Robotics & Automation News

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North Carolina DoT and beep partner for autonomous vehicle testing projects

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Beep, a provider of autonomous shared mobility solutions, has agreed a partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

This partnership expands NCDOT’s Connected Autonomous Shuttle Supporting Innovation (CASSI) program to further the state’s understanding of autonomous technologies and demonstrate the viability of shared autonomy.

NCDOT and Beep will test applicable use cases for shared, electric and autonomous shuttles. [Read more…] about North Carolina DoT and beep partner for autonomous vehicle testing projects

Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors partners with REE Automotive to develop autonomous mobility solutions

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Hino Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, and REE Automotive, an innovator in e-mobility, have signed a strategic business alliance agreement to realize their shared vision of “providing new value to society through next-generation commercial mobility”.

With the backdrop of advancements in CASE – Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric – vehicles, the automotive industry is entering a major transformation phase.

Hino and REE envision beyond this transformation a future in which commercial vehicles that support the movement of people and goods will evolve into mobility that provides new value and opportunities for society. [Read more…] about Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors partners with REE Automotive to develop autonomous mobility solutions

EasyMile raises €55 million to scale up its autonomous vehicles business

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EasyMile, a developer of driverless vehicle solutions for material handling and shared passenger transport, has closed a €55 million Series B funding round.

Led by Searchlight Capital Partners, a private investment firm, with McWin and NextStage AM, the round saw all EasyMile’s earlier investors, including Alstom, Bpifrance and Continental, also participating.

The funding will facilitate the completion of EasyMile’s product and technology roadmap while accelerating its international expansion and client service. [Read more…] about EasyMile raises €55 million to scale up its autonomous vehicles business

Toyota ‘accelerating’ its autonomous vehicle plans with Lyft’s Level 5 acquisition

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Toyota is accelerating its autonomous vehicle plans through its acquisition of Lyft’s Level 5, according to research company GlobalData. 

Toyota Motor’s tech investment arm, Woven Planet Holdings, has agreed to acquire shared mobility giant Lyft’s self-driving vehicle division Level 5 for $550 million.

In response to the news, Bakar Sadik Agwan, senior automotive consulting analyst at GlobalData, offers her analysis. [Read more…] about Toyota ‘accelerating’ its autonomous vehicle plans with Lyft’s Level 5 acquisition

Key industry organisations partner to develop global standards for autonomous vehicles

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The Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium, a global group of automotive and technology industry organisations, has agreed what is described as a “key liaison” with SAE International, the association of more than 200,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries.

The two organisations’ shared goal is to help expedite the development of autonomous and assisted driving solutions through shared technical references, recommendations, design benchmarks and marketing initiatives.

Jack Pokrzywa, ground vehicle standards director, SAE International, says: “For more than a century, SAE Standards have created the safe, reliable and consistent use and adoption of technologies to advance the mobility industry for the benefit of humanity. [Read more…] about Key industry organisations partner to develop global standards for autonomous vehicles

Popcar promotes car sharing in Australia

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Shared mobility is also developing in Australia. The big cities in particular are relying increasingly on car sharing and the number of users is rising nationwide.

Popcar has been one of the Australian providers on the continent’s shared mobility market since 2016. In addition to the topics of environmental protection and sustainability, Popcar also wants to score points with user comfort and service. Popcar relies on the shared mobility platform MOQO.

MOQO has been developed by the company Digital Mobility Solutions GmbH in Aachen, Germany, and is being used by growing numbers of shared mobility providers worldwide. [Read more…] about Popcar promotes car sharing in Australia

Car sharing promotes mobility turnaround in Luxembourg

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MOQO app assures easy operation and good service

Luxembourg is also working intensively on the transport revolution. The Duchy received a lot of attention when it became the first country in the world to introduce free local transport at the end of February 2020.

Even before that, a nationwide car sharing system was established with FLEX Carsharing, which is to be further expanded. FLEX provider CFL Mobility wants to use MOQO’s Shared Mobility Platform in the future. The know-how of the Shared Mobility experts from Aachen is increasingly in demand in more and more countries.

Luxembourg is the country in the EU with the highest level of individual ownership. Reasons for this are the high level of prosperity, favourable company car practices and a very good road infrastructure. However, the infrastructure could not prevent the high number of vehicles from leading to traffic chaos. [Read more…] about Car sharing promotes mobility turnaround in Luxembourg

Norwegian shared mobility provider Bilkollektivet chooses MOQO

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Environmentally friendly mobility concept with high growth potential

More and more people than ever before are signing up to Bilkollektivet, a co-operative founded 25 years ago in Oslo and the oldest car sharing provider in the country. Every month, 400 to 500 new people register up for the ever-growing pool of vehicles.

A co-operation between the Norwegians and the German mobility software specialist MOQO now makes car sharing even easier, more transparent and more convenient for both the operators and the approximately 11,000 users it now boasts.

Bilkollektivet currently has 603 cars in the capital Oslo and 15 cars in Stavanger, the fourth largest city in the country. The co-operative works in such a way that members become shareholders when they join the co-operative. [Read more…] about Norwegian shared mobility provider Bilkollektivet chooses MOQO

Motional and Via partner to launch platform for public, on-demand shared robotaxi rides

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Motional, a driverless technology developer, and Via, a public mobility solutions provider, have agreed a partnership that they say will “serve as a blueprint for the future of on-demand, shared robotaxis”.

Motional and Via seek to use learnings from the partnership to inform how driverless vehicles can be integrated into mass transit networks, and optimized for pooled rides.

The partnership’s first service – shared robotaxi rides, available to the public – is expected to launch in one of Motional’s existing US markets in the first half of 2021. The initial launch market will be announced at a later date. [Read more…] about Motional and Via partner to launch platform for public, on-demand shared robotaxi rides

Webinar: A closer look at the EC’s Digital Services Act

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Title: The Digital Evolution – E-Commerce Directive to Digital Services Act and a look at the German Council Presidency
Registration link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7620775972725344270

When the EU passed the E-Commerce Directive (ECD) 20 years ago it built a solid ground for the years to come and it found long lasting balance between regulation and entrepreneurial freedoms.

It was not perfect in the beginning and there are still questions about details nowadays. [Read more…] about Webinar: A closer look at the EC’s Digital Services Act