Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Transportation

AVL and Comau partner to deliver advanced solutions for the electric vehicles market

by

AVL List GmbH, a leader in engineering, simulation and testing technology for powertrain systems, and Comau SpA, a leading company in industrial automation products and systems, have joined forces to develop simulation, design, assembly and testing of powertrain systems and components.

As of January 1, 2018, AVL and Comau have an open cooperation in simulation, design, assembly and testing of powertrain components for electric as well as traditional vehicles.

The agreement will ensure customers have access to robust, standard solutions on a global scale, backed by a local presence, resulting in higher quality and a shorter time to market.

[Read more…] about AVL and Comau partner to deliver advanced solutions for the electric vehicles market

Continental pioneers tyre tests with self-driving test vehicles

by

At its test site in Uvalde, Texas, U.S.A., Continental has commissioned the first driverless tyre test vehicle for a wide range of road surface types.

The aim is to make the test results for Continental’s passenger and light truck tyres more conclusive and minimise the impact of the test procedure on the results. The new test vehicle is based on Continental’s automated Cruising Chauffeur, which was developed for motorways.

The test vehicle is controlled using a satellite-based navigation system. Equipped with camera and radar sensors, the car will be able to react immediately to people, animals, or other unexpected objects on the track, even without a driver.

[Read more…] about Continental pioneers tyre tests with self-driving test vehicles

ZF promotes sensor portfolio for autonomous driving

by

At CES this year, ZF highlighted its sensor portfolio for detecting vehicle surroundings – both inside and outside of the vehicle – to help to enhance the safety of conventional and automated vehicles.

The resulting architecture – including a new, full-range radar, solid-state LiDAR, innovative cameras and acoustic sensors – are combined with supercomputers from the ZF ProAI product family to create a powerful overall sensor system.

“As system architects for autonomous driving, we’ve developed a sensor set which equips cars with all of the necessary senses to digitally detect their surroundings,” said Torsten Gollewski, head of Advanced Engineering at ZF and general manager of Zukunft Ventures GmbH.

[Read more…] about ZF promotes sensor portfolio for autonomous driving

Denso to form Japanese joint venture for automated driving control software

by

Aisin Seiki, Advics, JTEKT Corporation and Denso Corporation have formally agreed to form a new company to develop integrated control software that will be used for automated driving, vehicle motion control, and other related functions.

The new company, J-QuAD DYNAMICS,  will be established in April 2019. In August 2018, the four companies announced their basic agreement to establish a joint venture. Denso will take an almost two-thirds stake in the new company.

To achieve safe, secure, and widespread automated driving, a more sophisticated integrated vehicle control system is required to coordinate sensors, brakes, and steering systems.

[Read more…] about Denso to form Japanese joint venture for automated driving control software

Nissan unveils Invisible-to-Visible technology concept at CES

by

At the CES trade show last week, Nissan unveiled its future vision for a vehicle that helps drivers “see the invisible” by merging both real and virtual worlds, creating the ultimate connected-car experience.

Invisible-to-Visible, or I2V, is a future technology created through Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the company’s vision for changing how cars are powered, driven and integrated into society. I2V demonstrated the future of driving to CES visitors through an interactive, three-dimensional immersion experience at Nissan’s display.

I2V will support drivers by merging information from sensors outside and inside the vehicle with data from the cloud. This enables the system not only to track the vehicle’s immediate surroundings but also to anticipate what’s ahead – even showing what’s behind a building or around the corner.

[Read more…] about Nissan unveils Invisible-to-Visible technology concept at CES

Honda shows its Autonomous Work Vehicle and latest robots at CES 2019

by

Honda is showcasing a variety of mobility, robotics, energy management, and connected concepts at CES 2019, January 8-11, 2019, and featuring demonstrations of in-vehicle connected services in the all-new 2019 Honda Passport.

Honda Innovations, the Silicon Valley arm of Honda R&D, will debut new collaborations with startups and major brand partners through its open innovation programs, Honda Developer Studio and Honda Xcelerator.

The company is showing real-world testing scenarios of the Honda Autonomous Work Vehicle, a prototype off-road vehicle that is a combination of Honda’s all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and emerging advanced autonomous technology.

[Read more…] about Honda shows its Autonomous Work Vehicle and latest robots at CES 2019

Hyundai unveils new electric vehicle charging and automated parking concept

by

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation has unveiled a new concept of electric vehicle wireless charging system with the Automated Valet Parking System (AVPS).

The system will offer a convenience to drivers who are faced with an overcrowding of both parking and charging locations as electric vehicle numbers grow steadily.

It relocates fully charged vehicles from charging stations and allow other awaiting electric vehicles to charge.

[Read more…] about Hyundai unveils new electric vehicle charging and automated parking concept

Groupe PSA acquires shares in Chinese automotive spare parts distributor, UAP

by

Groupe PSA is taking a stronger position in Chinese market with the acquistion of a stake in UAP Auto Union, the leading spare parts distributor in the Shandong region,

UAP has a geographical coverage of more than 100 hubs, and is expanding its delivery service to surrounding provinces with 50 hubs.

With the help of UAP, Groupe PSA will have access to a competitive and efficient distribution system. The objective is to accelerate growth in sales of multi-brand parts, particularly with the new Eurorepar range, which Groupe PSA is developing for the Chinese market.

[Read more…] about Groupe PSA acquires shares in Chinese automotive spare parts distributor, UAP

Volvo Group sells majority stake in WirelessCar to Volkswagen

by

The Volvo Group has signed an agreement to divest 75.1% of the shares in its wholly-owned subsidiary WirelessCar to the Volkswagen Group for SEK 1.1 billion.

WirelessCar provides connected vehicle services and solutions to global producers of passenger cars. Closing of the transaction is expected during the first half of 2019.

“We are committed to remaining the leader within the field of connectivity and connected services. This agreement will enable us to fully focus our resources and efforts on connected solutions for commercial vehicles,” said Jan Gurander, Deputy CEO of the Volvo Group.

[Read more…] about Volvo Group sells majority stake in WirelessCar to Volkswagen

ZF shows off technology for new forms of urban mobility at CES 2019

by

Novel urban mobility choices are one of the biggest drivers behind the development of autonomous driving. A primary example is autonomous ride-hailing, a service based on shared rides in robo-taxis or robo-shuttles.

At CES 2019, ZF will unveil a steering wheel and pedal-free robo-taxi to show how its technologies enable new forms of urban mobility.

Users can hail the taxi using their smartphone or tablet and it will manoeuvre autonomously to pick them up. It can then chauffeur them to where they wish to go.

[Read more…] about ZF shows off technology for new forms of urban mobility at CES 2019