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Intelligent transport systems

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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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 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

Perspective: Learning from urban mobility systems in the Middle East

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By Ralf Baron, Thomas Kuruvilla, Morsi Berguiga, Michael Zintel, Joseph Salem, and Mario Kerbage

The Middle East may have been late to urbanization, but this has provided a unique opportunity to shape its urban mobility strategies.

Rather than adopting a piecemeal approach, leaders such as Dubai are following an ecosystem model that addresses mobility holistically.

In this article, contributed by experts at consultancy Arthur D Little, the authors explain this new model and the lessons it provides for other cities across the world as they struggle to meet their own urban mobility challenges.  [Read more…] about Perspective: Learning from urban mobility systems in the Middle East

5G Automotive Association and European Automotive Telecom Alliance to develop new connected car standards

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The 5G Automotive Association and the European Automotive Telecom Alliance have entered a cooperation deal in the field of connected and autonomous driving solutions as well as standardisation, spectrum and related use cases. 

5GAA and EATA say they are dedicated to prioritising the use cases identified by the two organisations in order to establish the technical requirements that need to be addressed, both in the short and in the long term.

In order to better support standards for connected and automated driving, standardisation prioritisation for standards bodies such as ETSI, 3GPP and SAE is necessary as well.  [Read more…] about 5G Automotive Association and European Automotive Telecom Alliance to develop new connected car standards