In an effort to “accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles,” autonomous driving technology company Pony.ai has announced plans to work with Toyota on an autonomous driving pilot, as the companies look into the various possibilities to provide safe mobility services for all.
“Autonomous driving technology is the key to creating a better transportation system and delivering value to the lives of many,” the companies say in a press release.
“Through such collaborations, Toyota and Pony.ai are accelerating the arrival of a safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable mobility future for all.”
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AeroVironment awarded $45 million contract for its RQ-11B Raven small UAS
AeroVironment has announced that on July 25, it received a firm fixed-price contract award for $45,190,881 for its RQ-11B Raven small UAS and initial spares packages.
Starship Technologies to use latest funding to expand autonomous delivery service to 100 university campuses
Starship Technologies, known for its autonomous delivery service, has announced it has closed $40 million in Series A funding.
With plans to use this latest round of funding to “rapidly expand its services to more university campuses,” Starship has also announced plans to expand its service to 100 university campuses in the next two years.
“This new investment will see Starship expand onto more campuses as we head towards a goal of offering our service to over one million students,” says Lex Bayer, CEO of Starship Technologies.
Karragarra Island on Redlands Coast selected as first location in Queensland to test driverless bus
Australia's Redland City Council and Queensland, Australia's peak motoring body RACQ have announced that Karragarra Island on Redlands Coast will be the first location in Queensland to test a driverless bus.
According to Mayor Karen Williams, the Council began looking into new technologies because better transportation options was a priority for residents.
“Redlands Coast has unique transport challenges that need innovative solutions, which is why we’re partnering with RACQ and Easy Mile on the Smart Mobility trial,” Williams says.
Four Virginia companies chosen for new initiative to improve state agency access to UAS service providers
The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) has announced a contract that will improve state agency access to UAS service providers.
Considered a first for the UAS industry, the initiative now connects state agencies with approved vendors, which will allow state agencies to have “more affordable access” to problem solving data and imagery, CIT says.
Four Virginia companies— Draper Aden Associates, DroneUp LLC, ERUdyne Inc., and SkyShots—were chosen for the initiative.
UPS invests in TuSimple; testing self-driving tractor trailers in Arizona
UPS has announced that its venture capital arm, UPS Ventures, has made a minority investment in self-driving truck company TuSimple.
Building off of an ongoing commercial relationship between the two companies in which UPS has purchased transportation services from TuSimple, UPS and TuSimple are testing self-driving tractor trailers on a route in Arizona to determine if the vehicles are capable of improving service and efficiency in the UPS network.
“UPS is committed to developing and deploying technologies that enable us to operate our global logistics network more efficiently,” says Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Scott Price.
WhiteFox acquires east coast company to strengthen positioning in UAS security industry
WhiteFox has announced its acquisition of the assets and key personnel of a company headquartered on the east coast.
According to WhiteFox, the acquisition will allow it to expand its product lines, and ensure “continued technological leadership” in the UAS security industry.
“This acquisition is a significant leap forward for WhiteFox, and cements our position as the global leader in airspace security,” says Luke Fox, founder and CEO of WhiteFox.
“Our mission is to ensure drones will enhance our quality of life, by providing an ecosystem in which drones can be securely operated, detected, identified and, if necessary, mitigated.”
Liberty Dynamic, ReconRobotics collaborating to develop throwable robot with mounted flash-bang
Liberty Dynamic has announced that it will begin working with ReconRobotics Inc. to equip the company’s tactical Throwbot 2 robot with an Enhanced Diversionary Device.
Equipped with a flash-bang, the robot will save military and law enforcement users “precious seconds” before detonation, while also providing them the benefit of real-time intelligence.
“It’s all about giving operators tactical advantage,” says John Chapman, CEO of Liberty Dynamic.
The Enhanced Diversionary Device is described as a “reusable, microprocessor-controlled flash-bang.” It is designed to be safer and more economical than the standard stun grenades that police officers and military personnel currently use.
Electrify America, Stable Auto partner to deploy robotic charging platforms for self-driving vehicles
Electrify America, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America, has announced that it will work Stable Auto, a San Francisco-based electric vehicle (EV) fleet charging company, to deploy robotic charging platforms for self-driving vehicles in a pilot demonstration site in San Francisco.
Together, the companies will deploy a pilot platform in San Francisco, which will seek to charge autonomous EVs without human intervention using a robotic platform attached to a 150-kilowatt DC fast charger.
Expected to open in early 2020, the charging location will be Stable’s first commercial autonomous charging site.
Recogni seeks to make autonomous vehicles a reality with low-power AI processing
A company called Recogni Inc. that designs a vision-oriented artificial intelligence (AI) platform for autonomous vehicles has emerged from stealth with the announcement of $25 million in Series A financing.
