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Bridgestone invests in autonomous truck developer Kodiak Robotics

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Bridgestone Americas has made a minority investment in Kodiak Robotics, a US-based self-driving trucking company.

The partnership will allow Bridgestone to integrate its smart-sensing tire technologies and fleet solutions into Kodiak’s level 4 autonomous trucks.

The companies will also pilot future autonomous and smart tire technologies to further enhance vehicle intelligence and advance toward a safer, more efficient, and more sustainable mobility future. [Read more…] about Bridgestone invests in autonomous truck developer Kodiak Robotics

Understanding the Impact of Driving Style on Tyre Longevity

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Every motorist is aware that tyres will gradually wear down after use, but do you know how long the average tyre lasts and when you should be looking to replace for improved safety and performance?

Under normal driving conditions, front tyres should last around 20,000 miles while rear tyres can last around 40,000. [Read more…] about Understanding the Impact of Driving Style on Tyre Longevity

Upward Farms launches first organic vertical farm in the US Northeast

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Upward Farms, an aquaponics vertical farming company, has opened its new headquarters in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York.

The innovative new facility – which is Upward Farms’ first – utilizes the company’s next generation technology in both commercial production and research and development.

The operation, powered by breakthrough end-to-end automation, is USDA Certified Organic, making Upward Farms the first and only Certified Organic vertical farm in the Northeast region. [Read more…] about Upward Farms launches first organic vertical farm in the US Northeast

Honeywell Aerospace equips newly designed Dassault plane

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Honeywell Aerospace was one of the main technology suppliers for Dassault Aviation on its new, long-range Falcon 10X business jet.

Stevan Slijepcevic, president, electronic solutions, Honeywell Aerospace, says: “Honeywell is proud to equip the new Dassault 10X aircraft with its next-generation Primus Epic technology that brings the safety and situational awareness of the aircraft to an unprecedented level.

“Honeywell and Dassault collaborated since the inception of the 10X development program to create unique Human Factors and Pilot Interface experiences. [Read more…] about Honeywell Aerospace equips newly designed Dassault plane

Fetch Robotics machines ‘fully conform’ with first safety standard for industrial mobile robots

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Fetch Robotics says it has achieved “full conformance” with R15.08, the first safety standard specifically formulated for industrial mobile robots

Fetch Robotics says its full suite of autonomous mobile robots conforms with ANSI / RIA R15.08, the new safety standard for industrial mobile robots.

This latest milestone ensures that Fetch’s AMRs can be safely utilized in all current use cases throughout warehouses, factories, distribution centers and fulfillment centers.

Released on Dec 25th, 2020 by the RIA (Robotics Industry Association), R15.08 is the new safety standard for industrial mobile robots. [Read more…] about Fetch Robotics machines ‘fully conform’ with first safety standard for industrial mobile robots

Baidu Apollo to launch fully driverless ride-hailing services in Beijing

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Baidu Apollo will launch fully driverless robotaxi services to the public in Beijing starting from May 2, 2021.

This will be China’s first paid autonomous vehicle service where users can hail a robotaxi without a safety driver behind the steering wheel, marking a landmark step on the road to commercialization of autonomous driving.

The fully driverless Apollo Go Robotaxi service will first be launched in Beijing’s Shougang Park – one of the venues for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics – and will soon be transporting visitors at the games. [Read more…] about Baidu Apollo to launch fully driverless ride-hailing services in Beijing

ZF launches its ‘most advanced’ autonomous emergency braking system for commercial vehicles in China

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Automotive systems manufacturer ZF is preparing for volume production of its most advanced autonomous emergency braking assistance system in China. OnGuardMAX will be installed in new truck models by two leading Chinese manufacturers from this year.

Sophisticated data integration with state-of-the-art camera and radar sensor helps the system autonomously detect, classify and react on moving and stationary vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles.

The system warns the driver of imminent collisions and, if necessary, can autonomously bring the vehicle to a complete stop. This advanced object detection and autonomous braking capability further enables the new ZF system to help avoid or mitigate accidents involving pedestrians. [Read more…] about ZF launches its ‘most advanced’ autonomous emergency braking system for commercial vehicles in China

ABB RobotStudio now enables reduction of robotic cell footprint by 25 per cent

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ABB says its RobotStudio offline programming and simulation software has been upgraded with a new virtual robot braking distance function designed to create an exact simulation of the real-world stopping distance of a robot.

Enabling the robot’s braking distance to be accurately calculated, the function overcomes the need to add safety margins into cell designs, enabling space savings of up to 25 per cent.

Predicting exactly where a robot will stop depends on a range of variables including speed, payload and the robot’s own inertia. These factors, individually or combined, can result in the robot coming to a halt outside of its safety zone, sometimes by several meters. [Read more…] about ABB RobotStudio now enables reduction of robotic cell footprint by 25 per cent

Toyota and Apex to accelerate development of computing platform for autonomous vehicles

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Apex.AI, an automotive software company, is partnering with Toyota’s Woven Planet Group to help the company create a production-ready autonomy stack for Arene, Toyota’s vehicle development platform to enable modern software development tools and best practices in the automotive industry. 

Toyota’s Woven Planet is using Apex.OS, an easy-to-use software development kit (SDK) for automotive and other safety-critical applications, including autonomous driving software.

Today’s vehicles are hardware-defined, and while they leverage existing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), they have dozens of components that are not integrated with each other. [Read more…] about Toyota and Apex to accelerate development of computing platform for autonomous vehicles

The Critical Tech Automated Vehicles Will Use to Keep Us Safe

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The improved safety of the self-driving car, both for the passengers and other road users are well known.

However, what many people do not understand are the separate systems and technologies that are being built into autonomous vehicles to ensure this advance in safety.

After all, it is not only that the vehicle contains an AI capable of making high-speed decisions, but also that it will be equipped with the following systems and features that will ensure both efficiency and protection. [Read more…] about The Critical Tech Automated Vehicles Will Use to Keep Us Safe