In connected car news this week were Car2Go, Verizon, Apple, Car2Go, Aeva, NEMA, Nauto and HARMAN.
Stolen Car2Go Go Back
Over 100 Mercedes-Benz vehicles were stolen from the app-based rental service Car2Go and 21 suspects have been taken into custody according to Chicago Police,
VZW Connect Leading Connected Car Provider
Verizon Connect has been identified as the leading provider of fleet management solutions globally and in the Americas, according to the Fleet Management in the Americas – 8th Edition report from analyst firm Berg Insight.
Fleet management solutions are defined as vehicle-based systems that incorporate data logging, satellite positioning and data communications to a back-office application. The 300-page Berg Insight report covers both Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket players in-depth.
Apple Pencil Interferes with Wireless Keyfobs.
Documentation for the Apple iPad Pro Pencil may interfere with wireless keyfobs.
If you’re charging your Apple Pencil (2nd generation) with your iPad Pro and your car’s keyless entry device (key fob) is nearby, signal interference might prevent you from unlocking your car with your key fob. If this happens, you can simply move your iPad Pro away from the key fob or remove your Apple Pencil from your iPad Pro and store it separately. When Apple Pencil is finished charging, any resulting signal interference will cease.
Ambarella and Momenta Partner for HD Mapping
Ambarella, Inc. a Santa Clara, California-based developer of high-resolution video processing and computer vision semiconductors, and Momenta, an autonomous driving technology company based in Suzhou, China, announced a collaborative HD mapping platform for autonomous vehicles. The combined solution leverages Ambarella’s CV22AQ CVflow computer vision system-on-chip (SoC) and Momenta’s deep learning algorithms to provide HD map solutions, including mapping, localization for autonomous vehicles, and map updates through crowdsourcing.
Momenta’s vision-based HD semantic mapping solution is highly scalable and production-ready. Through crowdsourcing, the solution can create a closed feedback loop of big data, AI, and HD map updates. Based on localization, Momenta discovers changes in the map elements and provides frequent updates to the cloud.
Toyota & SoftBank Invest in Uber
Toyota Motor Corp. DENSO Corporation (DENSO) and the SoftBank Vision Fund (SVF) announced that they will invest $1 billion in Uber Technologies Inc.’s Advanced Technologies Group (Uber ATG). The investment, in a newly formed ATG corporate entity, aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of automated ridesharing services.
Under the terms, Toyota and DENSO will together invest $667 million and SVF will invest $333 million, valuing the new Uber ATG entity at $7.25 billion on a post-money basis.
Toyota invested $500 million in Uber in August 2018, when the two companies announced their intention to bring pilot-scale deployments of automated Toyota Sienna-based ridesharing vehicles to the Uber ridesharing network in 2021, leveraging the strengths of Uber ATG’s self-driving technology alongside the Toyota Guardian™ advanced safety support system.
Synopsys and STMicroelectronics’ Center
Synopsys, Inc. announced its collaboration with STMicroelectronics (ST) to establish a Center of Excellence program to speed development of automotive electronic systems and software. The program focuses on delivering Synopsys Virtualizer™ Development Kits (VDKs) for the ST Stellar family of automotive multicore microcontrollers (MCUs), enabling companies to accelerate the development of automotive electronic systems by enabling the move from physical to virtual testing. The first VDK with support for the ST Stellar MCU family is available today. Using a VDK enabled ST’s automotive tier 1 customers to develop software and test patterns 18 months ahead of the first Stellar samples. Within a few days of receiving the first samples, the developed software was successfully executing on the sample hardware.//
Aeva Partners with AID
Aeva, the company building the next-generation sensing system for autonomous vehicles, announced a partnership with AID-Autonomous Intelligent Driving GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AUDI AG and the “center of excellence” for Volkswagen Group’s autonomous driving system, to bring groundbreaking 4D LiDAR to its autonomous vehicle program.
Aeva will develop and equip its 4D LiDAR technology as a part of AID’s new Audi e-tron development fleet vehicles in Munich, with the plan to bring autonomous driving to urban mobility services within the next few years.
NEMA CVIT
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced the formation of the Connected Vehicle Infrastructure Technical (CVIT) Committee to develop a harmonized technical specification for roadside connected vehicle (CV) devices.
The Standards, to be completed by the end of 2019, are for traffic signals, school zone beacons, pedestrian crossings, and other electronic devices that control the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on the nation’s roadways. The ability to transmit safety messages, alerts and warnings from the infrastructure to vehicles and vice versa, is a critical function of CV technology.
Keysight Tech V2X Test Solution
Keysight Technologies, Inc. a leading technology company that helps enterprises, service providers and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world, announced that the company’s vehicle-to-everything (V2X) test solution (E6953A DSRC V2X) has earned OmniAir Qualified Test Equipment (OQTE) status from the OmniAir Consortium®, the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for intelligent transportation systems (ITS), tolling and connected vehicles.
Donlen Partners with Nauto
Donlen, a customer-centric and technically advanced provider of financing and fleet management solutions, has partnered with Nauto, an AI-technology company to improve the safety of commercial fleets. With the addition of Nauto’s AI-solution, Donlen continues to expand its extensive safety offering which now provides fleet customers an AI-solution to further reduce distracted driving and prevent collisions before they occur.
With this announcement, Donlen customers will have access to Nauto’s easy-to-install intelligent driver safety system that leverages a multi-sensor device, artificial intelligence, and proprietary algorithms to assess situational risk both inside and outside the vehicle. Nauto’s In-cab alerts enable automated coaching in the cabin to help stop high-risk driving behaviors the moment they occur. In-cab alerts notify drivers based on the severity of the distraction event to return their attention back on the road. In addition, fleet safety leaders are equipped with advanced tools and capabilities to coach and engage their highest-risk drivers in real-time and on an ongoing basis with Nauto’s cloud-based applications.
HARMAN Infotainment for BMW/Partners with Great Wall
HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, will soon deliver its next generation of infotainment modules to BMW, further supporting HARMAN’s commitment to the automaker for numerous in-car technology and entertainment developments.
HARMAN’s relationship with BMW spans nearly four decades and is a testament to a long-standing history of innovation and vehicle technology ‘firsts’. For certain systems today, including the NBT Evo head unit found in numerous BMW models, HARMAN is involved with more than 40 consumer-facing components within the system, from online entertainment and POI searching, to Bluetooth audio streaming and gesture control.
These upcoming infotainment modules – an advanced variant of the MGU head unit – will be built in HARMAN’s production sites in Hungary and China.
HARMAN also announced a continued partnership with the Great Wall Motor Company to be awarded next generation digital cockpit platform and deliver next-generation infotainment, cybersecurity and over-the-air (OTA) solutions for the manufacturer’s latest vehicle line-up. HARMAN’s solutions will create experiences per mile (EPM) for Great Wall Motor’s drivers and passengers, enabling personalized content opportunities, modern comfort features and critical safety solutions – all supported by secure and seamless software services.
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