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Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicle development will be stalled by technological and regulatory barriers, says report

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Autonomous vehicles are currently more hype than substance, given the significant technological, financial, and regulatory barriers to their widespread use, according to GlobalData.

In its latest report, Tech, Media, & Telecom Predictions 2022, the data and analytics company predicts that focus will shift onto “lower-level” autonomous vehicles that require greater human supervision, while mergers and acquisition activity will continue to be driven by transport technology such as robotaxis.

Amrit Dhami, thematic analyst at GlobalData, offers her view on these predictions. She says technological barriers will shift focus onto lower-level autonomous vehicles. [Read more…] about Autonomous vehicle development will be stalled by technological and regulatory barriers, says report

Mercedes-Benz partners with Luminar to develop automated driving systems

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Mercedes-Benz and Luminar Technologies has agreed a partnership to accelerate development of future automated driving technologies for passenger cars.

A central component of this is the optimal access to new technologies and global competencies.

The new partnership with Luminar underlines Mercedes-Benz’s policy of continuously expanding its network of top-flight tech partners and suppliers for passenger cars. [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz partners with Luminar to develop automated driving systems

Auto systems giant Magna acquires autonomous shuttle startup Optimus Ride

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Magna, one of the world’s largest producers of automotive components and systems, has acquired autonomous shuttle startup Optimus Ride for an undisclosed amount.

Magna says the agreement has resulted in the company adding more than 120 employees of Optimus Ride to its books.

Optimus Ride is a provider of autonomous vehicle and mobility solutions located in Boston. [Read more…] about Auto systems giant Magna acquires autonomous shuttle startup Optimus Ride

Nuro raises $600 million in Series D funding

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Nuro, a startup that has produced an autonomous delivery vehicle, has raised $600 million in its latest funding round. The company is currently valued at almost $10 billion and is building a manufacturing facility in Nevada.

This latest financing round was led by Tiger Global Management with participation from Baillie Gifford, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Gaorong Capital, Google, Kroger, SoftBank Vision Fund 1, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Woven Capital, and other existing investors as part of the company’s Series D funding round.

This $600 million financing will support the development and deployment of Nuro’s autonomous delivery service in communities across the country. [Read more…] about Nuro raises $600 million in Series D funding

Intel Mobileye and Geely Zeekr to build autonomous car for consumer market

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Mobileye, an Intel subsidiary which develops advanced driver assistance systems, and Zeekr, the premium electric car brand owned by China’s largest automaker Geely, are to develop a new all-electric consumer vehicle with Level 4 capabilities.

The plan represents an expansion of their existing strategic technology partnership.

The planned autonomous vehicle will be powered by six EyeQ 5 system-on-chips to process Mobileye True Redundancy sensing, Responsibility-Sensitive Safety (RSS)-based driving policy and a new open collaboration model on Road Experience Management (REM) mapping technology. [Read more…] about Intel Mobileye and Geely Zeekr to build autonomous car for consumer market

Gillig and Robotic Research partner to develop autonomous buses

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Gillig, a manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, and RR.AI, a provider of autonomous mobility solutions, have reached an agreement to develop “next-generation advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle technology” for Gillig transit buses in North America.

This partnership will combine RR.AI’s vehicle automation experience and Gillig’s transit operations expertise to produce “state-of-the-art safety and performance capabilities”.

Derek Maunus, Gillig president and CEO, says: “We see this partnership as a great fit for both our companies. [Read more…] about Gillig and Robotic Research partner to develop autonomous buses

Polimove wins autonomous car race at CES

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The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) team PoliMOVE has won the Autonomous Challenge @ CES, making history as the first head-to-head autonomous racecar competition champion.

PoliMOVE comprises team members from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, and the University of Alabama, in the US.

PoliMOVE competed at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a field of five teams from five countries representing seven universities to win the $150,000 grand prize. TUM Autonomous Motorsport from the Technische Universität München (Germany) took home second place with $50,000. [Read more…] about Polimove wins autonomous car race at CES

REE starts trials of new electric platform for delivery vehicles

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REE Automotive is commencing trials of its all-new P7 platform designed for commercial delivery vehicles and walk-in vans.

The P7 platform, targeted to a US based delivery van program, was designed based on functional and operational specifications from one of the world’s largest delivery companies.

Fully flat from end-to-end, P7 offers greatest interior space and volumetric efficiency for vehicles in classes 3-5. [Read more…] about REE starts trials of new electric platform for delivery vehicles

A history of advanced driver assistance systems

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In its report, Autonomous Cars, Robotaxis & Sensors 2022–2042, IDTechEx predicts that SAE Level 3 autonomous features, such as traffic jam pilot, will emerge in 2022 and become common in vehicles by 2042.

How did IDTechEx predict this time scale? The answer lies in the historical adoption trends of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technologies.

Everyone is familiar with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and traction control; you would not have even thought to ask about them when purchasing your last car. [Read more…] about A history of advanced driver assistance systems

BMW partners with Seoul Robotics to launch ‘Level 5’ control tower

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Seoul Robotics, a robotics perception company, has introduced what it describes as a “Level 5 Control Tower” (LV5 CTRL TWR), a mesh network of sensors and computers on infrastructure that guides vehicles autonomously rather than having to place any sensors on an individual vehicle.

This “revolutionary technology” – which is said to enable non-autonomous vehicles to be controlled autonomously – is in the final stages of testing with automaker BMW and preparing for implementation to automate last-mile fleet logistics at their manufacturing facility in Munich.

Beyond original equipment manufacturers, the system has the potential to transform operations for a wide range of business applications ranging from vehicle distribution centers to car rental companies and trucking logistics. [Read more…] about BMW partners with Seoul Robotics to launch ‘Level 5’ control tower