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Indy Autonomous Challenge to race at iconic Texas speedway

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The Indy Autonomous Challenge will return to racing at another iconic track with “The Indy Autonomous Challenge Powered by Cisco” at the Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, November 11th in Fort Worth, Texas.

This follows a record setting competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last October, and making history at CES 2022 in January with the world’s first-ever, head-to-head autonomous racing competition.

Presenting sponsor Cisco Systems will enable critical in-vehicle and car-to-trackside connectivity with Dallara AV-21 racecars using ultra-low latency wireless technology for the head-to-head autonomous racecar competition where nine IAC teams will seek to compete. [Read more…] about Indy Autonomous Challenge to race at iconic Texas speedway

Hyundai partners with Rolls-Royce to develop electric and hydrogen engine for new types of aircraft

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Rolls-Royce and Hyundai Motor Group are to collaborate on bringing all-electric propulsion and hydrogen fuel cell technology to the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market, which includes electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The partnership will leverage Rolls-Royce’s aviation and certification capabilities and Hyundai Motor Group’s hydrogen fuel cell technologies and industrialisation capability.

Both companies share a vision of “leading the way” in the AAM market delivering battery-electric and fuel cell electric solutions to the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Regional Air Mobility (RAM) markets and advancing sustainable aviation. [Read more…] about Hyundai partners with Rolls-Royce to develop electric and hydrogen engine for new types of aircraft

Hyundai and Kia to develops mobile robots for space exploration

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South Korean automotive giants Hyundai and Kia have agreed a partnership to develop robotic technology for space exploration.

The two companies say they “are now expanding their vision beyond the bounds of Earth and into space” are specifically concentrating on robotics and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

Hyundai and Kia recently signed joint research agreements with six Korean research institutes and formed a consultative body to develop mobility solutions to explore the surface of the moon. This follows Korea’s successful launch of a domestically produced rocket in June. [Read more…] about Hyundai and Kia to develops mobile robots for space exploration

Nidec develops AC servo motor equipped with Zignear

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Nidec and its subsidiary Nidec Sankyo have jointly developed an AC servo motor (resolution: 17bit) equipped with Zignear, the position detection technology that can be applied to industrial robots and replace encoders.

The motor is intended for application in industrial robots and automated guided vehicles.

An encoder, which is a sensor used to detect the rotation of a brushless DC motor mainly, is essential in adjusting a motor to an intended location, and keeping its rotation consistent. [Read more…] about Nidec develops AC servo motor equipped with Zignear

Yamaha Motor Ventures leads $7.5 million funding round for Verge Ag

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Yamaha Motor Ventures, the strategic business development and investment arm of Yamaha Motor, has led a $7.5 million Series A funding round for Verge Ag, a precision agriculture company.

Verge claims to be the developer of the world’s first AI-powered interactive software that enables farmers to plan, simulate, and validate the movement of equipment in the field and execute field operations efficiently.

Nolan Paul, partner and Global Ag Tech lead for Yamaha Motor Ventures, says: “This investment in Verge Ag underlines our thesis that precision farming technologies are mission critical to a sustainable future for agriculture. [Read more…] about Yamaha Motor Ventures leads $7.5 million funding round for Verge Ag

SAIC unveils China’s ‘first’ Level 4 robotic taxi platform

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Chinese carmaker SAIC Motor has officially started the operation of its SAIC Mobility Robotaxi, claiming it to be China’s first Level 4 self-driving platform.

SAIC says its “Robotaxi” employs “superior resources” – from SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle Company, SAIC Motor AI Lab, autonomous driving technology company Momenta, and its ride-hailing service platform SAIC Mobility – to create a data-driven ecosystem featuring continuing evolution in an effort to explore the application of Level 4 self-driving technology in urban mobility scenarios.

There is a lack of clarity about the term “robotaxi”. So far, most companies have used it as a generic term to mean robotic taxi. None of them has yet trademarked the actual word. SAIC doesn’t seem to have done so either, but has the word on the side of its cars. [Read more…] about SAIC unveils China’s ‘first’ Level 4 robotic taxi platform

Comau creates high-volume electric drive assembly line for Geely to ‘double its automation rate’

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Comau has developed and implemented an automated electric vehicle drive assembly line for Geely Automobile, one of China’s largest automakers, at the Geely Veremt plant in Ningbo, China.

The assembly line is specifically created for the end-to-end assembly of the electric motor, gearbox and inverter.

Designed in close collaboration with the Geely team, the complete line uses a flexible automatic production system to assemble the permanent magnet motor rotors, gearboxes and electronics drives, in addition to automated quality control and testing. [Read more…] about Comau creates high-volume electric drive assembly line for Geely to ‘double its automation rate’

Unity and Hyundai partner to build virtual twin of automotive manufacturing facility

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Unity, a platform for developing games and other 3D content, and Hyundai Motor Company have agreed a partnership to jointly design and build what they describe as “a new metaverse roadmap and platform for a meta-factory”.

The partnership will realize Hyundai’s vision of becoming the first mobility innovator to build a meta-factory, a digital-twin of the company’s physical plant, supported by a metaverse platform.

The introduction of Meta-factory, will allow Hyundai to test numerous scenarios virtually, in order to assess, calculate and create optimal operation conditions, without employees needing to be onsite. [Read more…] about Unity and Hyundai partner to build virtual twin of automotive manufacturing facility

Interview: Energy Systems Network CEO Paul Mitchell talks about the future of cars and Indy Autonomous Challenge

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It’s been a while since we wrote up an interview, mainly because they take a long time to transcribe and edit into a readable article. And we’re not yet a large enough website to devote time to doing that because there are many other stories that would have to wait while we’re busy doing that.

However, the subject of electric vehicles and EV charging networks are important technologies that literally millions of people have been reading about on this website, and we think they will find this interview interesting.

The interview is with Paul Mitchell, president and CEO of Energy Systems Network, a US-based nonprofit which could be described as a kind of public-private partnership with the aim of discovering and commercialising technologies that provide a platform for the continued healthy growth of the entire clean-energy future of moving machines – cars and other road-going vehicles in particular, but possibly even marine vessels and other types of craft such as drones and maybe even planes. [Read more…] about Interview: Energy Systems Network CEO Paul Mitchell talks about the future of cars and Indy Autonomous Challenge

Cleveland Clinic develops bionic arm that restores ‘natural behaviors’

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Cleveland Clinic researchers have engineered a “first-of-its-kind bionic arm” for patients with upper-limb amputations that allows wearers to think, behave and function like a person without an amputation, according to new findings published in Science Robotics.

The Cleveland Clinic-led international research team developed the bionic system that combines three important functions – intuitive motor control, touch and grip kinesthesia, the intuitive feeling of opening and closing the hand.

Collaborators included University of Alberta and University of New Brunswick. [Read more…] about Cleveland Clinic develops bionic arm that restores ‘natural behaviors’