Just months after launching a first-of-its-kind self-driving grocery delivery service in Scottsdale, Arizona back in Aug. 2018, Kroger and Nuro have announced that they will launch their autonomous grocery delivery service in Houston.
Expected to begin this spring, the service will be available through two Houston Kroger stores, serving customers residing in four local zip codes.
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NUAIR and Measure partner on efforts to safely integrate UAS into national airspace system
The Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR) has signed a collaboration agreement with aerial intelligence company Measure.
In support of NUAIR’s mission to safely integrate UAS into the national airspace system, Measure will work with NUAIR to bring its commercial operations to the region.
NUAIR and Measure say that their partnership will enhance commercial support inspections, public operations and consulting capabilities at the New York UAS Test Site at Griffiss International Airport.
Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development and Carmera working on HD maps for autonomous vehicles
Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development Inc. (TRI-AD) and Carmera Inc. have announced that they will collaborate to conduct a proof of concept surrounding the development of camera-based automation of high definition (HD) maps for urban and surface roads.
According to the companies, this is the first step towards realizing TRI-AD's open software platform concept known as Automated Mapping Platform (AMP), which will support the scalability of highly automated driving by combining data gathered from vehicles of participating companies to generate HD maps.
China Post and Deppon Express starting autonomous package delivery services in April
Two Chinese delivery and logistics companies, China Post and Deppon Express, have announced that in April, they will begin making commercial deliveries using self-driving trucks, with the first trucks being put into daily commercial use in China.
The trucks will be equipped with autonomous driving technologies developed by FABU Technology, which is an artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on intelligent driving systems.
Pittsburgh Mayor announces 'Pittsburgh Principles' for autonomous vehicles
On Monday, March 4, Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto issued an executive order that outlines city objectives and expectations for the safe testing of autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh.
Known as the “Pittsburgh Principles,” the order also assigns responsibilities for the development of transparent and constructive reporting guidelines for the growing technology sector.
“Autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to dramatically improve safety on our city streets and yield transformative benefits to equitable access and quality of life for all in our city. This can only happen when industry, agencies and people understand one another and work together,” says Mayor Peduto.
DroneUp and Vintun partner to provide UAS services for U.S. Government
On-demand drone pilot service provider DroneUp LLC has announced a partnership with Vintun LLC to provide UAS services for the United States Government.
A provider of a number of different services for various military and government organizations, Vintun has also developed Vintun Drone-as-a-Service (VDaaS). DroneUp will use its extensive global pilot network to serve as the UAS service provider to Vintun.
DroneUp says that its patent-pending platform, Mission Match, enables VDaaS’s participants to locate, qualify and deploy the right UAS pilot for the right mission. The entities will acquire, process, and deliver actionable aerial data for different agencies and organizations within the U.S. government at the highest levels.
Daimler and BMW partner to develop next-generation tech for autonomous driving
The Daimler AG and BMW Group will work together to develop next-generation technologies for automated driving, the companies announced on Thursday, Feb. 28.
The initial focus of the companies’ partnership will be advancing the development of next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, automated driving on highways and parking features (up to SAE Level 4).
With this in mind, Daimler and BMW have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop this technology, noting that they view their partnership as a “long-term, strategic cooperation,” with a goal of making next-level technologies widely available by the middle of the next decade.
XPO Preview: Illinois companies gravitate to unmanned, autonomous technologies
Companies in Illinois, home to the upcoming AUVSI Xponential conference and exhibition, have for years been researching, testing and ultimately benefiting from unmanned systems technologies throughout the state.
In 2015, the largest electric utility in Illinois, Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), became the first electric utility company to be granted permission by the Federal Aviation Administration to operationally use UAS.
Canadian government invests $40 million in BlackBerry QNX for next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles
In an effort to establish Canada as a global leader in cybersecurity and automotive software for connected and autonomous vehicles, the Government of Canada has announced that it will invest $40 million in BlackBerry QNX to develop safe and secure software systems for the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles.
BlackBerry QNX, which is a business unit of BlackBerry Limited, will create more than 800 new middle class jobs in Canada over the next ten years, with plans to maintain nearly 300 more.
The company will also provide new skills development and learning opportunities to help train Canadians for the jobs of tomorrow, and keep the country competitive in today’s global economy.
