Vehicles of The Future: Bibhrajit Halder Of SafeAI On The Leading Edge Technologies That Are Making Cars & Trucks Smarter, Safer, and More Sustainable

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started in the automotive industry?

I have been in the autonomous industry for nearly twenty years. With a background in mechanical engineering, I got my start in self-driving technology back in the early aughts at the DARPA Grand Challenge, before moving on to lead autonomous projects as senior engineer at pioneering companies such as Caterpillar, Apple and Ford.

Throughout my career I began to realize the importance of off-road autonomy, yet surprisingly it was receiving little to no attention. Off-road heavy industry is the root of everything we do, from the components of the cell phone and computer we use everyday, to the resources required for net-zero initiatives — it’s all powered by mining and construction. I saw the immediate need for autonomy in construction and mining to create safer, more efficient environments. So in 2017 I founded SafeAI, the company delivering the latest in interoperable autonomous technology to industries like mining and construction, making heavy industry safer, smarter and more productive.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I once had the opportunity to witness 10+ autonomous trucks working seamlessly in the middle of the night at a production mine. It looked like a well orchestrated symphony or a well coordinated Las Vegas light show. It was awe-inspiring.

Ok wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell our readers about the most interesting projects you are working on now?

Currently, SafeAI has been focusing on fostering partnerships with industry leaders, pioneering a new era for heavy industry, unlocking benefits such as, electrification, scalability and reduced costs. Partnerships are making autonomy possible in heavy industry, rapidly moving the industry forward. We have had the pleasure of working with two stand out companies over the last year.

In partnership with MACA, a leading contract mining group in Australia, SafeAI is working to retrofit and deploy a fleet of 100 autonomous mining vehicles, creating one of the world’s largest autonomous heavy equipment fleets. This partnership is a notable step toward creating safer, more productive sites, but it’s also a significant step toward deploying autonomy at scale in real-world settings.

We also recently partnered with Siemens, the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe, to develop an autonomous, electric fleet for Japan-based construction company Obayashi. This partnership brings SafeAI’s autonomous solution and Siemens’ zero emission hardware/software to Obayashi’s fleet of construction vehicles, ultimately transforming vehicle development and the future of electric autonomy. Together we are pioneering a new, scalable future for cost-effective, sustainable operations in heavy industry and streamlining a sustainable future for these industries.

How do you think this might change the world?

Heavy industry is the lifeblood of our society and many aspects of our lives are powered by commercial construction and mining. When these projects face crippling inefficiencies or delays, it impacts our daily lives, making it more difficult or expensive to get the products we need, like batteries or electronics.

These issues and delays stem from heavy industry’s long battle with rampant inefficiencies, exacerbated by factors like labor shortages. While the industry continues to encounter these production issues affecting our world and economy, they are also unable to progress in other ways such as achieving net-zero initiatives. For instance, at the current production rates in mining, for example, there won’t be enough resources available quickly enough to continue consistently moving toward net-zero commitments. To keep things running smoothly, these industries need a new way of doing business.

With autonomous solutions, heavy industry can experience tremendous benefits, including increased site safety, thousands of additional hours of productivity annually and reduced costs. Ensuring these projects can be completed faster and efficiently keeps our daily lives running smoothly while also protecting our future. With the widespread deployment of autonomous equipment capable of operating 24/7, these industries will be better equipped to power our world now and in the years to come.

Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks of this technology that people should think more deeply about?

SafeAI’s technology is deployed and tested in controlled environments, such as mining and construction sites, allowing for minimal to no human risk or interference. By using LiDAR, radar, cameras and sensors, our technology is able to detect and decipher between objects, dust particles and unknown terrain. This allows us to improve our autonomous technology and manage it remotely, without people in dangerous site areas.

What are a few things that most excite you about the automotive industry as it is today? Why?

Autonomy has come a long way since it first started to be deployed over twenty years ago and although there is still a long way to go before every vehicle is self-driving, today we are witnessing major strides in technology.

The automotive industry impacts nearly every aspect of daily life and has the ability to increase the efficiency of many industries if done correctly, cost effectively and safely. This potential is most exciting to me. Today, we have barely scratched the surface of autonomous capabilities.

When I look to the next twenty years, as we introduce electrification, global expansion and more, I am excited to see where off-road autonomy can take us and how investing in off-road now will shape our on-road future.

What are a few things that most concern you about the automotive industry as it is today? What must be done to address these challenges?

Everyone is fascinated by the automotive industry. Many companies are entering the on-road autonomy space when, quite honestly, the ecosystem isn’t quite there yet. Self-driving cars are being deployed in our streets, but are not yet ready to handle certain extraneous factors. That is why I feel so passionately about autonomy in heavy industry and decided to leave on-road.

Thousands of autonomous heavy vehicles have already been deployed around the world in controlled environments where the technology can evolve and be perfected, without the risk of human interference. Once we are able to perfect this technology in controlled environments, we will then be able to explore the greater possibilities of on-road autonomy.

Based on your vantage point as an insider in the automotive industry, what other exciting disruptive technologies will we see in the next few years? Can you share some of the new developments that will make vehicles smarter, safer, and more sustainable?

A major trend we have begun to see is the electrification of autonomous vehicles. This has primarily taken off in the on-road autonomous driving sector, however, electrification is going to have the largest impact in heavy industry. Transportation, manufacturing and construction are three of the top five largest contributors to CO2 emissions, which means change must start here. There is a great opportunity within these industries to create a more sustainable future, all while improving operations and lowering costs.

We recently partnered with Siemens to create an autonomous, zero emission heavy vehicle fleet for Obayashi. In addition to electrification, the retrofit model fast tracks the adoption of these sustainable technologies allowing us to better meet our net zero goals. Shifting focus to the immediate need of heavy industry will take autonomous vehicles to the next level and streamline smarter, safer and more sustainable autonomous operations.

In your opinion, how much longer will fossil fuel powered cars be produced? When do you think EVs will be the majority of vehicles in use? Can you explain?

It is hard to say when fossil fuel powered cars will phase out, but in the near future, I believe we will see electric vehicles take over fossil fuel powered cars by sheer numbers. For example, a popular electric vehicle company has produced nearly three million electric vehicles so far and are projected to produce 100 million over the next 10 years.

As more companies begin to make the shift to EV production, fossil fuel powered vehicles will not be able to keep up.

When do you think we will see fully autonomous vehicles deployed in a mainstream way? What do you think are the main barriers to reaching that stage?

Fully autonomous vehicles are already being deployed at hundreds of mining sites around the world. I left on-road autonomy because I saw this immediate and timely need for focus in heavy industry.

In regards to fully autonomous on-road vehicles, this is still likely a ways off. There are many obstacles when it comes to on-road autonomy that prevent the industry from making huge strides such as liability and object detection. This is where the controlled environments and repetitive tasks of construction and mining come into play, mitigating risk and allowing a space to experiment with new technologies.

How else will our driving experience be different over the next five years?

Autonomy is making progress daily and we will continue to see companies break into the self-driving space however, I do not expect there to be drastic changes to our driving experience in just five years. I have been in this industry for nearly two decades and there is still much to be done.

That being said, fleets on construction and mining sites will look very different in the next 5 years as retrofitting and scalable deployment pick up speed.

Additionally, in the next five years I see electrification making incredible strides, for instance with SafeAI’s retrofit model. There could be as many retrofitted zero emission heavy vehicles as newly built zero emission heavy vehicles by 2030. And I hope others begin to see the true importance and timeliness of off-road autonomy and see it not only as a stepping stone to improving on-road performance but also as a way to improve our daily lives.

My expertise is in product security, so I’m particularly interested in this question. Recently there were famous cases of hackers breaking into the software running automobiles, for ransomware or for other malicious purposes. Based on your experience, what should auto companies do to uncover vulnerabilities in the development process to safeguard their vehicles?

Security is a critical design decision as cars are becoming connected. The broader security community is mature, for example, in defense, banking and E-commerce, since they have had more time to experiment and perfect their systems. Fortunately, the automotive industry should, and will, be able to leverage the technology and best practices developed and already proved by the security community. This will ensure all future connected cars are secure.

In recent times, many auto manufacturers have introduced over-the-air (OTA) services that can potentially give hackers an entry point into the inner systems of the vehicles. Based on your experience, what can vehicle manufacturers do to respond to cyber attacks?

As I previously mentioned, vehicle manufacturers should leverage the technology and best practices already developed in the financial and defense industries and apply it to the automotive models.

What are your 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Automotive Industry?

For me, I feel there are three most important things needed to create a successful career in the automotive industry.

First, a clear understanding of both software and hardware and how they work together. For example, my PhD was in mechanical engineering and I learned production quality SW in industry over the last 15 years.

Third, have a mindset to understand that the automotive industry is going through a massive change. What worked 100 years ago will not necessarily continue to work over the next 10–50 years. You must be flexible in your knowledge and be able to experiment with new ways of doing things — you never know what a new method could become.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I believe SafeAI is inspiring a movement. Industries like construction and mining are responsible for everything from the apartments we live in, to the batteries in the cars we drive, to the very computer you’re reading this on.

When most people hear “autonomy,” they immediately picture self-driving cars which is only a fraction of the impact autonomy can make. SafeAI is not only working to drastically improve this industry that has been plagued by unsafe conditions, labor shortages and rampant inefficiencies but is working to bring awareness to the importance of these industries in our day-to-day lives.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

You can follow me on LinkedIn and learn more on www.safeai.ai.

Thank you so much for the time you spent doing this interview. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success.

About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.

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