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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

Autonomous local public transport introduced in southern Germany

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Autonomous local public transport is being introduced in southern Germany through a research project funded with €7 million.

The RABus project is one of the implemented measures of the strategic goals for automated and networked mobility in the southern German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport of Baden-Wuerttemberg, handed over the notice of funding in the amount of €7 million to the RABus consortium. [Read more…] about Autonomous local public transport introduced in southern Germany

Autonomous shuttle market forecast to be worth $18 billion

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The autonomous shuttle market is forecast to be worth $18 billion by IDTechEx, which includes driverless minibuses and small, sidewalk delivery robots in the category. 

An increasing number of commercial vehicles are going battery-electric, assisted by battery life of one million miles and ranges of up to 600 miles being imminent. Shenzhen alone has 70,000 electric logistics vehicles.

Next come robot buses, robotrucks and robotaxis with driver elimination reducing cost by intensive use. IDTechEx has a report on the topic, Electric, Hybrid & Fuel Cell Light Commercial Vehicles 2021-2041. [Read more…] about Autonomous shuttle market forecast to be worth $18 billion

‘Autonomous vehicles’ tops Lux Research list of emerging technologies

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The category of “Autonomous vehicles” tops a new list of 12 emerging technologies for 2021 produced by Lux Research.

The research company says that, after a tumultuous 2020, organizations need to “re-examine their outlook on what emerging tech innovations will be critical for their future opportunities”.

Lux Research, a provider of tech-enabled research and advisory services, released its annual report on the top tech innovations that will have the greatest impact over the next 10 years, based on proprietary data science tools and expert insight. [Read more…] about ‘Autonomous vehicles’ tops Lux Research list of emerging technologies

Kivnon awarded AGV project by US truck-making giant Navistar

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Kivnon has been awarded an automated guided vehicle (AGV) project by Navistar, a top manufacturer of commercial trucks and other large vehicles in the USA.

Navistar has chosen Kivnon’s automation solutions for its new manufacturing plant in Texas.

The international group Kivnon, which specializes in the automation of industrial processes using self-guided vehicles (AGVs/AMRs), expands its presence in the American market through a contract agreement with Navistar to provide a complete mobile robotics solution and bring automation to their new assembly plant. [Read more…] about Kivnon awarded AGV project by US truck-making giant Navistar

Estonian company launches ‘first’ autonomous bus in Greece

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An autonomous bus named “Iseauto” has started its work in Greece, in the city of Lamia. The bus has been developed in Estonia and offers a full-scale autonomous service that was first piloted in the summer in Tallinn, in Ülemiste City.

For the first time in Greek history, a fully street-legal autonomous vehicle is operational in the context of an autonomous public transport pilot project led by Estonians.

The autonomous minibus developed by AuveTech in Estonia is the first “4th category” – or Level 4 – autonomous vehicle that has been pigeonholed “street-legal” in Greece. [Read more…] about Estonian company launches ‘first’ autonomous bus in Greece

Honeywell to provide flight control technology for unmanned cargo plane

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Pipistrel has selected Honeywell’s Compact Fly-By-Wire system for the Nuuva V300 cargo unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), choosing a modern, lightweight, highly capable system with a proven architecture ideally suited for their autonomous cargo UAV.

Fly-by-wire computers act as the “brains” of an aircraft’s flight controls by operating them electronically and can be found inside nearly all large fixed-wing aircraft today.

The compact version from Honeywell has features derived from decades of expertise in fly-by-wire systems for airliners, but it’s much smaller – roughly the size of a paperback book. [Read more…] about Honeywell to provide flight control technology for unmanned cargo plane

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

The Self-Driving Future

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As we put more and more emphasis on AI and automation, in the near future we can expect to see the growth in self-driving cars to incline exponentially.

While there is a lot of skepticism as well as the general questioning of this growing trend of being a healthy one for society as a whole, self-driving automated vehicles do have a variety of advantages that they can offer to the world.

Unfortunately, not many people realize this and choose to overlook these benefits in favor of a more dour and depressing outlook on the future. However, these benefits do exist and they can help us in many ways. [Read more…] about The Self-Driving Future

Volkswagen orders staggering 800 ABB robots to build its new electric vehicles

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ABB has received a massive order for 800 industrial robots from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles to support production of a new generation of electric vehicles at its plant in Hannover, Germany.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is modernizing its Hannover factory and is installing state-of-the-art facilities to build the all-electric ID.

Buzz van, which will begin production in 2022. ABB’s robots will be installed in the body shop to undertake a range of body construction tasks. [Read more…] about Volkswagen orders staggering 800 ABB robots to build its new electric vehicles