Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Autonomous Vehicles

‘Robotaxis will be disruptive to conventional taxis and ride-hailing, but not car ownership’, says new report

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Robotaxis remain one of the most pursued applications for autonomous vehicle technologies today, with many developers envisioning an end to – or at least a significant reduction in – car ownership.

Developers of autonomous vehicles, specifically those focused on Level-4 self-driving vehicles, often focus on mobility services as the first application.

Not only is there a demonstrated market for taxis and ride-hailing, but it’s a market where the high costs of labor create high prices, making it a ripe opportunity for autonomous vehicle deployment. [Read more…] about ‘Robotaxis will be disruptive to conventional taxis and ride-hailing, but not car ownership’, says new report

Einride and GE Appliances to launch ‘first US fleet of autonomous and electric trucks’

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Swedish freight technology company Einride and GE Appliances are partnering for the implementation of electric and autonomous transport at scale.

The companies say this will be the first time in history an autonomous and electric truck is live and operating on US soil.

The partnership will represent Einride’s first installation with its renowned Pods in the US, which will operate on GE Appliances’ 750-acre Appliance Park campus in Louisville, Kentucky. [Read more…] about Einride and GE Appliances to launch ‘first US fleet of autonomous and electric trucks’

Florida Automated Vehicles summit to be held in Orlando for first time

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From November 29th through December 1st, 2021, the Central Florida Expressway (CFX) will host the 9th Annual Florida Automated Vehicles (FAV) Summit in Orlando, Florida.

In recent years, this event has been a sellout. The 2021 FAV Summit will focus on ACES mobility. ACES is an acronym for the four rising stars of mobility – Automated, Connected, Electric and Shared.

CFX is this year’s host agency. The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA), TEAMFL, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) have worked throughout the year to bring this summit to Orlando. [Read more…] about Florida Automated Vehicles summit to be held in Orlando for first time

Pittsburgh set to become ‘major player globally’ in autonomous vehicles sector

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The Pittsburgh autonomy sector has reached critical mass and has the potential to become a major player in the global market, according to a new study. It adds, however, that “urgent action is needed” to compete more effectively against other regions and to encourage autonomy companies to locate and remain in Southwestern Pennsylvania as they mature and grow.

The report – Forefront: Securing Pittsburgh’s Break-out Position in Autonomous Mobile Systems – was issued by Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC) and the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce with research conducted by TEConomy Partners.

The culmination of a nine-month long study, the report finds that the Pittsburgh region is one of the top centers for autonomous mobile systems – a sector predicted to grow to a $1 trillion+ global market by 2026, with an estimated 5,000 jobs and a $10 billion impact for a region that captures 1 percent of that global market growth. [Read more…] about Pittsburgh set to become ‘major player globally’ in autonomous vehicles sector

Peachtree Corners partners with T-Mobile to launch Beep autonomous shuttle fleet

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Peachtree Corners – a tiny city in Georgia, US – is partnering with T- Mobile to launch a fleet of Beep autonomous shuttles, as well as cellular vehicle-to-everything, or C-V2X.

The advanced autonomous service has been named “PAUL” – short for Piloting Autonomous Use Locally. Peachtree Corners has dubbed an area of the city “Silicon Orchard”.

Peachtree Corners says PAUL delivers “unprecedented safety” through Beep Command Center (BCC) capabilities with continuous human monitoring. [Read more…] about Peachtree Corners partners with T-Mobile to launch Beep autonomous shuttle fleet

Baidu launches robotaxi test service in Shanghai with Apollo Go ride-hailing platform

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Baidu has launched testing of its Apollo Go in Shanghai, marking the fifth city where passengers have the ability to trial the robotaxi mobile platform. Baidu is the only company to offer this service in the three first-tier cities of Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

The Shanghai operation will include 150 stations opened in phases throughout the city to provide users convenient access to residential areas, commercial areas, offices and public transportation. Passengers can use the service from 9.30 am to 11.00 pm every day of the week.

This launch comes on the heels of another milestone for Baidu Apollo – the expansion of Apollo Go to Tongzhou District in Beijing, where the service will enable residents and visitors of the suburb to experience travel in an autonomous vehicle. [Read more…] about Baidu launches robotaxi test service in Shanghai with Apollo Go ride-hailing platform

Baidu DeepWay unveils autonomous truck

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DeepWay, a Baidu-backed company, has unveiled Xingtu, a smart new energy heavy-duty truck with a computing power of more than 500 teraflops per second and ultra-long-distance sensing capabilities of more than 1 kilometer.

This launch marks Baidu’s entry into the multi-trillion dollar global freight market.

Powered by Baidu’s globally recognized AI technology stack and the Baidu Apollo autonomous driving platform, Xingtu is a prime example of the next generation vehicles we will see in the smart driving era. [Read more…] about Baidu DeepWay unveils autonomous truck

Driving will be outlawed for humans by 2050, says IDTechEx

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Autonomous cars will match or exceed human safety by 2024, after which they will grow rapidly at aan annual rate of 30 percent, according to IDTechEx’s new report Autonomous Cars, Robotaxis & Sensors 2022–2042.

By the 2040s, they will be capable of fulfilling the world’s mobility needs without a single collision. So why should humans be allowed to continue driving?

For a long time, the parameters around how we can drive our vehicles have been restricted. Speed limits exist to increase safety, seatbelts are mandated to increase safety, and city centers are becoming pedestrianized to increase safety for pedestrians. [Read more…] about Driving will be outlawed for humans by 2050, says IDTechEx

Hyundai and Motional unveil new robotaxi

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Auto manufacturer Hyundai and autonomous vehicle technology developer Motional have partnered to launch a new robotaxi.

The all-electric Ioniq 5-based robotaxi is Motional’s first commercial vehicle and will be used in its fully driverless public ride-hail service starting in 2023.

The vehicle represents the product of “unparalleled expertise and partnership” between Motional and Hyundai Motor Group. [Read more…] about Hyundai and Motional unveil new robotaxi

Gatik raises $85 million in Series B funding for its autonomous delivery trucks

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Gatik has raised investment of $85 million in Series B funding to “significantly expand North America’s first autonomous middle mile logistics network”.

The company says the round was “heavily oversubscribed” and brings the total amount raised by Gatik to $114.5 million.

The round was led by new investor Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), renowned for supporting high-growth companies that disrupt current market alternatives with demonstrated technology. [Read more…] about Gatik raises $85 million in Series B funding for its autonomous delivery trucks