Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for January 26, 2021

Car sharing promotes mobility turnaround in Luxembourg

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MOQO app assures easy operation and good service

Luxembourg is also working intensively on the transport revolution. The Duchy received a lot of attention when it became the first country in the world to introduce free local transport at the end of February 2020.

Even before that, a nationwide car sharing system was established with FLEX Carsharing, which is to be further expanded. FLEX provider CFL Mobility wants to use MOQO’s Shared Mobility Platform in the future. The know-how of the Shared Mobility experts from Aachen is increasingly in demand in more and more countries.

Luxembourg is the country in the EU with the highest level of individual ownership. Reasons for this are the high level of prosperity, favourable company car practices and a very good road infrastructure. However, the infrastructure could not prevent the high number of vehicles from leading to traffic chaos. [Read more…] about Car sharing promotes mobility turnaround in Luxembourg

Automating Performance Metrics: Start with Demand and Inventory Forecasting

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By Mike Mills, Director, Business Consulting, Blue Ridge

2021 is the year when companies need earlier insights into new market opportunities, including what items consumers want, on what channel, how much they should stock, and how much they will pay for these products.

The ability to compete in new areas with this level of agility will be the key to unraveling chaos. As e-commerce continues to threaten the market with competitive products that are available nearly instantly, shifting consumer trends can make stocking shelves even more challenging.

Two-thirds of distributors, retailers, and manufacturers report that transportation, labor, and goods were rising more quickly than in previous years. Automation has become a full imperative; Covid has magnified the need. [Read more…] about Automating Performance Metrics: Start with Demand and Inventory Forecasting

Toyota demonstrates autonomous shuttle for ‘mobility as a service’ applications

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Toyota Motor has unveiled an operations management system to support the providing of services that will enable practical use of the e-Palette, the Japanese auto giant’s battery-electric vehicle for autonomous mobility as a service (Autono-MaaS) applications. (See video below.)

In collaboration with a range of partners, Toyota is also planning to operate the vehicles in Woven City, a fully connected prototype city, while targeting commercial use in multiple areas and regions in the early 2020s.

When announcing his goal to transition Toyota to a mobility company at the January 2018 CES, Toyota president Akio Toyoda also announced the e-Palette as a symbol of mobility that goes beyond cars to provide customers services and new value. [Read more…] about Toyota demonstrates autonomous shuttle for ‘mobility as a service’ applications

VW electric vehicle sales increase more than 400 percent

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Volkswagen’s electric vehicle sales have increased more than 400 percent over the past year, according to the German auto giant’s latest figures.

The Volkswagen Group says its “e-offensive is gaining traction”. Deliveries of electric models in the EU including the UK, Norway and Iceland increased “more than fourfold in the year now ended to a total of 315,400 electric vehicles (2019: 72,600)”.

The proportion of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in-hybrids (PHEVs) in the total deliveries rose to 9.7 percent (2019: 1.7 percent). [Read more…] about VW electric vehicle sales increase more than 400 percent

GM to invest $800 million to convert existing facility into Canada’s first large-scale commercial EV plant

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American auto giant General Motors to invest $800 million to convert one of its existing facilities into Canada’s first large-scale commercial electric vehicle manufacturing plant.

Subject to ratification of a tentative 2021 agreement reached with Unifor and confirmation of government support, GM plans to bring production of its recently announced BrightDrop electric light commercial vehicle, the EV600, to its CAMI manufacturing plant in Ingersoll, Ontario (main picture, courtesy 3BL Media).

The nearly $800 million (1 billion Canadian dollar) investment will support GM’s timing to deliver BrightDrop EV600 in late 2021. The investment will enable GM to convert CAMI into Canada’s first large-scale electric delivery vehicles manufacturing plant. [Read more…] about GM to invest $800 million to convert existing facility into Canada’s first large-scale commercial EV plant

Hyundai launches humanoid robot ‘DAL-e’ for customer service

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Hyundai Motor Group has launched the humanoid “DAL-e”, which it describes as a “highly advanced customer service robot” that independently communicates with people using precise recognition capabilities and mobility functions.

DAL-e is an acronym for “Drive you, Assist you, Link with you-experience”. Designed to pioneer the future of automated customer services, the DAL-e is equipped with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology for facial recognition as well as an automatic communication system based on a language-comprehension platform.

Dong Jin Hyun, vice president and head of the robotics lab at Hyundai Motor Group, says: “The DAL-e is a next-generation service platform that can offer automated customer services anytime. It is expected to become a messenger capable of delivering consistent messages to customers in a more intimate and personal way than conventional robots. [Read more…] about Hyundai launches humanoid robot ‘DAL-e’ for customer service