Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Autonomous Vehicles

Toyota-backed investment fund Woven Capital buys stake in Nuro

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Woven Capital, an $800 million global investment fund established by the Toyota Research Institute, has made an equity investment in Nuro, a robotics company developing autonomous delivery vehicles.

The investment is part of Nuro’s Series C round of funding, advancing its work in designing and engineering self-driving road vehicles to transform local commerce through autonomous delivery.

The exact amount of the investment has not been made public. [Read more…] about Toyota-backed investment fund Woven Capital buys stake in Nuro

XPeng undertakes the ‘longest autonomous driving expedition in China’

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XPeng, an electric vehicle company in China, has undertaken what is described as “the longest autonomous driving expedition” in China, with a fleet of XPeng P7s, covering a total distance of 3,675 km across six provinces across the country.

This will be the longest autonomous driving expedition by mass-produced vehicles in China.

The expedition will showcase the capability of Navigation Guided Pilot, full-stack in-house developed autonomous driving solution by XPeng, in complex driving scenarios on China’s highways. [Read more…] about XPeng undertakes the ‘longest autonomous driving expedition in China’

Lilee Systems to launch first autonomous buses for public transportation in Taiwan

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Lilee Systems has received the first permit for self-driving bus commercial services on two designated bus lines in Tainan, Taiwan.

The self-driving fleet, subsidized by the Ministry of Transportation, will generate new revenues to the city’s public transit systems by providing two regular bus services in the science park and between the high-speed railway station and the nearby university, exhibition center and large outlet mall.

This milestone of the innovative autonomous rapid transit system has been achieved through partnership with Kasion Green Energy, Taiwan’s sole distributor of BYD vehicles, and Tainan Bus, one of the largest bus operators servicing over 23-million passengers per year. [Read more…] about Lilee Systems to launch first autonomous buses for public transportation in Taiwan

ANA and Toyota test autonomous towing vehicle at Tokyo airport

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All Nippon Airways, Japan’s largest airline, is partnering with Toyota Industries to conduct a test of the latest autonomous towing tractor in the restricted area at Tokyo Haneda Airport from March 29 to April 2, 2021. These trials be the first to take place at Haneda Airport.

Masaki Yokai, senior vice president of ANA, says: “Our work with Toyota Industries has led to several successful autonomous towing tractor tests that we have continually learned from.

“We are excited about the opportunity to take this technology one step further by running trials at Haneda Airport. As we work with Toyota Industries to create the Simple & Smart airport of the future, ANA remains committed to integrating advanced technology in order to improve the travel experience.” [Read more…] about ANA and Toyota test autonomous towing vehicle at Tokyo airport

Driverless truck company TuSimple files for listing on Nasdaq

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TuSimple, a self-driving truck company, has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the US Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed initial public offering of shares of its Class A common stock.

The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. TuSimple intends to list its common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “TSP”. Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and JP Morgan will act as lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. [Read more…] about Driverless truck company TuSimple files for listing on Nasdaq

May Mobility partners with umbrella group for trucking associations

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Autonomous vehicle developer May Mobility is working with an umbrella group for trucking associations, the Partnership for Transportation Innovation and Opportunity (PTIO).

The PTIO says that May Mobility has joined the coalition and its mission is to study the impact of autonomous vehicles on the workforce to ensure that the implementation of the technology will “improve quality of life and economic opportunity for all Americans”.

Rohit Bery, May Mobility vice president and chief of staff, says: “Planning for a workforce of the future is a critical component to May Mobility’s mission to support cities with safe, clean, and accessible autonomous shuttles. [Read more…] about May Mobility partners with umbrella group for trucking associations

Autonomous vehicles from Udelv and May Mobility to be used in futuristic Indiana project

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Autonomous vehicles from Udelv and May Mobility have been chosen for application in a futuristic project overseen by the state of Indiana, in the US. 

The project also involves Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) and Energy Systems Network (ESN), which have jointly designated May Mobility and Udelv as the first two implementation of the “Future Mobility District” initiative.

The Future Mobility District initiative, established in collaboration with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), aims to foster innovation through industry partnerships and propel research and development in advanced mobility technologies in Indiana. [Read more…] about Autonomous vehicles from Udelv and May Mobility to be used in futuristic Indiana project

Baidu receives green light to demonstrate commercialized autonomous vehicles in China

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Baidu, China’s equivalent of Google and a developer of autonomous vehicles, has received qualifications for 35 of its “Apollo” vehicles to demonstrate commercialized autonomous driving operations, and qualifications for 10 vehicles to conduct driverless testing, by traffic authorities in Cangzhou city, in China.

These qualifications will allow Baidu to be the first company in China to experiment with various monetization mechanisms for autonomous driving services, marking a landmark step on Baidu Apollo’s road to commercialization.

With these qualifications, Baidu Apollo will be able to roll out commercialized demonstrations of its smart transportation services in Cangzhou, and explore various mechanisms for charging customers, such as discounts, trial tickets, and voluntary payments from riders, for the first time by any autonomous driving company in China. [Read more…] about Baidu receives green light to demonstrate commercialized autonomous vehicles in China

Simple Ways that You Can Do Your Part for the Environment Using Tech

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Environmental concerns are on everyone’s minds in 2021. We are all looking for new ways to reduce our carbon emissions and promote ethical and eco-friendly practices.

As technology continues to advance, there are many ways that we can use tech in our daily lives to help reduce our impact on the environment. Here are some simple ways that you can incorporate green practices into your everyday life. [Read more…] about Simple Ways that You Can Do Your Part for the Environment Using Tech

5 Ways Car Manufacturers Have Evolved Since the Pandemic

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The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly changed a lot of things, including how people view transportation.

Now, many folks realize the importance of having a car, a secure means of transport that you do not need to share with anybody.

A 2020 survey by Deloitte found that 74 percent of Americans support the idea of owning a car, with 56 percent of public transportation users stating that they intended to stop using public transport during the pandemic. [Read more…] about 5 Ways Car Manufacturers Have Evolved Since the Pandemic