Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Transportation

Robo taxis to accelerate autonomous public transportation

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The race to advance and autonomous mobility and transportation is heating up. In recent years, the world has witnessed a revolution in the taxi industry with the emergence of ride-booking applications. 

Following the trend, various existing firms have updated their offerings by presenting new taxi booking applications. However, this hasn’t been enough for them.

The advent of artificial intelligence has offered taxi companies the opportunity to bring on new and innovative ideas. One such an innovative idea has turned to be robotic taxis, or robo taxis, the next step of innovation for public transport. [Read more…] about Robo taxis to accelerate autonomous public transportation

Locomation partners with Transport Research Centre to conduct driverless truck testing

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Locomation, the world’s first trucking technology platform to offer human-guided autonomous convoying, has agreed to conduct research project with the Transportation Research Center, a testing, research, and innovation center for the automotive industry located in East Liberty, Ohio.

Locomation will actively test at TRC to advance its autonomous truck platforms alongside TRC’s extensive research and development team in order to drive further innovation on the testing and validation of Locomation’s autonomy technology.

TRC has been an independent partner of the world’s leading automotive and technology companies for more than 45 years, helping them test and perfect their products. [Read more…] about Locomation partners with Transport Research Centre to conduct driverless truck testing

How driverless shuttle vehicles can get safely from A to B

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Project 3F, a consortium of six partners led by Bosch, has presented its results for automated driving in the low-speed range. (See video below.)

Their main finding is that the vehicle can continue driving despite deviations on the specified route and technical failures in the system.

The transport of people and goods were tested on test tracks in Renningen and Aachen, Germany. [Read more…] about How driverless shuttle vehicles can get safely from A to B

Via raises $200 million to develop and expand its mobility services

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Mobility services startup Via has raised a further $200 million in its latest funding round.

Money raised in Via’s Series E fuding round will be used to “expand access to efficient, sustainable, and equitable public mobility across the globe”, says the company.

John Elkann, chairman and CEO of Exor, lead investor in the financing, says: “More important than ever to work for an innovative and sustainable future.” [Read more…] about Via raises $200 million to develop and expand its mobility services

Autonomous trucks: Addressing the industry’s structural challenges

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The automotive industry is experiencing a difficult time due to the coronavirus pandemic, with severe shocks both to the supply and demand. Nonetheless, the industry will need to retain its focus on key transformation trends such as autonomy.

Making a business case out of autonomous however, is not always straightforward, as IDTechEx finds in its research into the sector.

Some original equipment manufacturers and tier-one suppliers are already suggesting that there is no business case for level 3 autonomy – referring to SAE’s levels of autonomy in automotive. [Read more…] about Autonomous trucks: Addressing the industry’s structural challenges

Pony.ai raises $400 million from Toyota for autonomous driving development

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving company, has raised $400 million from Toyota to deepen and expand the two companies’ collaboration in mobility services.

The investment comes as an extension of a business partnership that was formed between Pony.ai and Toyota in 2019.

Building upon the foundation established last year, both companies will further advance their joint efforts in autonomous driving technology development and mobility service deployment. [Read more…] about Pony.ai raises $400 million from Toyota for autonomous driving development

City of Fremont and Pony.ai launch autonomous vehicle commuter pilot program

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The City of Fremont and autonomous technology company Pony.ai have launched a pilot program offering rides for a group of City employees via Pony.ai’s shared, on-demand, autonomous last-mile service.

The participating employees will ride in Pony.ai autonomous vehicles from Fremont’s Amtrak/ACE Station to City Hall and City of Fremont Development Services Center.

Fremont Mayor Lily Mei says: “By partnering with a local autonomous technology firm Pony.ai, the City of Fremont is acting as a test bed for a transportation solution that has the potential to alleviate congestion, reduce carbon emissions, decrease the number of traffic accidents, and optimize vehicle and land usage. [Read more…] about City of Fremont and Pony.ai launch autonomous vehicle commuter pilot program

Alstom considers the implications of its first order for battery trains

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In February 2020, Alstom received an order for 11 battery powered regional trains for the Zweckverband Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen in Germany.

These are the first battery trains to be ordered from Alstom.

Offering both hydrogen and battery is an important milestone for the Alstom, as it expands its role in the emission-free mobility market. [Read more…] about Alstom considers the implications of its first order for battery trains

Advanced driver assistance systems: Disrupting the global automotive safety landscape

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Automotive accidents and road mishaps and the subsequent injuries and fatalities present a significant global concern today.

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, nearly 1.25 million people succumb to road accidents every year, which equates to an average of almost 3,287 deaths a day.

Despite the alarming statistics however, strong technological evolution across the industrial landscape, particularly in the automotive domain, is ensuring that things take a turn for the better. [Read more…] about Advanced driver assistance systems: Disrupting the global automotive safety landscape

NXP launches new ‘multi-gigabit’ automotive Ethernet switch for time-sensitive networking

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NXP, one of the world’s largest suppliers of automotive semiconductors, has launched a “multi-gigabit Ethernet switch” designed to help automakers deliver the high-speed networks required for evolving connected vehicles.

NXP says its SJA1110 is “the first automotive Ethernet switch with safety capabilities built in”, offering integrated 100BASE-T1 PHYs, hardware-assisted security as well as multi-gigabit interfaces.

Optimized for integration with NXP’s S32G vehicle network processor, the SJA1110 switch is also part of an overall networking solution which includes the VR5510 power management integrated circuit. [Read more…] about NXP launches new ‘multi-gigabit’ automotive Ethernet switch for time-sensitive networking