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Renesas joins Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium

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Renesas Electronics, a supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, has joined the Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium (AVCC) as a core member.

Renesas joins leaders from across the automotive ecosystem, including vehicle original equipment manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers, and other semiconductor suppliers to help solve some of the most significant challenges of introducing self-driving vehicles at scale.

As the automotive industry pushes forward to meet the needs of an increasingly connected environment, vehicles are evolving to become more intelligent, more ecologically friendly, and more affordable. [Read more…] about Renesas joins Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium

Hyundai unveils autonomous electric car for free ride-sharing in California

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Hyundai, in collaboration with Pony.ai and Via, has unveiled BotRide, a shared, on-demand, autonomous vehicle service operating on public roads.

Starting on November 4, a fleet of self-driving Hyundai Kona Electric SUVs will provide a free ride-sharing service to the local community of Irvine, California.

Christopher Chang, head of business development, strategy and technology division, Hyundai, says: “The pilot introduces BotRide to several hundred Irvine residents, including college students. The goal is to study consumer behavior in an autonomous ride-sharing environment. [Read more…] about Hyundai unveils autonomous electric car for free ride-sharing in California

Continental opens new tire plant in Mississippi

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Continental, technology company and manufacturer of premium tires, celebrated what it describes as “a major milestone” for its new tire plant near Clinton, Mississippi, with a grand opening ceremony last week.

The celebration marks the completion of the construction process, which began in 2016. Approximately 300 guests, including state and local officials, along with community members, customers, and suppliers as well as 250 Continental employees joined the event.

The new plant is located on a 1,000-acre greenfield site in Clinton, close to Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, United States. [Read more…] about Continental opens new tire plant in Mississippi

Hyundai develops ‘world’s first’ machine learning-based cruise control technology

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Hyundai says it has developed “the world’s first machine learning-based Smart Cruise Control” system. Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence. 

The automaker says the SCC-ML technology incorporates the driver’s patterns into its self-driving behavior, creating a custom experience for the driver.

The technology, an industry first, incorporates artificial intelligence within the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature. The system is planned for implementation in future Hyundai Motor Group vehicles. [Read more…] about Hyundai develops ‘world’s first’ machine learning-based cruise control technology

Toyota to offer rides in autonomous cars on public roads

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Toyota Research Institute plans to make its Platform 4 (P4) automated driving test vehicle available for public demonstration rides next summer in Tokyo.

Offered from July to September 2020, the P4 will demonstrate Toyota’s “Chauffeur” SAE Level-4 capabilities in a specific “mobility as a service” driving environment.

The P4 experience will take place in Tokyo’s Odaiba district, a busy and often congested waterfront subcenter. [Read more…] about Toyota to offer rides in autonomous cars on public roads

HRG launches new ‘automated guided vehicle’

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HRG has launched what it describes as an “automated guided vehicle”, although it appears to have the technology that is also found in autonomous mobile robots, which are slightly different.

AGVs are older technology and are limited in their ability to navigate their way round a facility – usually, magnetic strips are fixed to the floor to guide them.

HRG says its AGV integrates “simultaneous localization and mapping”, or SLAM, the navigation technology that gives AMRs their autonomy. [Read more…] about HRG launches new ‘automated guided vehicle’

Traton plans to invest more than €1 billion into autonomous and digital innovations

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Traton, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, says it plans to invest more than €1 billion into autonomous and digital innovations.

Andreas Renschler, Traton CEO and member of the board of management at Volkswagen, says: “We want to move into the digital fast lane and are continuing to evolve from a hardware supplier to a provider of software and services.”

Traton says it is making strides with networked vehicles, logistics, and autonomous driving. [Read more…] about Traton plans to invest more than €1 billion into autonomous and digital innovations

NASA takes delivery of first all-electric experimental aircraft

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The first all-electric configuration of NASA’s X-57 Maxwell now is at the space agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

The X-57, NASA’s first all-electric experimental aircraft, or X-plane – and the first crewed X-plane in two decades – was delivered by Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) of San Luis Obispo, California on Wednesday, October 2, in the first of three configurations as an all-electric aircraft, known as Modification II, or Mod II.

The X-57’s Mod II vehicle features the replacement of traditional combustion engines on a baseline Tecnam P2006T aircraft, with electric cruise motors. [Read more…] about NASA takes delivery of first all-electric experimental aircraft

Scania unveils new driverless concept truck

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Scania has unveiled a new driverless – and indeed cabless – concept truck which looks to be aimed at the mining and construction sectors.

Describing it as “the latest member of our autonomous family”, Scania says the AXL is a fully autonomous concept truck, without a cab.

In what is another milestone in the development of heavy self-driving vehicles, a group of Scania experts in different fields have teamed up and developed a concept truck, which, even without the cab, has the company’s modular system at the heart of the design. [Read more…] about Scania unveils new driverless concept truck

Geek+ Robotics provides innovation insights at technical forum on sidelines of IMHX

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Geek+ Robotics, the world’s leading supplier of warehouse robots, has been providing technical insights into its latest innovations at a forum on the sidelines of IMHX, the ongoing intralogistics technology show being held in the UK.

Senior executives from Geek+, which has sold more than 7,000 warehouse robots since its inception five years ago, presented a variety of solutions that will add completely new functionalities to its current offerings.

Some of the ideas are still at the idea stage, while others are being developed in partnership with clients in the logistics and manufacturing industries. [Read more…] about Geek+ Robotics provides innovation insights at technical forum on sidelines of IMHX