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North Carolina DoT and beep partner for autonomous vehicle testing projects

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Beep, a provider of autonomous shared mobility solutions, has agreed a partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

This partnership expands NCDOT’s Connected Autonomous Shuttle Supporting Innovation (CASSI) program to further the state’s understanding of autonomous technologies and demonstrate the viability of shared autonomy.

NCDOT and Beep will test applicable use cases for shared, electric and autonomous shuttles. [Read more…] about North Carolina DoT and beep partner for autonomous vehicle testing projects

Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at North Carolina university

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Starship Technologies, the world’s leading provider of autonomous delivery services, announced today that its robots have started on-demand food deliveries at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte).

Starship’s fleet of 30 autonomous, on-demand robots are now delivering from Wendy’s, Bojangles and Shake Smart and will add more campus eateries throughout March, with 10 onboard by the end of the month.

The school’s nearly 30,000 students and faculty can now use the Starship Food Delivery app (iOS and Android) to order food and drinks from campus retailers to be delivered anywhere on campus, within minutes. [Read more…] about Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at North Carolina university

Carolina Handling creates ‘world’s largest pallet painting’

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Carolina Handling set the record for creating the world’s largest pallet painting on October 10 in Greenville, South Carolina when it completed a 26,235-square-foot portrait of Lady Liberty.

Presented in partnership with pallet provider 48forty Solutions, The Patriotic Pallet Project featured 2,500 wooden pallets painted 16 different colors and placed in a grid like pattern to reveal the iconic likeness of Lady Liberty. Assembly of the painting was recorded for a video to be released on Veterans Day, November 11.

Donna Waldrep, Carolina Handling director of marketing, says: “We realize that what we do every day is probably not that exciting to those outside our industry. [Read more…] about Carolina Handling creates ‘world’s largest pallet painting’

Wolfspeed to build ‘world’s largest’ silicon carbide materials facility in North Carolina

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Wolfspeed, a developer of silicon carbide technology, says it will build a new, state-of-the-art, multi-billion-dollar materials manufacturing facility in Chatham County, North Carolina.

The investment is targeted to generate a more than 10 fold increase from Wolfspeed’s current Silicon Carbide production capacity on its Durham campus, supporting the company’s long-term growth strategy, accelerating the adoption of Silicon Carbide semiconductors across a wide array of end-markets and unlocking a new era of energy efficiency.

Gregg Lowe, president and CEO of Wolfspeed, says: “Wolfspeed is the industry leader in supplying the materials required to meet the accelerating demand for next generation semiconductors and creating a more sustainable future for all. [Read more…] about Wolfspeed to build ‘world’s largest’ silicon carbide materials facility in North Carolina

Flytrex receives FAA approval to double drone delivery radius to two nautical miles

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Flytrex, a specialist in on-demand drone delivery for food and retail, has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand its delivery radius from one to two nautical miles across all its operating stations in North Carolina and Texas.

Deliveries will be made in cooperation with longtime partner Causey Aviation Unmanned, offering food, drinks and other goods to approximately 100,000 eligible customers that can opt into the service – a substantial increase from the 40,000 customers that were previously eligible.

Flytrex and Causey will conduct all flights while maintaining the highest safety standards. [Read more…] about Flytrex receives FAA approval to double drone delivery radius to two nautical miles

Flytrex expands drone food delivery service to Holly Springs, North Carolina

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Flytrex, an on-demand drone delivery for food and retail, has expanded its drone delivery service to Holly Springs, North Carolina.

In partnership with Causey Aviation Unmanned, the Federal Aviation Administration, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, The Town of Holly Springs, and Kite Realty Group Trust, Flytrex has begun delivering food orders via drone in partnership with Brinker International – owner of Chili’s Grill & Bar, It’s Just Wings and Maggiano’s Little Italy – at the Holly Springs Towne Center to front and backyards in the neighborhood of Forest Springs.

Flytrex’s newest service caters to dozens of households in the area who have opted into the service. Flytrex will conduct all flights under Part 107, within visual line of sight, maintaining the highest safety standards. [Read more…] about Flytrex expands drone food delivery service to Holly Springs, North Carolina

Starship Technologies launches North Carolina’s first robotic delivery service

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North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (A&T) and its food services provider, Sodexo, have partnered with robot maker Starship Technologies to roll out the university’s food delivery service via autonomous robots.

A&T is the first historically Black college or university to partner with Starship, as well as its first partnership in North Carolina.

Starship’s fleet of 20 autonomous, on-demand robots will deliver from three campus eateries: Qdoba, 1891 Bistro and the new Paavo’s Pizza with the goal to expand additional retail locations by next spring. [Read more…] about Starship Technologies launches North Carolina’s first robotic delivery service

Merck and Volansi launch commercial drone service to deliver cold-chain medicines in rural North Carolina

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Volansi, a drone company specializing in medical logistics, has launched a commercial healthcare drone delivery project in North Carolina.

In collaboration with pharmaceuticals and biotech giant Merck, known as MSD outside the US and Canada, Volansi is piloting the delivery of cold-chain medicines from Merck’s Wilson, North Carolina manufacturing site to Vidant Healthplex-Wilson, a Vidant Health clinic, as the first of three phases in a project to learn about drone technology’s role and ability to improve access to healthcare.

With 1.4 million people across 29 counties, eastern North Carolina’s vast, rural environment can create challenges for accessing care. Initial flights in the project resulted in the first drone delivery of temperature-controlled medicines within the US. [Read more…] about Merck and Volansi launch commercial drone service to deliver cold-chain medicines in rural North Carolina

Honda Aircraft Company to invest $16 million into expanding US production facility

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Honda Aircraft Company says it plans to expand its global headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina by investing an additional $15.5 million in a new 82,000-square-foot facility on its 133+ acre campus in Greensboro.

This will bring the company’s total capital investment in its North Carolina facilities to more than $245 million.

Scheduled to break ground in July 2019, the building will house a new wing assembly process for the HondaJet Elite. [Read more…] about Honda Aircraft Company to invest $16 million into expanding US production facility