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BMW unveils one of the strangest cars ever designed

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BMW has unveiled what could be described as one of the strangest cars ever designed.

The “BMW i Interaction EASE”, as it’s called, looks from the side to be shaped like a rectangular block with absolutely no aerodynamics integrated into it. But the front and back end do have some aerodynamic contours.

The autonomous weirdo was showcased at this year’s CES, with BMW saying that it “offers a glimpse into a future where autonomous driving has become commonplace”. [Read more…] about BMW unveils one of the strangest cars ever designed

Sony showcases new concept car with tech for autonomous driving

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Sony has showcased a number of new technologies at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, and one of them was a concept car packed with the company’s sensors and other components that provide a package that supports autonomous driving.

Kenichiro Yoshida, Sony president and CEO, says: “It’s not an exaggeration to say that mobile (communication) has been the mega-trend of the last decade. I believe the next mega-trend will be mobility.”

Yoshida formally unveiled the prototype vehicle, which incorporates imaging and sensing technologies that Sony says “contribute to safer and more reliable autonomous driving”. [Read more…] about Sony showcases new concept car with tech for autonomous driving

Visteon showcases virtual dashboard innovations at CES

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Visteon, an automotive dashboard electronics technology company, has been showcasing its latest innovations at CES 2020.

The company says the showcase includes a range of technology solutions “designed to enhance safety and the driving experience by enabling the transformation of cockpits to all-digital environments”.

Visteon displayed cockpit electronics technology platforms in four core areas:

  • Driver Information: Industry-leading digital clusters and multi-display modules
  • SmartCore: Industry-first cockpit domain controllers
  • DriveCore: Enhanced safety domain controllers for Level 2-plus automated driving
  • Infotainment: Scalable Android-based infotainment solutions

Digital displays are key enabler of the cockpit of the future, and as a highlight of its CES exhibit, Visteon debuted a new digital display technology that delivers exceptional brightness and contrast with a rich color gamut. [Read more…] about Visteon showcases virtual dashboard innovations at CES

ZF claims its ADAS technology is ‘most affordable’ in the industry

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Automotive systems manufacturer ZF says its advanced driver assistance system technology is the “most affordable” in the industry. 

Automated driving for personal passenger vehicles continues to be an important advancement in the quest toward “zero accidents” for all automotive companies.

ZF is concentrating on Level 2+ semi-automated systems that deliver advanced safety and convenience functions – and along with its partners has developed the most affordable Level 2+ system in the industry. [Read more…] about ZF claims its ADAS technology is ‘most affordable’ in the industry

Swisys adopts twin-track route to progress with networks for machines

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Taiwanese automotive electronics and communications solution provider Swisys has adopted a twin-track approach to the development of company and its technologies.

The company, which was founded in 2016 by a professor at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology and a team of electrical engineers.

It specialises in technologies based on the CAN Bus and OBD II standard – which refer to data communications systems, usually within a machine, such as a car. [Read more…] about Swisys adopts twin-track route to progress with networks for machines

TTTech Auto acquires automotive software company Red Pine

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TTTech Auto, a developer of safety software platforms for automated driving, has acquired Red Pine Software. 

TTTech Auto says it is continuing its growth strategy with this acquisition and increases its software development capacities for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving (AD) series development projects featuring its flagship product MotionWise.

Red Pine and its 60 employees are experts in automotive embedded software engineering with a focus on ADAS. The acquisition became effective as of January 1, 2020. [Read more…] about TTTech Auto acquires automotive software company Red Pine

Bosch claims ‘complete’ sensor portfolio for autonomous driving

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Bosch says it has now “completed” its sensor portfolio for automated driving, with long-range lidar complementing radar and cameras.

Bosch is one of the world’s leading suppliers of components for advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, which is an umbrella term referring to the autonomous functions in the newer cars on the roads today.

Example of ADAS features include automatic emergency braking, cruise control, and self-parking. But this is growing and becoming more sophisticated and integrated. [Read more…] about Bosch claims ‘complete’ sensor portfolio for autonomous driving

SAIC showcases first autonomous truck at Shanghai port

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A 5G-based “intelligent” – meaning autonomous – heavy duty truck developed by Chinese auto giant SAIC Motor made its debut at Shanghai Yangshan Deepwater Port, the largest cargo port in the world.

The demonstration was conducted as part of SAIC exhibition at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which took place in Shanghai, China recently.

The SAIC 5G truck completed a task through the use of 5G and artificial intelligence technologies, which is the first time such an operation was successfully conducted in the world. [Read more…] about SAIC showcases first autonomous truck at Shanghai port

Nvidia launches ‘world’s most advanced’ chip for robotics and autonomous driving

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Nvidia has launched what it describes as the “world’s most advanced” chip for robotics and autonomous driving.

The Nvidia Drive AGX Orin is said to be a highly advanced software-defined platform, powered by a new system-on-a-chip called Orin.

The new chip consists of 17 billion transistors and is the result of four years of research and development investment. [Read more…] about Nvidia launches ‘world’s most advanced’ chip for robotics and autonomous driving

May Mobility raises $50 million in funding round led by Toyota

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May Mobility, an autonomous transportation-as-a-service provider, has closed a $50 million Series B funding round led by Toyota.

There was also participation from Sparx Group, alongside return investors Millennium Technology Value Partners, Cyrus Capital Partners, BMW iVentures, and Toyota AI Ventures.

The company says the round will help fund strategic hires across the engineering and operations functions, and expansion of the vehicle fleet to meet growing demand. [Read more…] about May Mobility raises $50 million in funding round led by Toyota