In Australia, Development of Self-Driving Vehicles Being Slowed by Kangaroos

The drive to develop automated vehicles, “AV” for short, has gone into high gear this past year. From the US to Europe to Asia, AV technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. But in one place the road to automation has taken an interesting turn.

Recognition Technology

A huge factor in the production of safe automatic vehiclesinvolves the development of reliable recognition technology. Vehicles need to be able to distinguish which objects in front of them are hazards (like pedestrians) and which are not (think tumbleweed). A major function of recognition technology, then, is to focus on the shape and movement of various potential hazards to determine what they are – and that has brought advancements in AVs recognizing animals like deer, elk, and moose. (We’re not sure about rabbits and chipmunks.)

But in Australia engineers seem to be stumped by one of their own: the kangaroo.

Our friends over at Marketplace explain that “Kangaroos are much trickier – faster and more shape-shifting – than other animals that wander onto the road.” Deer and moose are big and generally move slowly, adds University of Washington computer scientist Pedro Domingos, making them easy for a vehicle’s vision system to recognize them as such.

Kangaroos, on the other hand, jump across the road much more quickly, keeping low and essentially changing shape as they hop, which makes it harder for the vehicle’s computer vision system to understand that “Yes, this is a kangaroo and not a wind-blown plastic bag.”

Of all animal-related accidents in Australia, eighty percent involve kangaroos. Kangaroo-recognition, then, is a critical aspect of automated vehicle technology.

That’s the challenge in Australia, anyway. Here in the States, our engineers are scratching their heads wondering how to deal with all the direction-changing squirrels in the road.

Maybe our engineering issues will be easier to overcome.

Do Movers Move In The Rain?

The good news first: Nearly all movers, including Garrett’s, will pull up to your home on the day of your move, rain or shine.

Now for the bad news: The rain can still cause some issues for your moving crew, so you’ll need to take some measures on your end to make a rainy move safer and easier for everyone involved.

Watch the Weather

The Weather Channel should be your best friend in the week before your move. Keeping track of forecasts and knowing that bad weather may be coming will allow you to prepare your belongings accordingly. It may also be a good idea to call your moving company and discuss any possible delays on their part. Communication is key!

Cover Your Belongings

It goes without saying that you’ll need to take some extra steps to prevent your belongings from getting soaked when moving in the rain.

Boxes: Rain is not kind to cardboard; boxes will quickly become soggy and begin to break down. To protect them, wrap them in heavy plastic and tape them securely. We do not recommend using moving blankets, as they are not waterproof.

Furniture: Shrink wrapping your furniture items is the best way to keep them dry during a rainy move. Some movers, including Garrett’s, will pad and shrink wrap your furniture as part of your move without an extra charge.

Wooden Furniture and Appliances: These are the two items that are most venerable to rain damage. It is important to double- and triple-check that these items are completely protected from moisture, or significant damage could occur.

On Moving Day

If moving day comes and there’s not a cloud in the sky, breathe a sigh of relief. Otherwise, you’ll want to take a couple of steps to make your home easier and safer for your moving crew to go back and forth when moving in the rain.

To keep the floors dry and protect your movers from slips, get a surface or carpet shield for your movers to walk on. You can find several brands of shields on Amazon.

Surface shields will make moving back and forth much safer for your movers. (Image Courtesy: chadmagiera/Flickr)

In addition, be sure that your driveway is set up so the moving truck can pull up as close to your home as possible. This means relocating vehicles and other large items if necessary. If you live in an apartment complex, be sure to talk with your apartment manager and arrange to have a convenient location for the moving truck to park.

Garrett’s Moving and Storage performs both local and long distance moves nationwide. For a completely free and accurate moving consultation, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 972.487-5843. We’ll get back in touch with you within 24-48 hours.