Robotics & Automation News

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vehicles

Autonomous shuttles: Large, diesel buses being replaced with electric, self-driving shuttles

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The autonomous mobility industry is tackling part of the last-mile problem that many commuters encounter when using public transportation by replacing large, diesel buses with a fleet of electric, self-driving shuttle buses that transport small groups of people along defined and planned routes.

Autonomous shuttles could be a key element that connects the public transportation systems to reduce private car ownership in the future.

The autonomous shuttle total market size will be over $18 million by 2040, according to IDTechEx’s report, Robot Shuttles and Autonomous Buses 2020-2040. [Read more…] about Autonomous shuttles: Large, diesel buses being replaced with electric, self-driving shuttles

Delivery vehicles moving to electric ecosystem

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The unlikely convergence of a global pandemic and electric vehicle technology is driving delivery fleets to adopt electric vehicles at ever increasing rates.

The coronavirus pandemic has reportedly caused a huge spike in package delivery. According to CNBC.com, UPS for instance, delivered up to 21.1 million packages a day in the second quarter of 2020, a nearly 23 percent jump in average daily US volume from a year earlier.

Electric Vehicle Outlook 2020, published by BloombergNEF, states that there are over 500,000 e-buses and almost 400,000 electric delivery vans and trucks on the road globally. [Read more…] about Delivery vehicles moving to electric ecosystem

Survey suggests public has safety concerns about autonomous vehicles

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Motional, the driverless vehicle development company created by Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, has released its inaugural Motional Consumer Mobility Report, which examines Americans’ perceptions of driverless vehicles.

The study found that one-fifth of Americans are more interested in driverless vehicles than they were before the pandemic.

The survey was carried out from July 17-21, 2020, and considered 1,003 responses from US consumers sampled using a blind online panel recruitment. The overall margin of error for the research is +/- 3.02 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval). [Read more…] about Survey suggests public has safety concerns about autonomous vehicles

SkyDrive launches ‘world’s smallest flying car’

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A Japanese startup company called SkyDrive has unveiled what it claims is the world’s smallest flying car. (See video below.)

Designed to carry one person, the vehicle could be said to be the aerial equivalent of a motorcycle.

SkyDrive says it can put the what we’ll call the “airbike” into mass production in just two years’ time, by which time there should be more regulations about aerial vehicles. [Read more…] about SkyDrive launches ‘world’s smallest flying car’

Japanese infrastructure company selects ABB’s Terra 184 electric vehicle chargers

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ABB’s newly launched Terra 184 electric vehicle chargers have been selected by Japan’s e-Mobility Power (eMP) to modernize the infrastructure for the country’s electric vehicle market and accelerate the nation’s shift towards sustainable mobility.

Financial details of the order were not disclosed.

The project is part of a broader push in Japan to increase the share of electric and plug-in hybrids to between 20-30 percent by 2030, from just 1 percent in 2018. [Read more…] about Japanese infrastructure company selects ABB’s Terra 184 electric vehicle chargers

Michigan to redesign road network to accommodate driverless cars

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The State of Michigan is planning to redesign its road network to accommodate driverless cars, according to a report on CNN.

Authorities in the state refer back to the area’s history as the home of some of the world’s largest automotive companies and factories.

The city of Detroit, Michigan used to known as “Motor City” in decades gone by, inspiring the name of the famous record label “Motown”, which launched the careers and made global stars of singers such as Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Queen Latifah, Erykah Badu, and Michael Jackson. [Read more…] about Michigan to redesign road network to accommodate driverless cars

AutoX launches driverless taxi service in China

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Driverless car startup AutoX has launched its RoboTaxi ride-hailing service in Shanghai, China to the general public for the first time, marking a transit milestone for China’s largest city.

AutoX RoboTaxis can be booked through Alibaba’s AutoNavi smartphone app, similar to other ride-hailing services.

AutoX, which has raised at least $160 million to date, according to Crunchbase, has also struck up a strategic partnership with Letzgo, a major taxi fleet operations company headquartered in Shanghai. [Read more…] about AutoX launches driverless taxi service in China

Hyundai and Aptiv launch new autonomous driving joint venture Motional

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The autonomous driving joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv has been given a name and brand identity: Motional. (See video below.)

Launched virtually to its employees around the world, the the companies say they are “making driverless vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality”.

Formed by Hyundai Motor Group, one of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers offering smart mobility solutions, and Aptiv, one of the industry’s most innovative technology providers, the joint venture was established in March 2020 to advance the development and commercialization of the world’s highest-performing and safest autonomous vehicles. [Read more…] about Hyundai and Aptiv launch new autonomous driving joint venture Motional

Oil-producing nations struggling with economic woes as society shifts towards electric movement

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Oil-producing nations located in the Middle East and North Africa are struggling with their economies, most of which are not diversified enough to offset the losses caused by falls in the price of crude.

A quick check shows that the current price of a barrel of crude oil – which is about 160 litres – is just above $40, which is significantly lower than certainly Arab countries need it to be.

According to the Economist, Algeria needs the price to be about $157 a barrel, while Oman wants to get to at least $87. [Read more…] about Oil-producing nations struggling with economic woes as society shifts towards electric movement

Opinion: A coronavirus-induced acceleration of robotics and automation is happening in China

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By Gao Feng Advisory

A coronavirus-induced acceleration of robotics and automation appears to be taking place in China. There are a number of forces driving this catalysis in automation technologies. 

Firstly, the Chinese government and its policies are playing a central role. This will be particularly reflected in the unprecedented spending on “new infrastructure” as a response to the pandemic.

Secondly, the technologies and related-industries targeted by the government’s new infrastructure agenda are critical components. [Read more…] about Opinion: A coronavirus-induced acceleration of robotics and automation is happening in China

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