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Mercedes-Benz claims its ‘Drive Pilot’ is world’s first internationally certified Level 3 automated car technology

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Mercedes-Benz says its Drive Pilot automated driver assistance system has become the world’s first internationally certified Level 3 automated car technology. The company adds that it backs redundancy for safe conditionally automated driving.

When it comes to conditionally automated driving (SAE Level 3), safety and reliability are the top priorities for Mercedes-Benz. Drive Pilot is therefore based on a system architecture that enables safe control of all situations that could potentially arise.

To this end, braking, steering, power supply and some parts of the sensor system are designed with physical and functional redundancy. By adopting this safety‑focused approach to system design, Mercedes-Benz is setting completely new benchmarks in automated driving. [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz claims its ‘Drive Pilot’ is world’s first internationally certified Level 3 automated car technology

TTTech Auto and Infineon design new chip architecture for highly automated driving

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TTTech Auto and Infineon Technologies have developed key components for a fail-operational electronic architecture for highly automated driving of SAE Level 3 and 4.

This enables the safe and reliable processing of, for example, radar or LiDAR camera sensor data and is targeting car and technology manufacturers. The fail-operational architectural concept and its key components ensure the safe operation of highway pilot functions, valet parking and autonomous truck driving in case individual functions fail.

The joint research contributed to the successful completion of the European PRYSTINE (Programmable Systems for Intelligence in Automobiles) project. With a budget of about €50 million, PRYSTINE aimed to realize safe automated driving by fail-operational urban surround perception. [Read more…] about TTTech Auto and Infineon design new chip architecture for highly automated driving

Robotic Research and FPInnovations partner to develop resource road truck platooning technology

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Joint efforts will provide Level 4 Autonomy for natural resource sector roads

Robotic Research, a developer of “automated driving systems” (or ADS, meaning autonomous), and FPInnovations, a Canadian private non-profit research and development center, are collaborating to develop an off-road truck platooning system for the forest industry.

This project will combine Robotic Research’s proven expertise as a global leader in self-driving technology with FPInnovations’ knowledge in forestry and transportation to adapt the truck platooning technology to off-highway environments.

The multi-year project aims at accelerating the adoption of off-road automated-vehicle technology to improve safety and address an acute labor shortage, thereby improving the quality and viability of rural jobs where natural resources are located. [Read more…] about Robotic Research and FPInnovations partner to develop resource road truck platooning technology

Major tech and automotive industry players establish cross-industry partnership for automated driving

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Arm, Audi, Denso, NXP and six further technology and research leaders are joining industry group The Autonomous to develop state-of-the-art technology for autonomous vehicles.

The aim is to lay the basis for safety standardization and series production.

This form of collaboration will help to overcome major hurdles of prevailing competition in the industry and solve safety challenges. [Read more…] about Major tech and automotive industry players establish cross-industry partnership for automated driving

BVN and UTS invent robotic 3D-printed air cooling system

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BVN Architecture and the University of Technology Sydney have teamed up to design what they say is “the world’s first robotically 3D-printed air-diffusion system”, called “Systems Reef 2”, or SR2.

SR2 reinvents air distribution: replacing steel with recycled plastic, square corners with aerodynamic curves, and large vents with fine pores.

The building sector is responsible for nearly 40 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions and SR2 tackles this problem head on. [Read more…] about BVN and UTS invent robotic 3D-printed air cooling system

AVCC releases two key technical reports for the autonomous vehicle compute industry

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The Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium (AVCC), a global collaboration of automotive and technology industry leaders in automated and assisted driving compute solutions, has released two key technical reports, developed to provide the basis for a common autonomous vehicle language, conceptual system architecture, as well as use cases for automated and assisted driving compute systems.

Paul Hughes, chair of AVCC technical committee and lead system architect and distinguished engineer at Arm, says: “The path to a truly autonomous future is paved with foundational technology and computing challenges requiring industry collaboration.

“The new technology reports from the AVCC are a result of key industry players working together to establish a common language and frame of reference for critical autonomous applications, taking us a step closer to a safe, truly autonomous future.” [Read more…] about AVCC releases two key technical reports for the autonomous vehicle compute industry

Key industry organisations partner to develop global standards for autonomous vehicles

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The Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium, a global group of automotive and technology industry organisations, has agreed what is described as a “key liaison” with SAE International, the association of more than 200,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries.

The two organisations’ shared goal is to help expedite the development of autonomous and assisted driving solutions through shared technical references, recommendations, design benchmarks and marketing initiatives.

Jack Pokrzywa, ground vehicle standards director, SAE International, says: “For more than a century, SAE Standards have created the safe, reliable and consistent use and adoption of technologies to advance the mobility industry for the benefit of humanity. [Read more…] about Key industry organisations partner to develop global standards for autonomous vehicles

2020 saw ‘significant organizational growth and progress in autonomous vehicle market’, says industry group

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2020 saw “significant organizational growth and progress” in the autonomous vehicle market, according to the Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium, a global group of automotive and technology industry leaders cooperating to help accelerate the delivery of automated and assisted driving compute solutions.

AVCC members have finalized two key foundation documents, new working groups have kicked off work, and critical topics such as cybersecurity are now being addressed. Additional work and liaisons are kicking off in 2021, and new members are invited to help drive these initiatives forward.

Armando Pereira, president of AVCC, says: “The need for AVCC’s guidance for autonomous vehicle computing has gained importance over the past year, and we are proud of our technical committees’ work to unite and build consensus around industry recommendations. [Read more…] about 2020 saw ‘significant organizational growth and progress in autonomous vehicle market’, says industry group

Teradyne and Syntiant partner to ‘significantly shorten time to market’ for new AI chips

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Teradyne, a supplier of automated test solutions, says the company’s UltraFLEX test platform has enabled AI chip company Syntiant to successfully ship millions of its microwatt-power, deep learning Neural Decision Processors to customers worldwide.

Built from a clean sheet, hardware/software co-design methodology that optimizes silicon and deep learning models together, the Syntiant NDP100 and Syntiant NDP101 Neural Decision Processors bring hands-free, cloud-free, always-on voice and sensor AI applications to battery-powered edge devices.

Pieter Vorenkamp, COO at Syntiant, says: “Our deep learning NDP10x chips leverage our custom designed near-memory compute architecture, so we were looking for a partner with a deep understanding of the AI chip market. [Read more…] about Teradyne and Syntiant partner to ‘significantly shorten time to market’ for new AI chips

Mercedes-Benz and Nvidia partner to build ‘smartphones on wheels’

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Automotive giant Mercedes-Benz and chipmaker Nvidia have agreed a significant, wide-ranging and long-term partnership designed to build what they are describing as “smartphones on wheels”. (See video below.)

Nvidia, which already has a leading position in the automotive market, says it is building the chips and supercomputers that the new Mercs will require.

And Mercedes-Benz says it is busy building the operating system the newly designed cars will run. [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz and Nvidia partner to build ‘smartphones on wheels’