Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Autonomous Vehicles

Do You Need a Warranty on Your Tesla?

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Tesla has sold a few thousand vehicles in the past few years, which speaks to its popularity, but does it speak to its reliability?

That is a difficult question to answer. While they are designed to be long-lasting cars, warranties still could help with repairs that do crop up.

It helps if you know what is included in a factory warranty and how long you can expect coverage to last. You will also be better informed if you know your extended warranty options, too. [Read more…] about Do You Need a Warranty on Your Tesla?

Autonomous vehicles ranked among top 10 innovations attracting investment

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The convergence of automotive and technology industries is accelerating the pace of innovation in the mobility and transportation sectors, leading to a surge in patent grants relevant to autonomous vehicles while also attracting venture capital investors’ interest in the area.

GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, has ranked autonomous vehicles among the top 10 innovation-led technologies.

GlobalData’s Technology Innovation Intensity framework is a proprietary data-driven model that incorporates key innovation drivers from alternative datasets such as patents and deals to track a technology’s pace of innovation as well as its lifecycle stage. [Read more…] about Autonomous vehicles ranked among top 10 innovations attracting investment

AutoX autonomous vehicle navigates through China’s urban villages

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AutoX, a developer of Level 4 fully autonomous RoboTaxis founded by e-commerce giant Alibaba, has released a new video this week showcasing how its fully driverless RoboTaxis handle the challenging rush hour conditions of China’s “urban villages” in what is described as the “ultimate autonomous driving challenge”.

Unique to China, urban villages are ultra high-density residential neighborhoods in major cities, including Shenzhen and Guangzhou, that are typically surrounded by skyscrapers, transportation infrastructure, and other modern urban developments.

The public roads in urban villages are extremely busy, chaotic and overcrowded, especially in the early evening. [Read more…] about AutoX autonomous vehicle navigates through China’s urban villages

Baidu launches multi-purpose autonomous minibus

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Baidu, the Chinese internet search giant which also has an autonomous vehicle business unit called Apollo, has launched what it describes as “a new generation of multi-purpose autonomous minibuses”. 

Named “Apolong II”, the new vehicles are being rolled out in Guangzhou Huangpu District.

The Apolong II is equipped with advanced autonomous driving capabilities and the latest in-vehicle smart cabin technologies to enhance passenger experience. [Read more…] about Baidu launches multi-purpose autonomous minibus

Einride partners with Bridgestone to develop electric and autonomous trucks

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Einride and Bridgestone have agreed a partnership aimed at co-creating innovative and sustainable mobility solutions for electrified and autonomous Class 8 vehicles – trucks.

The collaboration will allow Einride to collect new layers of safety and efficiency-related data from Bridgestone’s smart-sensing tires, while enabling Bridgestone to integrate its advanced mobility technologies into Einride’s onboard vehicle platforms.

Together, the companies will work to create safer and more efficient mobility solutions to drive a more sustainable future for large commercial truck fleets. [Read more…] about Einride partners with Bridgestone to develop electric and autonomous trucks

Colorado launches ‘America’s largest fleet of autonomous, electric shuttles’

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Autonomous Vehicles Colorado (AvCo), a program designed to improve public transportation using advanced technologies, says it has launched “America’s largest fleet of low-speed, autonomous electric shuttles in multiple cities across Colorado”.

Service in the first of three locations officially launched a couple of days ago at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

For at least the next year, the autonomous shuttle buses will connect Mines students, faculty, staff, and the general public with key destinations in the city and around campus that currently lack convenient mobility options. [Read more…] about Colorado launches ‘America’s largest fleet of autonomous, electric shuttles’

Cleveron conducts ‘world’s first’ driving exams with a driverless semi-autonomous last-mile delivery vehicle

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Cleveron, an Estonian-based technology company, partnered with LRK Driving School to conduct what they say are “the world’s first driving exams with an unmanned semi-autonomous car”.

The exams were carried out with Cleveron’s last-mile delivery vehicle Cleveron 701. All four Cleveron specialists passed the exam and received the world’s first tele-operated vehicle certificates.

To receive the certificate, drivers first had to undergo special tele-operated vehicle training, followed by field exercises and city driving, in accordance with the Estonian examination standards. [Read more…] about Cleveron conducts ‘world’s first’ driving exams with a driverless semi-autonomous last-mile delivery vehicle

Perrone Robotics confirms commitment to develop autonomous vehicle test facility at ACM

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Perrone Robotics, a provider of fully automated vehicle technology and solutions, has “solidified its commitment” to develop an advanced automated vehicle test facility at the American Center for Mobility (ACM) in Ypsilanti, Michigan by signing a new lease.

ACM’s smart mobility test center will enable Perrone’s team to work on high-speed, long-term, and continuous testing of a wide range of transit vans, shuttles, cargo vehicles, and trucks integrated with Perrone’s patented autonomous vehicle TONY Retrofit solution.

Perrone’s signed commitment with ACM comes just a few short months after the company received a $10 million investment from CapStone Holdings. The funding will support Perrone as it continues to advance its leadership role in the mobility industry. [Read more…] about Perrone Robotics confirms commitment to develop autonomous vehicle test facility at ACM

Ghost raises $100 million for ‘breakthrough’ in autonomous driving safety

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A startup company called Ghost has raised $100 million Series D financing, fueling the development of its autonomous driving system that features what it describes as “a revolutionary breakthrough in crash prevention”.

Returning investors Sutter Hill Ventures and Founders Fund participated in the round, along with a new commitment from Coatue.

Ghost was founded in 2017 with the belief that driving should not be dangerous. Despite all the technology and features included in modern cars, cars still crash – accidents and fatalities are going up, not down. [Read more…] about Ghost raises $100 million for ‘breakthrough’ in autonomous driving safety

Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors partners with REE Automotive to develop autonomous mobility solutions

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Hino Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, and REE Automotive, an innovator in e-mobility, have signed a strategic business alliance agreement to realize their shared vision of “providing new value to society through next-generation commercial mobility”.

With the backdrop of advancements in CASE – Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric – vehicles, the automotive industry is entering a major transformation phase.

Hino and REE envision beyond this transformation a future in which commercial vehicles that support the movement of people and goods will evolve into mobility that provides new value and opportunities for society. [Read more…] about Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors partners with REE Automotive to develop autonomous mobility solutions