< PreviousA l-Bahar marked its presence at Big 5 Heavy this year through the theme of effi ciency, with its stand representing a “do more with less” philosophy. The brand showcased the proven effi ciency of the machines on display, highlighting their ability to off er greater performance with less input. This theme was complemented by Al- Bahar’s product support services and tech- powered solutions, which deliver better results through the advanced specifi cations and high standards embedded in each of these factors. It unveiled a widely popular selection from various machine ranges, with the stand ultimately representing the exceptional qualities of Caterpillar which customers appreciate and search for in the market. Visitors to the stand explored available opportunities to upgrade activity tracks as well as the standards of their projects in the DOING MORE WITH LESS AL-BAHAR SHOWCASED EFFICIENCY AND GREATER PERFORMANCE WITH A RANGE OF MACHINES AND TECHNOLOGIES ON DISPLAY AT BIG 5 HEAVY 2022 heavy machinery and construction sector. “Al-Bahar’s presence at Big 5 Heavy 2022 was indeed remarkable, amplifi ed by a gushing infl ux of entrepreneurs, compeers, and heavy machinery enthusiasts from all spheres of the industry, without whom the event wouldn’t have been as successful as it turned out to be,” says Samer Ismail, product manager for Earthmoving & Excavation at Al- Bahar. Al-Bahar exhibited exclusive machine models tailored to tackle modern obstacles in construction, and to keep up with the hustle and bustle of the sector today. The portfolio of Al-Bahar’s services and maintenance include advanced solutions including EPP, Cat Connect, SOS, and more under customer value agreements, all of which drew attention of customers who prioritise the wide scope of easy machine maintenance along with spotless performance. BIG 5 COVERAGE 10 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023BEYOND THE ORDINARY Throughout the course of the event, Al-Bahar received recognition as the sole dealer of Cat machines in Middle East. The caliber of its product ranges across segments has long been established in the construction and Heavy Machine industry, which holds the brand Caterpillar in high regard. But Al-Bahar’s off ering goes beyond machinery. “Not limiting the stars of excellence to prompt machine delivery and performance, as a dealer, we also ensure that the customer feels valued way beyond what these fundamental frames of service can off er,” Ismail adds. “Hence, Al-Bahar puts forward specialised product support services, which go a step further to include quality-centered repair and rebuild options, the perpetually available online parts delivery service, and much more to add holistic volume to the customer’s experience as a machine owner who keeps choosing to hold hands with Al-Bahar.” Al-Bahar’s display stand OS 700 was staff ed by a number of machine experts rendering a broad palette of detailed information, support options awareness, and basic machine know- how to thoroughly display the full extent of the company’s capabilities. The inclusion of Cat Connect in the pool of shared service knowledge benefi ted visitors, as it was key to understanding the plethora of advantages this unique feature off ers every owner who wishes to monitor and optimise the machine’s activity with low or no downtime involved. The Al-Bahar stand was placed within a hub of 2,000 exhibitors from over 60 countries, where more than 55,000 industrialists found business networking opportunities and productive engagement feats. ABOUT AL-BAHAR For more than 75 years, Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar has proved to be one of the most favoured and trusted companies within the machinery and power system trading industry in the Middle East. With a holistic range of solutions for power system needs ranging from power generators, switchgears, load banks and all other related accessories, Al-Bahar provides total turnkey power systems solutions for the Marine, Oil and Gas, Industrial and Electric Power Generation industries. Headquartered in Sharjah, U.A.E, Al-Bahar holds strength of around 2800 employees, spread across all its functional branches. For more information, visit www.albahar.com ABOUT BIG 5 HEAVY Big 5 Heavy is a global exhibition that brings the entire construction industry under one roof where prominent brands, businesses, and leading fi gures present themselves before industry experts, investors and customers. As 2022 marks the 43rd edition of this grand construction gala, around 2000 international exhibitors had joined, with visitors from all over the world taking part in the event to discover more opportunities in networking, knowledge and innovation. BIG 5 COVERAGE 11 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023THE LONG AND BUMPY ROAD AHEAD FOR AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY T he UAE in early 2022 approved a temporary license to test self-driving or autonomous vehicles (AVs), making it the fi rst country in the Middle East to test the applications of vehicle autonomy. Self-driving public transportation is not new to the UAE; the Dubai Metro is one of the largest self-driving public transportation systems in the world, and by 2030, Dubai aims to have 25% of all transportation trips in the city to be smart and driverless. The fi rst autonomous (Level 4) driving tests on public roads in the UAE are being conducted in Abu Dhabi by UAE-based geospatial, data analytics and artifi cial intelligence company Bayanat, under the brand name TXAI. Bayanat developed the simulation system, operating system, big data platform, and monitoring system with an accuracy of less than one metre. The company began testing its fi rst set of autonomous vehicles as ride- sharing services in November 2021, and the fi rst phase of the tests saw fi ve TXAI branded vehicles operating on Yas Island, transporting passengers between nine stops that include hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and offi ces. The second phase will include more TXAI vehicles in multiple locations across Abu Dhabi. Although the vehicles are driverless, a safety offi cer will be present in the driving seat during the trial phase. Autonomous mobility is part of the UAE’s strategy to become a global leader for attracting innovation and advanced technology applications, and the UAE will be the fi rst market outside North America to deploy several types of autonomous vehicles. For example, Dubai’s Road and Transport WE REVISIT ONE OF OUR TOP ARTICLES FROM 2022, ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE FEBRUARY 2022 EDITION OF PMV MIDDLE EAST Byline: Dennis Daniel PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023 12 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITYAuthority is working with General Motors to deploy a fl eet of GM’s Cruise Origin autonomous vehicles from 2023, with the potential to scale up to 4,000 vehicles by 2030. The AV testing process in the UAE will be carried out through the Regulations Lab, an initiative by the General Secretariat of the Cabinet that provides a safe test environment for legislation that will govern the use and applications of future technologies. A number of such fl eet automation initiatives are taking off around the world. If fully implemented, this trend carries with it the promise of improved road safety, lower greenhouse gas emissions, mobility as a service, and transportation that is accessible, aff ordable and sustainable. A 2020 survey jointly conducted by the The fi rst autonomous (Level 4) driving tests on public roads in the UAE are being conducted in Abu Dhabi by UAE-based geospatial, data analytics and artifi cial intelligence company Bayanat, under the brand name TXAI. Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority is working with General Motors to deploy a fl eet of GM’s Cruise Origin autonomous vehicles from 2023. Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC) or the World Road Association and the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) about the readiness of new transportation technologies revealed that AVs are seen as a long-term technology that will take more than ten years for adoption, while EVs are a short- to medium-term technology that will be widely adopted within less than ten years. The survey also found that most organizations would like to be leaders or supporters when it comes to AVs and EVs. The fast growth in autonomous mobility alongside electric mobility have to be matched with eff orts to adapt road infrastructure, traffi c management, and regulations, the complexity of which can only be handled through public-private partnerships. “Governments cannot just be supportive. They must lead the eff ort in harmonization of regulations; otherwise, AVs will remain a long-term technology implementation,” points out Matthew Daus, founder and chair of the transportation practice group at US law fi rm Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf. “I often get automakers asking me about the US government’s plan for the transition to autonomous mobility, and I surprise them with the fact that there is no plan. The government usually follows the private sector. In the US, there’re too many city, state and local agencies that are expected to formulate plans, but they rarely talk to each other. In most cases, people that don’t specialize in transportation are regulating transportation. Governments must get their act together like they do in the UAE, Singapore and London, where everything is under one roof. They must address socio- economic issues related to AV implementation, such as pedestrian safety, workforce equity, data privacy, accessibility for people with disabilities, government costs and liabilities, lawsuits, and services for underserved communities. With regard to equity, could governments make self-driving vehicles aff ordable considering that the business model is likely to move towards uberising them to provide taxi services,” explains Matthew. PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023 13 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY14 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITYWHO’S RESPONSIBLE WHEN A DRIVERLESS VEHICLE CRASHES? T he fi rst pedestrian fatality involving a self-driving car was recorded in March 2018 when a self-driving Volvo SUV operated by Uber Technologies struck a female pedestrian in Arizona, USA. Uber had modifi ed the vehicle with a proprietary developmental automated driving system (ADS) designed to operate in autonomous mode only on pre-mapped, designated routes. A female driver occupied the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Although the ADS detected the pedestrian 5.6 seconds before impact and tracked the pedestrian until the crash, it failed to classify her as a pedestrian or predict her path. By the time the ADS determined that a collision was imminent, the situation exceeded the response specifi cations of the ADS braking system. The system design precluded activation of emergency braking for collision mitigation, relying instead on the operator’s intervention to avoid a collision or mitigate an impact. Video from the SUV’s inward-facing camera showed that the operator was glancing away from the road for an extended period while the vehicle was approaching the pedestrian. According to her phone records, the operator was streaming a television show using an application on her phone. About 6 seconds before the crash, she redirected her gaze downward, where it remained until about 1 second before the crash. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the crash was predictable and avoidable. The probable cause of the crash was the failure of the vehicle operator to monitor the driving environment and the operation of the ADS because she was visually distracted throughout the trip by her personal cell phone. Contributing to the crash were the Uber Advanced Technologies Group’s (1) inadequate safety risk assessment procedures; (2) ineff ective oversight of vehicle operators; and (3) lack of adequate mechanisms for addressing operators’ automation complacency-all a consequence of its inadequate safety culture. In August 2021, the National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a formal investigation into the Tesla Autopilot, Tesla’s SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), following a series of crashes involving Tesla vehicles operating in either Autopilot or Traffi c Aware Cruise Control during 2014–21. The investigation will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist, and enforce the driver’s engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation. The NHTSA also issued a standing general order that requires manufacturers and operators of ADS and SAE Level 2 ADAS equipped vehicles to report crashes to the agency. Because these new technologies present unique risks, NHTSA is evaluating whether the manufacturers of these vehicles (including manufacturers of prototype vehicles and equipment) are meeting their statutory obligations to ensure that their vehicles and equipment are free of defects that pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. A growing number of incidents such as these are making regulatory authorities worldwide formulate new regulations to ensure safety and accountability in dealing with self-driving technologies. “There’s so much uncertainty about who is responsible for damages when a driverless vehicle crashes. Should we blame the manufacturer, or the driver, or PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY 15 Regulations should defi ne the duty of CAV technology companies to ensure public safety; the liability of CAV technology companies and/or OEMs for the products they supply; provide clarity on what constitutes a design defect for an AV; and defi ne the responsibilities of each party or entity involved. the government, or all of them? How do we account for the role of the technology that replaces a human operator inside the vehicle? If the driverless vehicle is retrofi tted with parts, is the component or technology supplier also liable? And how should victims be compensated? We need answers to a large number of questions. So, it’s important that regulatory authorities and road agencies evaluate the current testing environments thoroughly and determine the risks and that rules with regard to liability. It’s obvious that we need a new legal and liability framework,” says Matthew. Most recently, the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission (the Law Commissions) published a joint report that recommends introducing a new Automated Vehicles Act to regulate self-driving. The report highlights the need to draw a clear distinction between features which just assist drivers, such as adaptive cruise control, and those that are self-driving. Under the Law Commissions’ proposals, when a car is authorised by a regulatory agency as having self-driving features and those features are in use, the person in the driving seat would no longer be responsible for how the car drives. Instead, the company or body that obtained the authorisation (an authorised self-driving entity) would face regulatory sanctions if anything goes wrong. The Law Commissions also recommend new safeguards to stop driver assistance features from being marketed as self-driving. This would help minimise the risk of collisions caused by members of the public thinking that they do not need to pay attention to the road while a driver assistance feature is in operation. There are diff erent legal terms by which companies can be held responsible. Most vehicle accidents are evaluated under either a negligence or products liability framework. Typically, courts evaluate unintentional human errors under negligence, and unintentional manufacturing errors under products liability. Negligence is defi ned as failure to behave with the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances; conduct that falls below the standard established by law for the protection of others against unreasonable risk of harm. Products liability refers to liability of any or all parties along the chain or manufacturing of any PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY 16 Matthew Daus, founder and chair of the transportation practice group, Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf. product for damage caused by that product. This includes the manufacturer of component parts (at the top of the chain), an assembling manufacturer, the wholesaler, and retail store owner (at the bottom of the chain). “Automakers are most concerned about products liability. If legislatures do not impose new rules, the fault for AV collisions is likely to be assigned to AV manufacturers under a products liability framework. A legal or liability framework could have diff erent levels of liability for the levels of automation, such as SAE Level 1: liability falls on the driver; SAE Levels 2–3: liability falls on the driver and the manufacturer; and SAE Levels 4–5: liability shifts to the manufacturer. “As vehicles become increasingly autonomous (Levels 3 and 4), liability will likely shift toward parties in the connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) supply chain, including vehicle manufacturers, tier 1 manufacturers, software companies and those responsible for the smart infrastructure. The focus will likely be on what went wrong with the navigation, electronics, and the connected/automated parts, rather than driver error. The law may look to manufacturers of the vehicles and/or the infrastructure to cover all or a portion of the liability, depending on the level of autonomy. “Therefore, regulations should defi ne the duty of CAV technology companies to ensure public safety; the liability of CAV technology companies and/or OEMs for the products they supply; provide clarity on what constitutes a design defect for an AV; and defi ne the responsibilities of each party or entity involved,” says Matthew. Insurance models, too, must evolve as autonomous vehicles may not fi t into current risk-pooling models. Currently, under the ‘user-liability’ model, vehicle operators are required to have insurance. But the traditional approach may not work and it may be necessary to extend insurance to the maker of the vehicle or the computer or automated system that is controlling the vehicle. “The insurance for AVs may need to include third-party liability insurance and product liability coverage. I worked as a plaintiff ’s lawyer long enough to see the perspective of the plaintiff to sue anybody and everything that walks or aff ects a vehicle crash. So, if we want AVs to progress from the testing stages to full implementation, we need to solve the liability issues as soon as possible. With politics being what it is and the involvement of interest groups, a big crash will make headlines globally and stall the AV movement. I can’t stress this enough: governments must take the initiative and work with the private sector. Because this is too important, and we can’t mess it up,” says Matthew. PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITYTRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY 17FIRST MOBILITY EDUCATION SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS ROAD SAFETY AND AI POTENTIAL H osted and organised by Emirates Driving Company (EDC), the world’s fi rst Mobility Education Summit saw leading local and global authorities converge. Key discussions included technological advances in the fi eld of mobility, road safety education, sustainable mobility solutions and automation among several other pertinent topics concerning driving education and mobility. Talking about the WHO statistics, the conference highlighted that every year the lives of approximately 1.3 million people are cut short as a result of a road traffi c crash. The United Nations General Assembly has set an ambitious target of halving the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffi c crashes by 2030. To this eff ect, Abu Dhabi also has vision zero strategy where it aspires to eliminate the road fatalities by the year 2040. Information, education and awareness drives play a signifi cant role in achieving zero fatality goal. Abu Dhabi has been conducting several awareness campaigns on how to ride bicycles and e-scooters safely while holding special training and workshop sessions for motorcyclists and other specifi c target groups including the school bus drivers. Hailing the role of AI in mobility, the experts at the conference agreed that AI in mobility, machine learning will not be optional. AI is said to be the technological foundation and the source of signifi cant competitive advantage for decades to come. Moreover, AI may completely replace the drivers on the road, and this will eliminate the human factor and road safety will be on the highest possible level reducing the number of road accidents. Celebrating the success of the fi rst summit, Khalid Al Shemeili, CEO of Emirates Driving Company said: “The Mobility Education Summit was fi lled with great ideas, inspiring speakers and priceless learning opportunities. “We have already received great feedback from many attendees, and I’m so proud of my team for making it such a huge success.” THE EVENT WITNESSED INDUSTRY EXPERTS SHARE RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF DRIVING TRAINING AND ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION 18 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITYTELEDYNE FLIR SHOWCASES INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS T eledyne FLIR, a global fi rm that designs, manufactures, and sells thermal imaging infrared cameras and monitoring solutions, exhibited a wide range of intelligent and highly eff ective transportation solutions at Saudi Intermobility Expo 2022. Saudi Intermobility Expo is the largest gathering of road, rail, transport, and transport professionals in the MENA region. Visitors at the exhibition discovered Teledyne FLIR’s solutions that help vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists move safely and smoothly through complex urban environments. Its recent implementation includes the installation of the FLIR Trafi One Traffi c Sensors to improve pedestrian safety Recently at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. At the exhibition stand Teledyne FLIR will set out its off er for signal control, data analysis, incident response and public transportation, where focus areas such as artifi cial intelligence (AI) will take centre stage. AI is enabling a new class of intelligent transportation system (ITS) that connect vehicles, traffi c signals and other infrastructure to help ease congestion, prevent accidents, reduce emissions, and make transportation more effi cient. AI- based products make it possible for vehicles, roadways, travellers, and traffi c management centres to communicate with each other in near-real time, bringing about several important advantages. For instance, reliable vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian detection – paired with V2X and AI capabilities – outperform conventional presence sensors for safer, smoother intersection signal control. FLIR cameras, sensors and software are already revolutionising traffi c fl ows on roadways around the world. Among the core FLIR solutions is the ThermiCam AI thermal traffi c sensor. Featuring edge-based AI algorithms, ThermiCam AI is capable of tracking multiple objects in any lighting conditions for safer, more effi cient cities. Another important product is FLIR’s Trafi Cam AI HD traffi c sensor. Based on a low-light HD visible camera, Trafi Cam AI off ers detailed vision to provide highly competent intersection control. AI-powered thermal and visible sensors detect approaching vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians which helps in optimising traffi c fl ow, improving overall safety, and reducing bottlenecks in dynamic urban environments. In addition, Teledyne FLIR will showcase their ITS-Series thermal camera that enables automatic incident detection, allowing traffi c operators to see clearly in total darkness, in bad weather and over a long range. There is even a dual vision camera version for applications such as fi re detection in tunnels. Hesham Enan, ITS account manager said: “At Teledyne FLIR we provide superpower vision, helping people around the world save lives, protect the environment, and enhance productivity. We’re building more than innovative technologies digitalising driving transportation. We are always striving to build a more sustainable, more effi cient, safer future by promoting the right technology, whatever the smart city traffi c requirement, Teledyne FLIR has the solution, literally nothing goes unseen.” 19 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comJANUARY 2023 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITYNext >