connected

Qualcomm and Apple’s legal battle may indicate the future of cars, as Foxconn looks to build driverless tech factory

The legal battle between Qualcomm and Apple may portend the future direction of car technology.

Qualcomm says Apple manufacturers are not paying the correct amount of money for the chipmaker’s intellectual property the iPhone maker is licensing – basically they’re not paying anything.

The lower, or absent, payments probably account for Qualcomm’s patent licensing business falling 42 per cent this year, according to CNBC. Continue reading Qualcomm and Apple’s legal battle may indicate the future of cars, as Foxconn looks to build driverless tech factory

Harman introduces Sherlock AI system to help its designers and engineers find and put things together more quickly

Harman International, a design and engineering company which supplies a range of products and services to automotive companies, has introduced a new artificial intelligence system into its company.

The AI system, Sherlock, is described as a “virtual colleague” for Harman employees, and is said to have completely redefined the innovation management workflow in some of the company’s divisions.

Armin Prommersberger, senior vice president technology, lifestyle audio division, at Harman, says Sherlock offers a level of insight into the business that would be impossible to gain without it. Continue reading Harman introduces Sherlock AI system to help its designers and engineers find and put things together more quickly

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

Kuka and VIP launch new system to teach industrial robots without programming

All Kuka robots can now be “easily and intuitively” guided by hand in the workspace using a new navigation system developed by Very Important Product.

The VIP Navigator was developed in partnership with Kuka.

VIP is a special-machine engineering expert and is now offering what the companies call the ready-to-use package, “ready2_pilot”, through its Navigator product.

The new system enables “quick and easy robot programming” using intuitive guidance – physically teaching the robot – instead of computer coding. Continue reading Kuka and VIP launch new system to teach industrial robots without programming

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

Connected and autonomous cars: Driving in the cloud

Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director of obsolete components supplier, EU Automation explains how cloud computing can help both manufacturers and owners make the most of their vehicle

Today, we consider wireless connectivity and parking assist to be standard features in new models of car.

However, roll back 50 years and it was a different story; there was much less technology of any kind in most vehicles.

The three-point seatbelt didn’t become standard until 1970 and airbags weren’t mandatory until 1998. With cloud computing on the rise, we’re seeing more high-tech features being added to vehicles than ever.

Cloud computing plays a pivotal role in helping original equipment manufacturers manage and control the data and connectivity needed to run a system of remote downloads and upgrades across all the cars they sell. Continue reading Connected and autonomous cars: Driving in the cloud

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

Al Waha Petrochemicals to use Honeywell’s industrial internet to improve plant performance

Honeywell says it has been contracted to provide its industrial internet-based Connected Performance Services to Al Waha Petrochemicals Company to explore possibilities of maximizing propylene production.

CPS is a key part of Honeywell’s Connected Plant initiative that helps manufacturers leverage the IIoT to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of operations across a single plant or several plants across an enterprise.

CPS integrates Honeywell UOP’s process and service expertise into the Connected Plant cloud platform. Continue reading Al Waha Petrochemicals to use Honeywell’s industrial internet to improve plant performance

Industrial internet: The latest trends and challenges in systems integration

Nick Boughton, sales manager of Boulting Technology, discusses the challenges connectivity poses for industry, particularly with regard to systems integration and the water industry

Our world is getting smaller every day.

Never before have remote locations been more accessible thanks to communications technology, smartphones and the internet.

Connected devices have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, including the most traditional industry sectors.

One question industry has been unsuccessful in answering refers to the number of connected devices that exist in the world at the moment. Gartner says that by 2020, the Internet of Things will have grown to more than 26 billion units. Continue reading Industrial internet: The latest trends and challenges in systems integration

‘Fifty per cent of S&P 500 firms could be replaced in 10 years’

One of the world’s largest business consultancy firms says many of the largest companies we know today will probably be overtaken by new corporate giants within a decade.

In a report into what’s being called the “fourth industrial revolution”, Deloitte says: “About 50 percent of S&P 500 firms will likely be replaced over the next 10 years due to new digital disruptors and inability of established firms to reinvent themselves.”

The consultancy adds: “How companies choose to evolve, explore new avenues for growth, and better engage their customers can make the difference between thriving and extinction.” Continue reading ‘Fifty per cent of S&P 500 firms could be replaced in 10 years’

Virtual factory: Visual Components launches new version of its industrial design application

Visual Components has launched the latest version of its design application which the company says offers a number of new features and capabilities.

Visual Components 4.0 is the company’s new range of 3D factory simulation products, designed for manufacturing professionals and built on a “powerful, flexible, and scalable platform”.

The company says the new version offers:

smarter simulation;
improved user interface refresh;
better performance;
advanced rendering; and
open architecture.

Visual Components was founded by a group of simulation experts with long experience in industry. Continue reading Virtual factory: Visual Components launches new version of its industrial design application

Qualcomm unveils first communications chip for connected cars

Chip giant Qualcomm has revealed its first communications chip for connected cars, a market in which it is soon to be dominant after its acquisition of NXP Semiconductor goes through.

Presenting the new chip at CES, Patrick Little, Qualcomm’s senior vice president of automotive, said the chip can handle cellular signals at speeds measured in gigabits per second, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

“No longer will you be cranking windows and pushing buttons,” WSJ quoted Little as saying. “You’ll walk into your car and it will feel like a very seamless transition with your handset.”

Full report on Wall Street Journal

Tata Elxsi showcases advanced Automotive technology solutions at CES 2017

Tata Elxsi will be unveiling its latest automotive technology solutions driven by emerging industry requirements for cyber-security, safety, comfort and user experience at the Consumer Electronics Show.

The company will be at CES 2017, booth number 6223, at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.

Tata Elxsi, a global design and technology services company and a leader for automotive electronics and software engineering services, is showcasing key solutions addressing Autonomous Vehicle, Connected Infotainment, Automation, IoT and Artificial Intelligence at CES 2017. Continue reading Tata Elxsi showcases advanced Automotive technology solutions at CES 2017

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