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toyota

Toyota unveils two new autonomous warehouse vehicles

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Toyota Forklift has unveiled two new autonomous warehouse vehicles, developed in partnership with Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics company.

The “Center-Controlled Rider” and “Core Tow Tractor Automated Forklifts” were designed for manufacturing facilities and distribution center operations where tasks are highly standardized, repetitive, and easily accomplished without the need of advanced human management.

The vehicles use ANT software from BlueBotics. ANT is like an operating system for autonomous mobile robots or automated guided vehicles. [Read more…] about Toyota unveils two new autonomous warehouse vehicles

Toyota venture fund invests in robotic kitchen startup

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Toyota AI Ventures, Toyota’s early-stage venture capital fund, has decided to invest in YPC Technologies, a robotic kitchen startup based in Montreal, Canada.

The funding follows YPC Technologies’ participation in the 2020 Toyota AI Ventures “call for innovation” focused on smart, connected cities that launched earlier this year in partnership with Toyota Research Institute – Advanced Development (TRI-AD) and Toyota Research Institute (TRI).

Toyota AI Ventures views cities as a platform for innovation, and this year’s global call for innovation focused on attracting and investing in early-stage startups that are building solutions for smart and connected cities in the areas of artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomy, mobility, cloud, or data. [Read more…] about Toyota venture fund invests in robotic kitchen startup

Robotic and Automation News Review: OnRobot updates software, drones fly through deep mines, Toyota partners with Ridecell, and much more…

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Robotic and Automation News Review Monday 24 August 2020

This is a new, weekly column which rounds up all the most interesting news from the robotics and automation industry in the past seven days, in brief form.

Usually, we try to publish the review on Fridays, but because of technical problems last week, it has been delayed until today. Apologies for that.

This Robotics and Automation News Review is also available to view on our YouTube channel. (See video below.)

Please support our website by subscribing to our YouTube channel, by sharing the stories we publish on social media, and by purchasing premium subscriptions to RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com, as well as through corporate sponsorships and advertising.

[Read more…] about Robotic and Automation News Review: OnRobot updates software, drones fly through deep mines, Toyota partners with Ridecell, and much more…

Toyota and Mazda to invest extra $830 million into US factory

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Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda are planning to invest an additional $830 million into a manufacturing facility in the US, according to a report on Nikkei Asian Review. 

The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing site in Huntsville, Alabama will build sports utility vehicles and the total investment in the facility is estimated to be more than $2.3 billion.

The original plan, announced a couple of years ago, forecast investment to be $1.6 billion, and production was scheduled to start in 2021. Now, says Nikkei, production is expected to start in 2022. [Read more…] about Toyota and Mazda to invest extra $830 million into US factory

Toyota boss calls for transformation as profit plunges 74 percent

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The president of automotive giant Toyota has called for the transformation of company amid a 74 percent decrease in profit, mostly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Toyota this week has reported a profit of approximately $1.5 billion for the most recent quarter, which is down from more than $6 billion in the same quarter the previous year.

Japanese news outlet Asahi Shimbun reports that Toyota ’s sales went in “all markets”, with the company warning that huge uncertainties remain over the pandemic. [Read more…] about Toyota boss calls for transformation as profit plunges 74 percent

Electric vehicle market defies coronavirus threat

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The electric vehicle market has apparently defied the coronavirus threat to rack up record sales for automakers all over the world.

From European companies Renault and BMW to Asian companies such as Hyundai and Toyota, and even US companies such as General Motors – deep in the midst of the the coronavirus crisis – have reported, and are projecting, strong sales and interest in electric and other “new energy” vehicles, as they are called.

Toyota, arguably the world’s largest automotive company, recently reported that it had sold a staggering 15 million hybrid electric vehicles worldwide. [Read more…] about Electric vehicle market defies coronavirus threat

ABB wins $5 million order for electric vehicle chargers from GAC Toyota

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ABB has won an order worth $5 million for electric vehicle chargers from GAC Toyota.

The agreement was made through Chargedot, an ABB business unit, and is considered “a major order” in China.

GAC Toyota is the Guangzhou-based joint venture between GAC Group and Toyota. With plans to expand production of electric vehicles to 400,000 a year, the company has asked ABB to supply “several thousand electric vehicle chargers” over the next year. [Read more…] about ABB wins $5 million order for electric vehicle chargers from GAC Toyota

Hydrogen vs electric vs petrol: How will cars be powered in the future?

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Electric vehicles sales have seen sustained increases in the past few years and significant milestones have been reached in many countries.

According to data published on Wikipedia by independent researcher Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz, cumulative global plug-in electric vehicle sales passed 5 million units in December 2018.

Five million is just a drop in the ocean in terms of the number of all the “light-duty” vehicles – vehicles weighing 4,500 kg or less, which includes cars, vans, and small trucks – on the roads worldwide, which, according to a Guidehouse Insights report, numbers around 1.2 billion in total. Other researchers estimate the figure to be around 2.5 billion. [Read more…] about Hydrogen vs electric vs petrol: How will cars be powered in the future?

Pony.ai raises $400 million from Toyota for autonomous driving development

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving company, has raised $400 million from Toyota to deepen and expand the two companies’ collaboration in mobility services.

The investment comes as an extension of a business partnership that was formed between Pony.ai and Toyota in 2019.

Building upon the foundation established last year, both companies will further advance their joint efforts in autonomous driving technology development and mobility service deployment. [Read more…] about Pony.ai raises $400 million from Toyota for autonomous driving development

Toyota to build prototype ‘City of the Future’

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Toyota has revealed plans to build a prototype “City of the Future” on a 175-acre site at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan.

Called the Woven City, it will be a fully connected ecosystem powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

Envisioned as a “living laboratory”, the Woven City will serve as a home to full-time residents and researchers who will be able to test and develop technologies such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence in a real-world environment. [Read more…] about Toyota to build prototype ‘City of the Future’