Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

toyota

Exoskeleton market projected to grow to $6 billion

by

The current robotics limelight tends to focus on the ability of new innovations to automate tasks, but a less publicized development is taking place whereby passive exoskeletons have been slowly deployed and adopted to help augment the capability of human workers.

Exoskeleton popularization through passive suits will provide a base for increased resources for powered suits, which will eventually provide significant augmentative capability to the industrial workforce.

By 2028, global Exoskeleton revenues will reach $5 billion with hundreds of thousands of active exoskeletons being deployed, according to ABI Research. The research consultancy’s findings are on its report, Exoskeletons for Industrial Use Cases.

[Read more…] about Exoskeleton market projected to grow to $6 billion

Toyota introduces station for the production and supply of hydrogen from renewable energy

by

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) has newly introduced ‘SimpleFuel’ to its Motomachi Plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

SimpleFuel is a small water electrolysis-based machine for hydrogen generation and filling that can produce, store, and supply hydrogen by making use of electricity generated from solar power.

It uses electricity from solar panels at the plant site to produce low-carbon hydrogen from the electrolysis of water, which is then supplied to fuel-cell (FC) forklifts after it is compressed and pressurised.

[Read more…] about Toyota introduces station for the production and supply of hydrogen from renewable energy

Toyota premieres own-brand battery electric vehicles

by

Toyota unveiled its C-HR and IZOA battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on the opening day of Auto Shanghai 2019.

The C-HR and IZOA will be the first BEVs to launch in China under the Toyota brand. Sales of the new models are expected to start from 2020.

Toyota also displayed other electrified vehicles, such as hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) variants for the RAV4 and the Alphard/Vellfire in China, as well as the Corolla and Levin plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) series, launched in March 2019.

[Read more…] about Toyota premieres own-brand battery electric vehicles

Toyota, Denso, and SoftBank pledge another $1 billion investment for Uber

by

Taxi-sharing app maker Uber has been promised $1 billion in investment from companies including Toyota, Denso, and SoftBank Vision Fund.

The new funds will help accelerate the development and commercialization of its ridesharing services, says Uber in a statement.

Under the terms, Toyota and Denso will together invest $667 million and SVF will invest $333 million, valuing the new “Uber Advanced Technologies Group” entity at $7.25 billion on a post-money basis. [Read more…] about Toyota, Denso, and SoftBank pledge another $1 billion investment for Uber

Denso to Invest $1.6 bn in automotive electrification

by

Denso is to invest approximately 180 billion yen (US$1.6 billion) over three years – from FY2018 to late FY2020 – to support development and production of electrified automotive products, systems and technologies.

To accelerate business execution around electrification, Denso is establishing the Electrification Innovation Center at its plant in Anjo, Aichi, Japan, in May 2020.

The centre will conduct advanced R&D, develop and test prototypes, and launch mass produce newly developed automotive electrification products, systems and technologies.

[Read more…] about Denso to Invest $1.6 bn in automotive electrification

JAXA and Toyota consider collaboration on international space exploration

by

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Toyota Motor Corporation have announced their agreement to consider the possibility of collaborating on international space exploration.

As a first step, JAXA and Toyota have reached agreement to further cooperate on and accelerate their ongoing joint study of a manned, pressurized rover that employs fuel cell electric vehicle technologies.

Such a form of mobility is deemed necessary for human exploration activities on the lunar surface.

[Read more…] about JAXA and Toyota consider collaboration on international space exploration

Toyota and Carmera partner on HD maps for automated vehicles

by

Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development, Inc. TRI-AD and Carmera, Inc. are joining forces to conduct a proof of concept on developing camera-based automation of high definition (HD) maps for urban and surface roads.

This is the first step towards making TRI-AD’s open software platform concept, known as Automated Mapping Platform, to support the scalability of highly automated driving, by combining data gathered from vehicles of participating companies to generate HD maps.

Automated driving requires highly reliable road information based on HD map data. While the creation of highway HD maps is under way, this coverage represents less than 1% of the worldwide road network.

[Read more…] about Toyota and Carmera partner on HD maps for automated vehicles

Toyota Safety Sense installed in 10 million vehicles

by

The total global number of vehicles equipped with Toyota Safety Sense, the Toyota-developed preventive safety package, has reached the 10 million unit mark, after its March 2015 introduction.

It is anticipated that within this year, three million vehicles in Japan and five million vehicles in North America will have the package.

Toyota first introduced the package with the “Corolla” series, centered on the belief that popularising safety technology is vital.

[Read more…] about Toyota Safety Sense installed in 10 million vehicles

Toyota updates its virtual crash test dummy software

by

Version 6 will contribute to the development of collision safety technologies for future vehicles, including automated

Toyota and its research and development unit has released Version 6 of the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) virtual crash dummy software.

Researched and developed for over 20 years by the two companies, THUMS simulates detailed computer analysis of human body injuries caused by vehicle collisions.

The new software features internal organ modeling and a new muscle model that simulates a variety of occupant postures, including braced and relaxed, permitting a more detailed analysis by anticipating various occupant postures as the widespread deployment of automated vehicles continues to advance.  [Read more…] about Toyota updates its virtual crash test dummy software

Toyota and SoftBank joint venture starts operations

by

Toyota and SoftBank Corp. have completed investment in their joint venture, MONET Technologies Inc., and full-scale operations have begun.

MONET has three main business domains: on-demand mobility services;  data-analysis services; and Autono-MaaS (Mobility as a Service). The joint venture will first roll out on-demand mobility services.

On-demand transportation through regional partnerships and corporate shuttles will begin in fiscal year 2018 through cooperation with local public agencies and private companies.

[Read more…] about Toyota and SoftBank joint venture starts operations