Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 29.99
Perrone Robotics Inc. yesterday said that it and Local Motors Inc. have signed an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement. The companies plan to develop next-generation autonomous shuttles that will integrate Perrone's autonomous vehicle technology into Olli, the shuttle designed and manufactured by Local Motors. “This new OEM agreement is an important step in expanding our current customer base while enhancing the vehicle experience for passengers,” stated Vikrant Aggarwal, president of Local Motors. “Our ability to meet evolving customer needs depends on our ability to work with partners with proven track records and the ability to scale.” Perrone and Local Motors…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.76
…developed propulsion systems, including batteries, power controllers, and electric motors, for small and general aviation class of aircraft for NASA and Siemens, among others. The company said it was the first to fly an electric two-seater in 2007, and it has designed nine experimental and serially produced electric aircraft. Pipistrel won the NASA Green Flight Challenge in 2011 with a four-seat electric airplane. It participates in standards committees for hybrid-electric aviation. Research and development division Pipistrel Vertical Solutions is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, as well as a hydrogen fuel cell-powered 19-seat miniliner/microfeeder. Honeywell brings SATCOM…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.25
…example, the automotive industry has been using robotics since General Motors installed its first pick-and-place robot on the line in 1961. That’s 60 years of robotics utilization. The materials handling industry is just now piloting, and in some case rolling out, piece-picking robots, typically in small pilots. Anecdotal reasons for the reluctance to embrace automation The cost and availability of labor: Manufacturers grappled with high wages, especially in unionized industries. For them, automation was easier to justify. Meanwhile, labor in distribution facilities was plentiful and comparatively cheap. Throwing more bodies at the problem was a viable solution. Land was available…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.13
…testing its self-driving car system in California. Ghost appoints general counsel Ghost Locomotion has raised $165 million from investors including Mike Speiser at Sutter Hill Ventures, Keith Rabois at Founders Fund, and Vinod Khosla at Khosla Ventures. The company said will use the new capital to continue development and introduce its product next year. Jacqueline Glassman, Ghost Locomotion Returning investors Sutter Hill Ventures and Founders Fund participated in the Series D round, along with a new commitment from Coatue. Building on its commitment to consumer vehicle safety, Ghost has appointed Jacqueline Glassman as general counsel. She is former chief counsel…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.58
…powertrain and the electrification/electronic architecture. Also known as Xiaopeng Motors, the company was founded in 2014 and has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, and San Diego. Its smart EVs are manufactured in Zhaoqing and Zhengzhou, China. Xpeng said it delivered 5,686 vehicles in May 2021, a 481% year-over-year increase. Xpeng develops autonomous, driver-assist features In March, Xpeng claimed to have completed 3,000 km (1,864 mi.) in autonomous driving on Chinese highways with 0.71 human driver interventions per 100 km (62.1 mi.) using its XPILOT system. In comparison, Waymo LLC reported a rate of 0.033 disengagements per 1,000 mi. (1,609…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 26.15
…market for mobile robots continues to go global. OTTO Motors today announced a series of partnerships to make its autonomous mobile robots available to a global audience. The Kitchener, Ontario-based company also said it has successfully completed third-party assessments to demonstrate that its products meet or exceed all relevant safety standards in Europe and the U.S., including ANSI/RIA R15.08, which it helped to define. “One of the things that sets OTTO Motors apart is our process-first approach to automating material handling,” stated Rick Baker, chief revenue officer of OTTO Motors. “It is how we’re able to achieve facility-scale transformation for…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.24
…operate fully driverless cars on city roads for the general public. Are there plans to work with other municipalities or the national authorities? Certainly, our goal is to run our RoboTaxi service everywhere in China. AutoX rolling out to China and beyond What is the next step for AutoX—do you have plans to roll out this offering in other cities in the near future? Yes. We already have fleets testing in four major cities in China: Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Wuhan. AutoX has partnered with Honda, lidar maker RoboSense, and others to make its vehicles smarter. What aspects of autonomous…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.66
…Inc. yesterday said that it has worked with Ford Motor Co. to deploy an AI-controlled robot at the automaker's Livonia Transmission Plant. The robot is programmed and managed with the SymbioDCS robot-agnostic platform to assemble transmissions for the Bronco Sport, Escape, and Edge vehicles, among others. Founded in 2014, Symbio Robotics said it applies artificial intelligence and automation to improve human-machine collaboration in manufacturing. The Emeryville, Calif.-based company claimed that SymbioDCS enables teams to quickly teach robots to execute tasks, increasing efficiency, improving quality, and reducing ergonomic hazards. AI helps humans, robots tackle transmission assembly Assembly of transmissions is notoriously…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 17.34
…getting to full autonomy. Waymo raised $3 billion, Xpeng Motors had an initial public offering (IPO) of $1.5 billion, and Amazon.com acquired Zoox for $1.2 billion in 2020. In January 2021, Cruise and parent company General Motors announced that they will work with Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform as they develop and commercialize self-driving vehicles. Microsoft joined GM, Honda, and other investors in investing $2 billion in Cruise. Last month, Cruise acquired Voyage, which has been working on technology to provide autonomous mobility in senior citizen communities. Autonomous vehicle companies accounted for more than $3.3 billion in transactions in the…
Found in Robotics Companies & Businesses, with a score of 44.07
Founded in 2013, Cruise is developing fully electric, autonomous vehicles such as Origin for ride-sharing and delivery services. In 2016, General Motors acquired the company, which is working with other automakers and technology firms such as Microsoft.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 25.59
OTTO Motors announced today that it has launched the next generation of its heavy-class autonomous mobile robot for materials handling. The OTTO 1500 is designed to autonomously move pallet-scale loads up to 1,900 kg (4,189 lb.) through busy factories and warehouses. With a top speed of 2 meters per second (4.4 mph), OTTO 1500 can swiftly and safely deliver more payload than any other robot in its class, claimed the company. Kitchener, Ontario-based OTTO Motors is a division of Clearpath Robotics, which in January added $5 million in financing to its Series C round of $43.4 million. OTTO's customers include…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.43
…addition of Joe Hinrich, former automotive president at Ford Motor Co., to its board of directors. It also named Chuck Stevens III, former chief financial officer at General Motors, and Kurt Lehmann, former chief technology officer at Continental, to its advisory board. “We're bringing on world-class talent for software, mechanical, and electrical engineering from the robotics, software, and automotive sectors,” said Bolat. “At the board level, we're filling our bench with automotive wisdom and have worked really hard to earn the trust of some of the biggest automotive companies in the world.” “It has become very clear that trillions of…