Neo needs a special OS called NeOS which can only be run on the OnePlus 3. Additionally, you’ll need access to a 3D printer to print the Comma Neo housing. Although Holtz does not comment on the Neo side restrictions of his project, he claims that his software will eventually be expanded to include different models of cars. You can also follow along with comma.ai’s progress on their blog here.

Now if you’re in the loop, you may have heard about the new Red Hat film, The Road to AI. If you’re really in the loop, you’ve watched the trailer and noticed that the problem outlined seemed to be data driven. Hotz may have solved that issue: since comma.ai doesn’t have cars like Google or Tesla to gather driving data, the Company is again moving to the community for answers. Instead of using hardwired rules to guide their system (when X happens, always do Y), comma.ai is using aggregated data from drivers for commands. Therefore, if most drivers slow down at a specified point, so too will comma.ai’s systems. By the end of 2018, comma.ai hopes to gather 1 billion miles of information. In order to gather this data, Hotz announced the Chffr app, which runs on a phone, attached your dashboard and records your driving habits. For your efforts, comma.ai will reward you with “Comma points” which can be redeemed for things that will make you “feel really great” according to Hotz.