Robotics & Automation News

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Autonomous Vehicles

Lyft and Motional unveil driverless robotaxi in Vegas

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Lyft and Motional have partnered to launch Motional’s new all-electric IONIQ 5-based robotaxi, an autonomous vehicle designed for fully driverless ride-hail operation, on the Lyft network in Las Vegas.

The launch is the next milestone in the lead-up to Motional and Lyft’s fully driverless service, planning to begin in 2023 and scaling to multiple US cities.

This marks the first time members of the public will experience Motional’s all-electric IONIQ 5 AV, which is the first all-electric autonomous vehicle to debut on the Lyft network. [Read more…] about Lyft and Motional unveil driverless robotaxi in Vegas

Seoul Robotics demonstrates technology that enables cars to park themselves

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Imagine driving a car – one without self-driving capabilities – to a mall, airport or parking garage, and using an app to have the car drive off to park itself. Software company Seoul Robotics is using Nvidia technology to make this possible – turning non-autonomous cars into self-driving vehicles.

Headquartered in Korea, the company’s initial focus is on improving first- and last-mile logistics such as parking. Its Level 5 Control Tower is a mesh network of sensors and computers placed on infrastructure around a facility, like buildings or light poles – rather than on individual cars – to capture an unobstructed view of the environment.

The system enables cars to move autonomously by directing their vehicle-to-everything, or so-called V2X, communication systems. These systems pass information from a vehicle to infrastructure, other vehicles, any surrounding entities – and vice versa. V2X technology, which comes standard in many modern cars, is used to improve road safety, traffic efficiency and energy savings. [Read more…] about Seoul Robotics demonstrates technology that enables cars to park themselves

Baidu granted China’s ‘first-ever’ permits for commercial driverless ride-hailing services

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Baidu, China’s equivalent of Google, has secured the first permits in China to offer commercial fully driverless robotaxi services to the public on open roads.

Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service, is now authorized to collect fares for robotaxi rides – completely without human drivers in the car – in Chongqing and Wuhan, two of China’s largest megacities.

Amid increasing regulatory approval of the expansion of autonomous vehicles (AVs), the permits reflect regulatory authorities’ strong recognition and trust in the strength of Baidu’s autonomous driving technology. [Read more…] about Baidu granted China’s ‘first-ever’ permits for commercial driverless ride-hailing services

AECOM to partner with MnDOT and the City of White Bear Lake on automated shuttle pilot

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AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm, is partnering with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and White Bear Lake on the launch of an automated shuttle pilot within the city.

The shuttle, which has been named “Bear Tracks”, will run for one year on a 1.5-mile route and be free to use, connecting area residents to several community facilities and businesses.

The project will incorporate key elements of MnDOT’s Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Strategic Plan, including enhanced mobility for persons with disabilities, better travel options for elderly communities, and more public awareness of automated vehicle technologies. [Read more…] about AECOM to partner with MnDOT and the City of White Bear Lake on automated shuttle pilot

Embark demonstrates its autonomous trucks’ emergency vehicle interaction capabilities

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Embark Trucks, a developer of autonomous technology for the trucking industry, has completed a public demonstration of its emergency vehicle interaction capability.

Working closely with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Embark developed the capability for Embark-powered trucks to identify and stop for law enforcement vehicles in situations such as traffic stops, and built communication protocols and standard operating procedures between autonomous trucks and law enforcement officers.

This represents the first-ever public demonstration of an autonomous truck being pulled over by law enforcement and participating in a routine traffic stop on a public highway. [Read more…] about Embark demonstrates its autonomous trucks’ emergency vehicle interaction capabilities

Unilever to launch fleet of driverless ice cream vans using Robomart autonomous vehicles

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Robomart, the inventor of a grocery store on autonomous wheels, has agreed a partnership with Unilever, the world’s largest ice cream producer, under its virtual storefront, The Ice Cream Shop.

Unilever will deploy a fleet of Ice Cream Robomarts this summer, featuring treats from Unilever ice cream brands Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Good Humor, Magnum ice cream and Talenti.

With its patented one-tap grocery ordering technology, consumers can hail The Ice Cream Shop Robomarts to their location using Robomart’s proprietary mobile app. [Read more…] about Unilever to launch fleet of driverless ice cream vans using Robomart autonomous vehicles

Udelv autonomous vehicle provides services for nonprofit organizations

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Udelv, a maker of autonomous delivery vehicles, has teamed up with Toyota Mobility Foundation and Energy Systems Network to provide services to two non-profit organizations in central Indiana under TMF’s Together in Motion initiative.

The delivery vehicle – which was launched in Indianapolis on November 5th, 2021 – and has enabled HATCH for Hunger and Southeast Community Services to provide essential goods to community members and food pantry partners.

The rising necessity of contactless delivery throughout the coronavirus pandemic led TMF to explore implementation of advanced goods delivery methodologies. The service will end at the beginning of May 2022. [Read more…] about Udelv autonomous vehicle provides services for nonprofit organizations

Pony.ai and SANY to mass produce autonomous trucks

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving technology company, has formed a strategic joint venture with SANY Heavy Truck, a subsidiary of SANY Heavy Industry, a Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer and the third largest heavy equipment manufacturer globally.

Pony.ai and SANY say they will collaborate to create a “world-leading autonomous truck brand”.

The two companies say they will “deeply integrate” Pony.ai’s “virtual driver” with SANY’s technical accumulation in the field of wire-controlled chassis and vehicle development to jointly develop high-end heavy trucks that are automotive-grade and have L4-class redundancies. These trucks will inaugurate the future of truck logistics transportation.

The joint venture plans to start small-scale deliveries of the robotrucks in 2022 and 2023. Mass production of the L4 truck will commence in 2024 and within a few years will reach an annual production of around 10,000 trucks. [Read more…] about Pony.ai and SANY to mass produce autonomous trucks

Kodiak Robotics expands autonomous freight service to Florida with USPS partner

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Kodiak Robotics, a self-driving trucking company, has expanded its autonomous freight service to Florida with 10 Roads Express, a provider of time sensitive surface transportation for the US Postal Service.

To launch this partnership, Kodiak completed a round trip consisting of four commercial deliveries, including a coast-to-coast commercial run.

A Kodiak autonomous truck carried 10 Roads Express freight nearly 5,600 miles from San Antonio, Texas; to the San Francisco Bay Area; to Jacksonville, Florida; and back to San Antonio. The route was completed in just 114 hours. [Read more…] about Kodiak Robotics expands autonomous freight service to Florida with USPS partner

Embark Trucks completes autonomous vehicle testing in snowy conditions

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Embark Trucks, a developer of autonomous technology for the trucking industry, says it has successfully completed on-road testing in snowy conditions in Montana, USA.

The testing, which Embark announced earlier this year, was conducted to demonstrate the performance and safety of Embark’s patent-pending Vision Map Fusion (VMF) technology in geographies that experience severe winter weather.

Results from the testing demonstrate that in approximately 90 percent of runs through the snowy conditions under study – which could result in delays for HD map-based autonomous driving systems – VMF should operate successfully, or pause and resume travel within acceptable shipper delivery windows. [Read more…] about Embark Trucks completes autonomous vehicle testing in snowy conditions