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Baidu wins ‘first’ driverless permits in China for autonomous ride hailing on public roads

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Baidu Apollo Go has received what it says is the “first ever permits in China” that authorize the company to provide driverless ride-hailing services to the public on open road in Beijing.

This regulatory approval marks a significant milestone for the autonomous ride-hailing industry in China, indicating a regulatory openness to taking a further step toward a fully driverless mobility future.

With these permits issued by the head office of the Beijing High-level Automated Driving Demonstration Area (BJHAD), ten autonomous vehicles without drivers behind the steering wheel will offer rides to passengers in a designated area of 60 square kilometers in Beijing. [Read more…] about Baidu wins ‘first’ driverless permits in China for autonomous ride hailing on public roads

Nauticus Robotics launches ‘pioneering’ underwater robot fleet system for offshore industry

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Nauticus Robotics, a Houston-area developer of subsea and surface robotic services using autonomy software, has launched the initial production run of Nauticus Fleet, a robotic navy of 20 Hydronaut-Aquanaut pairs.

These tandem pairs will be deployed in multiple offshore industries serving applications ranging from subsea maintenance and intervention to data collection activities.

These first sets of robots will be delivered in Q4 2022, with the remainder being fulfilled by the end of 2024. [Read more…] about Nauticus Robotics launches ‘pioneering’ underwater robot fleet system for offshore industry

RG Group agrees integration partnership with Seegrid

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RG Group, headquartered in York, Pennsylvania, has agreed a certified integration partnership with Seegrid, a provider of high payload autonomous mobile robots.

Seegrid robots are used to improve operational workflows by organizations of all sizes – across a broad spectrum of industries.

Founded in 2003, Seegrid is the leading provider of connected autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for material handling with millions of production miles driven and enterprise software solutions that maximize material flow efficiencies. [Read more…] about RG Group agrees integration partnership with Seegrid

Sumitomo selects Seegrid autonomous mobile robots for material handling

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Seegrid, a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots for material handling, says Sumitomo Drive Technologies has selected Seegrid’s mobile automation solutions for its expanding manufacturing operations.

The power transmission component manufacturer chose Seegrid’s Palion AMR fleet and Fleet Central enterprise software to support autonomous hauling of parts and equipment between its existing 250,000 assembly facility and its new 100,000 square foot warehouse.

Seegrid’s customer portfolio of global brands in logistics, e-commerce, and manufacturing utilize the company’s automation products and services to propel corporate initiatives, reduce lean waste, and build operational resiliency. [Read more…] about Sumitomo selects Seegrid autonomous mobile robots for material handling

DeepRoute.ai unveils ‘most advanced robotaxi fleet’

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DeepRoute.ai, an international autonomous driving technology company, announces a leading-edge robotaxi fleet equipped with its distinctive Level 4 autonomous driving solution, Driver 2.0.

Engineered for mass production and adoption by automakers, this advancement in autonomous vehicle technology previews what’s to come in the transportation industry and the future of L4 consumer vehicles.

Composed of 30 SAIC Motor Marvel R SUVs, the robotaxi fleet will deploy in Shenzhen, China, in the coming months. [Read more…] about DeepRoute.ai unveils ‘most advanced robotaxi fleet’

Google launches last mile fleet solution and cloud fleet routing API

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Google has launched its Last Mile Fleet Solution from Google Maps Platform and Cloud Fleet Routing API from Google Cloud – two new solutions to help fleet operators improve delivery success and optimize fleet performance.

The pandemic has accelerated e-commerce adoption and strained supply chains, while consumer expectations around delivery speed and visibility have reached an all-time high. At the same time, last-mile delivery is estimated to make up more than half of total shipping costs.

This means last-mile fleet operators have to work harder to create better consumer experiences and improve their operations. [Read more…] about Google launches last mile fleet solution and cloud fleet routing API

Gatik and ChargePoint partner to develop charging network for electric autonomous trucks

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ChargePoint, a leading electric vehicle charging network, and autonomous truck developer Gatik have agreed a strategic partnership to develop an electric ecosystem for autonomous vehicles.

The companies say the ecosystem will be designed to maximize sustainability, operational efficiency and economics for ChargePoint and Gatik’s customers across North America.

Through the partnership, infrastructure and integrated services will play a significant role in helping to decarbonize the B2B short-haul logistics sector and will offer a simple and seamless solution to help Gatik and ChargePoint’s customers meet their corporate sustainability goals. [Read more…] about Gatik and ChargePoint partner to develop charging network for electric autonomous trucks

Starship rolls out its food delivery robots at University of Idaho

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Vandals on the University of Idaho Moscow campus can have robots deliver food from several Idaho Eats locations, including Qdoba, True Burger, Einstein Bros Bagels and Cravings by Joe via Starship Technologies’ fleet of 15 autonomous food delivery robots.

Cami McClure, assistant vice president for auxiliary services at U of I, says: “We’re excited to bring this service to a wide array of our dining options.

“The university community is eager for on-campus dining delivery and now, with Starship Technologies, we are able to offer a fun, fast and friendly way to deliver.” [Read more…] about Starship rolls out its food delivery robots at University of Idaho

Seegrid agrees strategic partnership with RōBEX

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Seegrid, a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots for material handling, has agreed a strategic partnership with RōBEX, a systems integrator specializing in industrial robots.

The collaboration agreement enables RōBEX to introduce their customers to the full portfolio of Seegrid Palion autonomous mobile robots and Fleet Central enterprise software solutions.

RōBEX automates critical production processes for leading manufacturing and consumer goods brands to increase productivity, improve safety, and enhance quality. [Read more…] about Seegrid agrees strategic partnership with RōBEX

The big AMR fleet computing debate: Distributed vs centralized

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By Limor Schweitzer, CTO and founder, MOV.AI

A shift in mobile robot computing needs

Over the past year, we have seen the growing adoption of centralized computing in Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) fleets. In this article, we ask if this trend is the best approach, especially in advanced deployments with a large number of AMRs and dynamic, non-sterile environments.

Past generations of AMRs, or more accurately Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), operated in sterile environments, with physically marked fixed routes and simple, predefined tasks. The computing requirements were almost nonexistent. [Read more…] about The big AMR fleet computing debate: Distributed vs centralized