Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Intelligent transport systems

Smart cities: Embracing technology for urban mobility advancement

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By Francois-Joseph Van Audenhove, partner at Arthur D. Little

Urban mobility operators face evolving customer needs and behaviors as well as a spate of technological advancements, driven by the fourth industrial revolution, that must be embraced in order to stay competitive in the short term, and require transformation for operators to stay relevant in the long term.

Major developments have opened up a range of new mobility options for individuals and now customers expect operators, particularly of public transport, to offer services that are fast, reliable, convenient and personalized.

As such, technological trends and new mobility solutions could lead to a very different mobility ecosystem in the future.  [Read more…] about Smart cities: Embracing technology for urban mobility advancement

New mobility ecosystem from Toyota

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Toyota‘s new mobility service business alliance and e-Palette concept vehicle have been designed to meet the demands of future multi-mode transportation and business applications.

The e-Palette Alliance will leverage Toyota’s proprietary Mobility Services Platform (MSPF) to develop a suite of connected mobility solutions and a flexible, purpose-built vehicle.

The alliance will create a broad-based ecosystem of hardware and software support designed to help a range of companies utilize advanced mobility technology to better serve customers.

[Read more…] about New mobility ecosystem from Toyota

Bosch acquires US carpool start-up

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Bosch is entering the car-sharing business with the acquisition of Splitting Fares Inc. (SPLT), a U.S. start-up based in Detroit, that operates a platform that allows companies, universities, and municipal authorities to offer their workforces car-sharing services.

The B2B approach is designed especially for commuters. SPLT uses an app to connect people who share the same route to their place of work or study. An algorithm finds the best composition for the car-share, and computes the fastest route.

SPLT was founded in 2015. Around140,000 users in the United States, Mexico, and Germany currently take advantage of the service.

[Read more…] about Bosch acquires US carpool start-up

Alstom to supply traction and signalling systems for driverless metro line in China

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Alstom and its joint-venture companies in China, SATEE and CASCO, are to supply traction systems for 200 metro cars and the CBTC signalling system for the Chengdu metro line 9 phase one, the Chinese city’s first driverless metro line.

The line, expected to go into service by the end of 2020, will be 22km long and have 11 stations. It will connect the city’s business area in the southwest with the West Railway station in the northwest.

Alstom will be supplying its OptONIX metro traction system, specifically designed and developed for the Chinese market, and its Urbalis signalling system, a service-proven solution already ordered by 54 metro lines in China, 32 of which are in operation.

[Read more…] about Alstom to supply traction and signalling systems for driverless metro line in China

The big feature: Urban mobility in China – why car sharing is set to take off

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By Klaus Schmitz, Arthur D. Little

China’s dominating chauffer companies, Didi and Uber China, merged in 2016, wrapping up a history of fierce competition for the city-mobility market.

The two are now left with a huge shared customer pool that knows a lot about their choices for mobility.

The new phase being ushered in is car sharing, which is poised for explosive growth across China.

In this article, Klaus Schmitz of consultancy firm Arthur D Little examines the market dynamics and the major hurdles, and makes predictions for the future of the Chinese car-sharing scene.  [Read more…] about The big feature: Urban mobility in China – why car sharing is set to take off

Rio Tinto demonstrates autonomous freight train featuring Ansaldo technology

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Ansaldo STS says its technology and delivery capability were key to the success of mining giant Rio Tinto’s fully autonomous freight rail trial.

Ansaldo is a specialist supplier of driverless technology for metro, rail solutions.

The company says it has now proven its expertise in autonomous heavy freight rail, following Rio Tinto’s recent successful trial of Australia’s first fully autonomous heavy haul train journey (main picture).  [Read more…] about Rio Tinto demonstrates autonomous freight train featuring Ansaldo technology

NXP launches ‘world’s first’ scalable, single-chip secure vehicle-to-x platform

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NXP Semiconductors, one of the world’s largest suppliers of automotive semiconductor solutions, has has launched its secure next generation RoadLink vehicle-to-everything communications solution.

The new NXP SAF5400 is the “world’s first automotive qualified, high-performance single-chip DSRC modem”, claims the company.

Its “unique scalable architecture”, new security features, and RF CMOS and software defined radio technologies offer original equipment manufacturers with flexible options for cross-regional secure V2X adoption and field upgradeability, says NXP.  [Read more…] about NXP launches ‘world’s first’ scalable, single-chip secure vehicle-to-x platform

Delphi partners with Innoviz Technologies on ‘high-performance’ lidar solutions for autonomous vehicles

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Delphi Automotive has signed a commercial partnership agreement with Innoviz Technologies, a developer of lidar technology for the mass commercialization of autonomous vehicles.

Lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging, is a laser-based mapping system which is expected to play a big part in future vehicles. Currently, lidar is used in such technologies as speed guns and spacecraft.

Innoviz’s proprietary lidar sensing solutions will be integrated into Delphi’s systems to provide automakers with what the companies say will be “a comprehensive portfolio of autonomous driving technologies”.  [Read more…] about Delphi partners with Innoviz Technologies on ‘high-performance’ lidar solutions for autonomous vehicles

Energised by smartphones, sensors are driving the automotive industry

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dsp concepts auto-measure

One of the main reasons why highly-sophisticated sensors have come down in price to affordable levels in the past few years is smartphones. 

The economies of scale achieved through having to produce literally billions of sensors for smartphones has established a strong manufacturing base for sensing technology.

And from that base, sensors are now driving many different markets, perhaps most interesting of which is the automotive market.  [Read more…] about Energised by smartphones, sensors are driving the automotive industry

NTT to develop global platform for Toyota connected vehicles

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ntt mclaren

NTT is working with Toyota to develop a global telecommunications platform for connected cars. 

Toyota is one of the largest automakers in the world, while NTT is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world.

The new partnership will see both companies sharing relevant technologies, knowledge and expertise to create a connected car platform.  [Read more…] about NTT to develop global platform for Toyota connected vehicles