Intelligent transport systems

Energised by smartphones, sensors are driving the automotive industry

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. Continue reading Energised by smartphones, sensors are driving the automotive industry

NTT to develop global platform for Toyota connected vehicles

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. Continue reading NTT to develop global platform for Toyota connected vehicles

Perspective: Learning from urban mobility systems in the Middle East

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. Continue reading Perspective: Learning from urban mobility systems in the Middle East

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

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

Transport secretary Elaine Chao needs to update DoT policy, says automation expert

Newly appointed US transport secretary Elaine Chao is being asked to go out and “do better” than the previous administration and “explain in plain language” her recipe for success.

In particular, Chao is being asked to give the testing and regulation of autonomous cars a national framework rather than allow the technology to be introduced in a haphazard way, with each state making its own rules as it goes along.

This is the suggestion of many experts from the world of business and academia, including one particularly outspoken expert Timothy Carone, an associate teaching professor in the Department of IT, Analytics, and Operations in the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Continue reading Transport secretary Elaine Chao needs to update DoT policy, says automation expert

Smart travel for future cities: Integrating and connecting new tram lines

The main feature that makes a public transport system smart is enhanced control and monitoring features.

In the case of the Nottingham trams Express Transit project, in the UK, these functionalities became a reality through the collaboration of big industry names such as Taylor Woodrow, Alstom, and Boulting Technology.

Nottingham Express Travel Phase Two

In a bid to become one of the UK’s first smart cities, Nottingham has recently expanded its existing tram network to include two new lines to serve the South and South West of the city.

The first new line crosses the river Trent to Clifton and the second connects the Queens Medical Centre, Beeston and Toton.

The new routes join the existing line at Nottingham Station, with the entire network accommodating over 20 million passengers every year. Continue reading Smart travel for future cities: Integrating and connecting new tram lines

Hannover Messe: Smart materials paving the way to 3D printing and to the ‘microfactory’

Get your complimentary ticket to Hannover Messe 2017

There may or may not be slight differences between what’s called “3D printing” and “additive manufacturing”, but essentially both are advanced techniques that could spell the end of assembly lines as we know them.

It’s a widely known historic fact that giant car companies pioneered what we now known as the assembly line, where a product – such as a car or any other complex item – would move along production line, where different workers and teams of workers would do their jobs and eventually a finished product would be the result.

This process, however, is now being reconsidered in an age where customers are asking for increaing amounts of customisation and new technologies such as 3D printing and additive manufacturing are making this customisation possible. Continue reading Hannover Messe: Smart materials paving the way to 3D printing and to the ‘microfactory’

Avid Technology launches new predictive maintenance system for vehicle fleet operators

Giles Johnston (left), Avid business improvement consultant, with Avid managing director, Ryan Maughan

North East England based automotive cleantech firm Avid Technology has launched a new system for the fleet maintenance industry to help bus operators solve the ongoing quest for efficiency.

Avid says its three new fleet service products – Smart Speed, Smart Shield and Smart Spanner – are designed to reduce costs, boost productivity and improve service delivery and safety.

The entire system is based on the principles of what the company calls “Total Preventative Maintenance”, which it says is used widely to improve the effectiveness of manufacturing operations across the world. Continue reading Avid Technology launches new predictive maintenance system for vehicle fleet operators

Daimler buys PayCash in anticipation of new motoring culture

The way people get around is going to change, with more people deciding that they don’t want the hassle of owning a car – they just want to hire one from time to time.

This seems to be the prevailing view among established automakers such as Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, as well as new entrants to the motoring market, such as the smartphone apps which enable users to hail cabs and so on.

In the latest development towards the new motoring world, Daimler has paid an undisclosed sum to buy PayCash, which will become the electronic payment system for the services of the Daimler under the new brand name “Mercedes Pay”, which enables payment through smartphones. Continue reading Daimler buys PayCash in anticipation of new motoring culture

Toyota shows off futuristic Concept-i vehicle featuring AI that learns from driver

toyota concept-i — The Toyota Concept-i features AI which anticipates the driver’s needs, says the company

Toyota has demonstrated a concept vehicle which features artificial intelligence that “grows with the driver”.

The appropriately named Concept-i is said to offer an “immersive” AI system which anticipates drivers’ requirements and “inspires their imaginations and improves their lives”.

The AI system is nicknamed “Yui” and is likely to feature in Toyota’s other cars going forward. Continue reading Toyota shows off futuristic Concept-i vehicle featuring AI that learns from driver

CES: What’s in it for me?

The Consumer Electronics Show will be on soon. January 5-8, in Las Vegas, US. If you’re one of the lucky people going along, send us a picture or note about your highlights of the event.

As a preview to the show, we find out from Infineon, one of the leading chipmakers for the auto market, what their view of the highlights will be, not just at CES, but also for the year ahead.

Infineon is probably going to face much more intense competition this year, mainly because of Qualcomm’s entrance into the auto market. Continue reading CES: What’s in it for me?

Harman invests in Navdy to launch augmented reality displays on car windscreens

Harman’s partnership with Navdy will give it exclusive rights to sell co-branded, aftermarket heads-up display devices to automotive manufacturers

Harman, the connected technologies company for the automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, says it will offer an aftermarket augmented reality driving device to automotive manufacturers through a strategic partnership and investment in Silicon Valley innovator Navdy.

As part of the agreement, Harman will have exclusive rights to distribute the new co-branded aftermarket Navdy with Harman device to automotive original equipment manufacturers, specialty auto and audio channels as well as select mobile carriers globally.

Introduced last month, the new Navdy product is the world’s first aftermarket heads-up driving device that projects both mobile application information and car data information directly over the road allowing drivers to “look forward” while “staying connected”, two phrases which Harman has apparently trademarked. Continue reading Harman invests in Navdy to launch augmented reality displays on car windscreens

Evolution of the machines: How connectivity is transforming the car

By Andrew Till, vice president, technology, partnerships and new solutions, Harman Connected Services

The connected car revolution is here and soon we could see these machines evolving during their own lifecycle thanks to over-the-air software updates.

Connectivity is rapidly transforming the way we consume goods. It’s even challenging the very concept of ownership, as the template set by mobile devices spreads to other aspects of our lives through the Internet of Things.

One of the biggest potential markets for this new way of doing business is the automotive industry. Continue reading Evolution of the machines: How connectivity is transforming the car

Growing power: A quick look at the market for electric cars

Will electric cars become more common than petrol cars? New developments suggest that they just might.

There are 1 billion cars in the world today. And only 1 million of them are fully electric vehicles.

But electric cars are growing in number, as auto giants take more interest. As Pamela Fletcher of GM says: “The electric drive is the ultimate luxury attribute – the absolute smoothness of the driving experience, the quietness… the acceleration.” Continue reading Growing power: A quick look at the market for electric cars

Samsung buys Harman to enter connected and autonomous car race

The biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world has signalled its intention to enter the globally accelerating connected and autonomous car race.

Samsung, which makes the Galaxy phone among others, has agreed to buy Harman, the manufacturer of incar entertainment equipment and other products.

The total value of the purchase is will be $8 billion, according to Samsung, which says Harman will continue operation as a standalone business, albeit as a subsidiary. Continue reading Samsung buys Harman to enter connected and autonomous car race