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self-driving

DeepRoute.ai launches $1,000 ‘map-free’ self-driving solution

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DeepRoute.ai, developer of the first production-ready autonomous driving solution, has launched its new Driver 3.0 solution, which the company describes as “the latest advance to achieving full autonomous driving and widespread commercialization”.

DeepRoute.ai is among the first to successfully complete HD map-free self-driving public road tests, thus breaking limitations created by geo-fencing. It is also among the first to win a production contract from automotive manufacturers to produce autonomous vehicles for consumer use.

DeepRoute.ai’s Driver 3.0 includes two versions of its self-driving solutions for automakers. D-PRO, with a hardware cost of $2,000, includes HD map-free operation and features like valet park assist (VPA) and point-to-point navigation on all roads without operational design domain (ODD) restrictions. [Read more…] about DeepRoute.ai launches $1,000 ‘map-free’ self-driving solution

What You Need to Know About Liability in Self-Driving Car Accidents

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Taking the world by storm, self-driving cars have been all the rage ever since they hit the market. Their advanced technology and superior design have also significantly contributed to their popularity.

However, as much as self-driving cars seem like something out of a science fiction movie, these dreamy vehicles are not perfect.

With car accidents being one of the most common personal injury claims, driverless vehicles now bring new complications to already challenging auto accident lawsuits. [Read more…] about What You Need to Know About Liability in Self-Driving Car Accidents

US Army awards Kodiak Robotics $50 million contract for autonomous trucks

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Kodiak Robotics, a self-driving trucking company, today announced it has been awarded a $49.9 million, 24-month United States Department of Defense (DoD) agreement to help automate future US Army ground vehicles led by the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program.

This effort will be in support of vehicles designed for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other high-risk missions.

Through this award, which started in October 2022 and was awarded by DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) on behalf of the Army’s RCV program office, Kodiak will leverage its commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for driverless vehicles that further strengthen national security. [Read more…] about US Army awards Kodiak Robotics $50 million contract for autonomous trucks

Werner Enterprises and Kodiak Robotics partner to run 24/7 long-haul autonomous freight operations

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Kodiak Robotics, a startup self-driving trucking company, is partnering with Werner Enterprises, a large US transportation and logistics provider, to establish an autonomous trucking lane and to showcase how efficiently autonomous trucks can be used with a transfer hub model at truckports.

The relationship commenced in August with a week-long pilot program in which a Kodiak truck, accompanied by a human safety driver at all times, completed four tours involving eight unique trips between Dallas and Lake City, Florida.

Werner Enterprises also joined Kodiak’s Partner Deployment Program, which helps carriers establish autonomous freight operations and seamlessly integrate the Kodiak Driver, Kodiak’s self-driving system, into their fleet. [Read more…] about Werner Enterprises and Kodiak Robotics partner to run 24/7 long-haul autonomous freight operations

Auve Tech launches new generation self-driving vehicle

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Estonian company Auve Tech has launched a new generation self-driving vehicle.

MiCa is the latest self-driving shuttle from Auve Tech, which specializes in developing and producing autonomous vehicles.

The startup says MiCa takes safety, practicality and self-driving to “a new level” and allows autonomous driving in various weather and traffic conditions. [Read more…] about Auve Tech launches new generation self-driving vehicle

Study Shows US Drivers Believe Partially Automated Vehicles Are Fully Self-Driving

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US drivers may be treating their partially-autonomous vehicles as fully self-driving, according to a new study.

Research shows that owners of advanced systems, such as General Motors’ Super Cruise or Tesla’s Autopilot, believe that these technologies have more capabilities than they actually do.

Academics are concerned that such findings could lead to more unnecessary collisions in the future. [Read more…] about Study Shows US Drivers Believe Partially Automated Vehicles Are Fully Self-Driving

Finally, Ford Plans to Release a Test Self-Driving Car by the End of 2022

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Ford plans to release a test self-driving car by 2022! This news comes as a surprise as the company has been lagging behind its competitors when it comes to autonomous technology.

The Ford Motor Company has announced that it intends to release a fully autonomous vehicle within the next five years. The car, which will be available for both public and commercial use, will be part of the company’s larger push to invest in and develop self-driving technology.

While Ford is not the first automaker to pledge to release a self-driving car – Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW have all made similar announcements – it is the first to set a specific timeline for doing so. [Read more…] about Finally, Ford Plans to Release a Test Self-Driving Car by the End of 2022

On the Way to Solving the Big Data Problem in Autonomous Driving

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The appearance of self-driving vehicles is closely related to progress in the sphere of artificial intelligence and robotics. However, self-driving cars need more than just artificial intelligence and machine learning.

To build its route, each self-driving car sends and receives plenty of data from various sensors like GPS, sonars, radars, lidars, cameras, and so on.

Information from all these sources must be processed very quickly, almost in real-time. And the amount of data is really massive here. [Read more…] about On the Way to Solving the Big Data Problem in Autonomous Driving

Kodiak Robotics demonstrates new safety technology for autonomous trucks

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Kodiak Robotics, a self-driving trucking company, says it has become the first company to publicly demonstrate a “fallback” system, which can autonomously pull a self-driving truck over to the side of the road in the event of a truck or system failure. (See video below.)

The ability to perform a safe, reliable fallback, otherwise known as having the vehicle assume a minimal risk condition, is critical to safely deploying driverless trucks on public roads.

Don Burnette, founder and CEO, Kodiak, says: “To launch an autonomous vehicle without a human driver, you must ensure the vehicle will protect motorists in the case of a truck or autonomous system failure. [Read more…] about Kodiak Robotics demonstrates new safety technology for autonomous trucks

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