The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) team PoliMOVE from Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and the University of Alabama won the Autonomous Challenge @ CES, making history as the first head-to-head autonomous racecar competition champion. PoliMOVE competed at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a field of 5 teams from 5 countries representing 7 universities to win the $150,000 grand prize. TUM Autonomous Motorsport from the Technische Universität München (Germany) took home second place with $50,000.
The rules of the IAC competition required each team to qualify in a high-speed autonomous racecar time trial competition determining their seed in the head-to-head passing competition. The IAC teams raced the Dallara AV-21, the most advanced autonomous racecar. PoliMOVE competed against TUM Autonomous Motorsport in the final round of the competition. In addition, PoliMOVE set the fastest speed record on an oval with a top speed of 173 mph.
Seeing Machines OMS in Snapdragon Cockpit Platform Partners with Ambarella
Seeing Machines Limited (LSE: SEE), the advanced computer vision technology company that designs AI-powered operator monitoring systems to improve transport safety, is proud announced that its industry leading Occupant Monitoring System (OMS) technology, using a wide field of view camera, has now been integrated onto the Snapdragon™ Cockpit Platform to expand the safety and convenience features now available to automakers.
Seeing Machines’ Driver Monitoring System (DMS) technology plug-in kit has been developed for the Snapdragon Automotive Development Platform (ADP) This expanded offering to incorporate OMS is was featured at the 2022 CES in Las Vegas this week at the Qualcomm Technologies booth (West Hall, #5005)
Using the wide field of view camera to monitor both driver and front-seat passenger with Seeing Machines’ DMS/OMS technology, the demonstration will introduce a host of new features, including seat occupancy detection, body pose tracking and cell phone detection. These features will be available, supported by the Company’s industry leading measurement of driver attention state, engagement level, impairment level and system diagnostics, in line with the protocols recently introduced by Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) to achieve safety ratings.
Seeing Machines Limited announced a collaboration with Ambarella, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMBA), an AI vision silicon company, to bring integrated Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and occupant and driver monitoring system (OMS and DMS) solutions to the market.
This unique technology combination will bring Seeing Machines’ industry leading OMS and DMS technology solutions to Ambarella’s CV2x CVflow® family of edge AI perception systems on chip (SoCs). Ambarella’s CV2x-based reference design platform performs the vision processing and fusion of Seeing Machines’ driver monitoring software with forward-facing ADAS features to provide a complete, integrated DMS and ADAS solution.
Ambarella’s SoCs target both standalone and integrated DMS, OMS and forward-facing ADAS cameras. As part of this collaboration, Seeing Machines will enable its embedded Driver Monitoring Engine (e-DME) software to provide a highly optimized, accelerated “back end”. This e-DME back end will utilize the CVflow acceleration engine inside Ambarella’s SoCs, allowing forward-facing ADAS camera designers to seamlessly integrate Seeing Machines’ proven OMS and DMS technology.
This agreement marks the beginning of a strategic relationship where Ambarella and Seeing Machines intend to combine their skills, products, IP and experience in the domain of embedding AI vision algorithms to deliver best-in-class driver and occupant monitoring system solutions.
VinFast to Go All Electric Announces More EVs
Following its US debut at the 2021 LA Auto Show, VinFast is taking important steps towards a sustainable future of mobility as it is announcing it will stop producing vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) by the end of 2022. VinFast will focus research and development efforts on all-electric powertrains for their vehicles. This bold move makes VinFast one of the world’s first automotive companies to completely switch to pure electric, affirming its position as a leader in the global EV revolution.
Along with the commitment to becoming an all-electric carmaker, VinFast officially launched a range of fully-electric vehicles: three models debuted in the A-B-C segments, VF 5 (segment A), VF 6 (segment B) and VF 7 (segment C); and two models VF e35 and VF e36 in the D and E segments (introduced at the 2021 LA Auto Show) now renamed as VF 8 and VF 9. The removal of the “e” (electric) prefix in the names affirms the company’s consistent all-electric orientation.
All five electric vehicles, with impressive and modern exteriors, were designed by world-renowned Italian design firms, Pininfarina and Torino Design.
The VF 8 and VF 9 models will be equipped with level 2+ Autonomous Driving features for the Eco and Plus versions and levels 3 – 4 for Premium versions. These models will also have smart features, including Smart Home, Mobile Office, In-car Shopping, In-car Entertainment, and many other convenient, advanced features that create an exhilarating experience for every journey and everyday life.
“VinFast envisions a sustainable future for people and the planet through green, clean and safe mobility. This is a future built on intelligent services, outstanding customer experience, and a deep care for the planet and future generations. VinFast is committed to innovative vehicle design, quality, and technology, along with excellent customer service. We even aspire to greater achievements – to be one of the leading electric vehicle manufacturers in the world while inspiring our customers to be boundless together and join hands in the electric vehicle revolution, creating a sustainable future for all,” said Madam Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vingroup Vice Chair and VinFast Global CEO.
At VinFast Global EV Day, the company also officially announced retail pricing and a groundbreaking reservation campaign for the VF 8 and VF 9 in the US, Europe and Vietnam.
The initial price for the VF 8 is 41,000 USD in the US; starting from 36,133 EUR in Europe and 961 million VND in Vietnam, while the VF 9 will initially be priced at 56,000 USD (US); 49,280 EUR (Europe) and 1.312 billion VND (Vietnam). Each VinFast’s EV comes with a warranty of 10 years or the first 200,000km (whichever comes first).
Notably, during the 3-month period from January 5 to April 5, 2022 (PST), VinFast will launch an exclusive membership program, called “VinFirst – Pioneer’s Gratitude to Pioneers”, offering early-bird reservation holders various rewards and benefits (see details in Appendix below).
VinFast is the first electric car company to apply blockchain technology to receive orders and confirm ownership. There will be many other future incentives for applicable customers in the US to join the VinFirst program. All early reservations can be refunded, gifted or transferred from April 6, 2022.
As well as sharing the pricing policy, VinFast announced an innovative battery lease program that will offer customers two subscription plans: “Flexible” (a minimum subscription fee for 300miles/500km per month, extra costs from the 301st mile/501st km) and “Fixed” (unlimited range). The total monthly cost for driving VinFast EVs is approximately equal to gasoline costs in each market. Furthermore, VinFast will cover all expenses on battery maintenance and will replace the owner’s used batteries for free when charging and discharging capacity falls below 70%.
Hyundai Mobis Shows M. Vision POP EV
Hyundai Mobis (KRX:012330), one of the world’s largest vehicle technology innovators and suppliers drew a large crowd of show attendees on the official opening day of CES exhibits by showcasing the M.Vision POP EV, and the M.Vision 2GO Hydrogen Fuel Cell shared mobility concept vehicles. Hyundai Mobis is affiliated with Hyundai Motor Group and partners with many OEMs – are making great strides to harness its power.
Aligning with the CES 2022 live and virtual “hybrid” platform, visitors to the Hyundai Mobis exhibit are able to view the vehicle tech leader’s e-corner module system, with 90-degree rotation of all four wheels, as well as its communication lighting systems and cargo storage innovations, both in live action and through a virtual showroom – for those experiencing CES remotely.
A major draw to the Hyundai Mobis exhibit is its metaverse experience, named JOYTOWN, which gives visitors an interactive “test drive” experience with the M.Vision POP and M.Vision 2GO concepts vehicles in real-life situations.
Metaverse has become a popular buzzword at CES 2022. That said, the metaverse and its application is still difficult to understand by many. CES exhibitors including Hyundai Mobis are helping bridge the gap of understanding of the metaverse in an interactive, practical and fun way – leveraging mobile technology familiar to society.
“It’s exciting to see the faces of those that visit our booth light up as they see their avatars enter a M.Vision POP or M.Vision 2GO and navigate our JOYTOWN metaverse,” said Hyundai Mobis Vice President of Communication, Jin-ho Park. “The vehicle technologies we are demonstrating at CES will help our OEM and technology partners achieve their future mobility goals, and it’s an honor to play a key role in that process.”
Hyundai Motor Singed MOU with Unity for Metaverse Meta-Factory
Hyundai Motor Company, the global mobility innovator, and Unity (NYSE: U), the world’s leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content, today announced at CES 2022 a partnership to jointly design and build a new metaverse roadmap and platform for Meta-Factory.
The companies held a virtual MOU signing ceremony with Youngcho Chi, President and Chief Innovation Officer of Hyundai Motor Group, Hong Bum Jung, Senior Vice President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Global Innovation Center in Singapore (HMGICS), Jules Shumaker, Senior Vice President, Revenue, Create Solutions, Unity and Dave Rhodes, Senior Vice President of Digital Twin, Unity, participating.
Through this MOU, Unity becomes a strategic partner to Hyundai, supporting its vision of becoming the leader in future mobility solutions. The MOU pertains to the fields of smart manufacturing, AI training and study as well as autonomous driving simulation.
The partnership will realize Hyundai’s vision of becoming the first mobility innovator to build a Meta-Factory concept, a digital-twin of an actual factory, supported by a metaverse platform. The Meta-Factory will allow Hyundai to test-run a factory virtually in order to calculate the optimized plant operation, and enable plant managers to solve problems without having to physically visit the plant.
Hyundai plans to first apply the Meta-Factory concept to the HMGICS facility, supporting the Group’s initiative to create an open innovation hub for research and development.
“HMGICS will become a manufacturing innovation “game changer” through this world class Meta-Factory collaboration”, said President Chi, “And HMGICS will lead the future innovation by introducing various technologies that will transform mobility paradigm through human-centered value chain innovation.”
“Real-time digital twins will permanently change how we live, work, shop and make a positive impact on our planet, representing a significant component of what is often referred to as the metaverse,” said John Riccitiello, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Unity. “Hyundai’s vision for the future, including the digital twin of factory operations, represents a significant technological step forward in manufacturing with unlimited potential in its efficiency.”
TI Expands Automotive Line
In an effort to move autonomous driving and vehicle safety forward, Texas Instruments (TI) (Nasdaq: TXN) announced an expansion of its automotive offerings that can help automakers improve how advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) sense objects.
TI’s new AWR2944 radar sensor adds to the company’s extensive portfolio of analog and embedded processing products and technologies, giving automotive engineers more tools that can fuel vehicle innovation. The increased ability to quickly detect objects, monitor blind spots, and efficiently navigate turns and corners paves the way for automakers to achieve their vision of a collision-free future.
“Changing lanes and navigating tight corners present some of the most complex design challenges for our customers today,” said Yariv Raveh, manager for TI millimeter-wave radar. “To create a safer driving experience, driver assistance systems must quickly and accurately process massive amounts of data and clearly communicate with the driver.”
According to the Federal Highway Administration, more than 50% of the combined total of fatal and injury crashes occur at or near intersections¹. With new motor vehicle safety requirements from U.N. Regulation No. 79 and updated New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) standards in effect, automakers must improve steering systems to support advanced driver assistance and automated driving functions. To learn more about the latest safety requirements, read the technical article, “What ADAS engineers need to know about the new NCAP requirements for radar.”
The 77-GHz AWR2944 radar sensor can help automakers meet these safety regulations and provides best-in-class radio frequency performance in a small form factor – approximately 30% smaller compared to radar sensors today. The AWR2944 sensor integrates a fourth transmitter to provide 33% higher resolution than existing radar sensors, enabling vehicles to detect obstacles more clearly and avoid collisions. In addition, the new sensor’s unique hardware supported by Doppler division multiple access (DDMA)-based signal processing improves the ability to sense oncoming vehicles at distances up to 40% farther away.
Empowering automakers to develop vehicles with increased visibility of their surroundings, TI’s solutions for ADAS include high-performance integrated system-on-chip radar sensors, highly efficient edge artificial intelligence processors, and automotive-qualified power-management ICs (PMICs) such as the LP87745-Q1 low-noise, multi-rail PMIC for radar monolithic microwave processors. To learn more about recent innovations in ADAS technology, read the blog post, “ADAS: The technology driving automotive safety forward.”
“Visibility around corners has historically been challenging for autonomous and semiautonomous vehicles. This challenge presents the opportunity to design high-quality, premium ADAS technology that helps enhance vehicle perception,” said Curt Moore, manager for Jacinto™ processors at TI. “For automated parking and driving, being able to see farther with devices like the AWR2944 sensor – and then seamlessly process that data with our Jacinto processors – leads to improved awareness and safety.”
From supporting airbag deployment to enabling cutting-edge vehicle electrification, TI’s deep-rooted history of innovation in automotive technology spans more than 40 years. TI’s software compatibility enables automakers to scale across their entire fleet, while extensive support and design resources including technical content, evaluation modules and real-world application examples make designing ADAS easier. With the future in mind, TI believes collaboration between semiconductor suppliers, system engineers and automakers will be vital to accelerate time to market and meet ever-evolving regulatory demands.
To explore virtual demos featuring the latest TI products and technologies for automotive safety, see ti.com/CES.
HUTECH Massage SONIC WAVE Seat Seen as Keen @CES
HUTECH Industries, a healthcare device manufacturer specializing in massage machines, reported keen interest in its machines at CES 2022 on January 8. HUTECH took part in CES 2022 held in Las Vegas on January 5, unveiling a SONIC WAVE car seat for the first time in the massage chair industry and showing the possibility of expanding the scope of the industry into the future mobility market.
The company’s SONIC WAVE car seat goes way beyond the pneumatic massage technology of existing products introduced by domestic and overseas brands, and is opening up a new market with a fresh solution called SONIC WAVE. By applying SONIC WAVE massage technology to mobility rather than depending on conventional tapping massage modules, it provides the best-possible massaging solution in a moving car where safety is the top concern.
In particular, the three-dimensional massage created by combining the pneumatic massage mechanism. which delivers a gentle acupressure feeling, and the SONIC WAVE massage system, which delivers vibration to the depths of the muscles through skin contact, caught the attention of buyers at the trade show.
In fact, executives and managers of top domestic auto manufactures showed a keen interest in the SONIC WAVE car seat and visited the booth to experience it in person, and some of them declared that SONIC WAVE would be one of the most promising technological solutions for the future. In addition, Internet-of-Things (IoT) industry officials commented that HUTECH’s innovative technology has the potential to be applied in its industry and would help the industry raise market competitiveness.
Joo Hwa-don, HUTECH’s managing director in charge of product development, said, “We are happy to be highly recognized for the future growth potential of our innovative technology on a global stage by participating in CES 2022. We will lead the industry’s innovation by undertaking R&D efforts relentlessly.”
The company plans to accelerate its pace of expansion to new business areas through partnerships with companies across the world so that the SONIC WAVE massage system can be used in various mobility applications using CES 2022 as its momentum.
Phiar Tech & Qualcomm Partner
Phiar Technologies, a leading platform for AI-powered Augmented Reality (AR) navigation for driving, and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., an industry leader in connected car and digital cockpit experiences, announced the companies’ work to transfigure how people navigate, interact, and experience the world through vehicles. Through the companies’ working relationship, Phiar will bring its powerful computer vision-based spatial artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to Snapdragon® Automotive Cockpit Platforms to support intelligent AR heads-up display (HUD) navigation and situational awareness for next-generation automotive in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) environments.
“There is a growing expectation among consumers and automakers for sophisticated and truly connected digital cockpit solutions. Qualcomm Technologies is delighted that our next generation Snapdragon Automotive Cockpit Platform is helping bring the future of driving navigation to consumers through Phiar’s innovative platform.”
Today, drivers are facing cognitive overload from having to interpret a multitude of information and notifications from the cockpit, while still trying to interpret directions on a 2D map, resulting in a non-optimal driving experience. Aiming to address this, Phiar is working with Qualcomm Technologies to transform navigation experiences by bringing seamless AI-powered road perception and AR navigation to video and HUD-based automotive IVI environments.
Cinemo Shows Cockpits & More @CES
A range of Cinemo solutions at CES demonstrated just how Cinemo is changing the face of cockpit enrichment with systematic super aggregation of online and offline services and media content. VOD (Video on demand) premium content can be brought into the car whilst Dolby Atmos integration allows access to immersive audio galvanizing the listening experience. “At Dolby, we see a lot of demand from our prospective customers for Android Automotive OS. It is thus great to see that with our continued partnership, Cinemo is enabling Dolby Atmos on an Android Automotive system, further paving the way for the adoption of Dolby Atmos for cars” said Andreas Ehret, Director Automotive at Dolby.
Cinemo’s recent collaboration with VOXX Automotive and Jeep® boasts Multi-Seat sharing in the new Wagoneer, which brings an array of features to add adaptability and mobilize front and rear seat connectivity to create an individualized holistic platform. “Cinemo enables new innovative use cases for multi-screen entertainment enabling families to enjoy movies and shows on the road” said Ed Mas, President, VOXX Automotive Corporation.
Cinemo’s next generation technologies have also taken use cases such as Jukebox, Multi-user gaming, Karaoke with Stingray, and given them a cohesive foundation in the car. “We know that there is a real desire amongst drivers for new in-car entertainment experiences like karaoke,” said Louis-Robert Lemire, Vice President Strategic Operations and Acquisitions of Stingray. “We are thrilled to pursue our growth in the automotive industry with the help of Cinemo to bring our best-in-class karaoke experience to Linux and Android Automotive platforms.”
World Premiere at CES “Infotainment to Go”
CES 2022 will also see the World premiere of Cinemo’s disruptive “Infotainment to Go!”, the first full cloud-based IVI-as-a-Service where Cinemo decouples infotainment from the vehicle so car vendors can continuously offer their latest infotainment experience, in any car, on any device, extending the vehicle’s lifetime and without requiring an in-vehicle update.
ZF’s Next Gen Mobility @CES
ZF showed proof points of its progress toward Next Generation Mobility and how the company believes it is no longer a distant vision but a tangible goal within our grasp. Now. ZF has developed smart technologies with advanced core intelligence that bring safe, automated and electrified vehicles to new levels. These developments offer critical improvements that benefit our global society and the environment.
shuttles.”
Leveling Up
Recent successes in customer contracts and advancements in ZF’s capabilities are validating this strategy. For example, ZF’s previously announced suite of automated driving technologies, including coASSIST, have already launched with Dongfeng in China; coDRIVE, where we are seeing high customer interest for the next advancement in L2+ systems; and coPILOT, a system scalable up to Level 4, which will be launched in a partnership with Vietnam’s fast-growing electric vehicle maker VinFast.
“Our vehicle manufacturer customers are seeking advanced technology as well as the intelligence and functions that add value for consumers,” Fischer emphasized. “We have been successful in steadily expanding our ADAS and AD business through sensor and high-performance computing contracts that include providing the fusion of these sensor technologies, the systems expertise to deliver advanced functions and the computing power needed with our ProAI supercomputer.”
Shuttles, Commercial Vehicles and the Industrial Sector all Benefit
Another important frontier is in the Transportation as a Service, which will become increasingly crucial with the continuing rise of megacities. Traffic congestion and space utilization will drive the need for alternative forms of mobility and ZF’s Automated Transport Systems team can now provide a virtual turn-key solution for planning, operating and implementing an automated shuttle system that will both assist inner cities and connect them to outlying rural areas. ZF is now bringing these solutions to the U.S.
And as 2022 dawns, the newly consolidated Commercial Vehicle Solutions team now fully combines the strengths of ZF and the former WABCO into a leading global supplier providing the necessary technologies to enable advanced safety and automated driving functions as well as advanced powertrain systems to a market with a strong business case for benefitting from these capabilities.
And ZF goes beyond these more traditional mobility modes to provide advanced automation for agricultural equipment, mining, off-road equipment and automated fork-lifts, and helping the environment through ultra-efficient wind turbine transmissions.
Software solutions drive mobility and sustainability initiatives
ZF continues its transformation as a software and digitally based enterprise across all of its business processes. By leveraging Microsoft’s comprehensive set of cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and data technologies, ZF is becoming a cloud-native mobility services provider, delivering clean, safe, convenient, and affordable mobility solutions to its customers.
One example of this is the greater scalability and modularity ZF brings to e-drive inverter technology through its highly intelligent software and semiconductor expertise. This is a crucial step to increase the efficiency, range and affordability of e-motors for the electrified future and ZF is utilizing its considerable expertise to bring these advancements to market in shortened development cycles.
“ZF has a unique opportunity to shape Next Generation Mobility and to do it now,” said ZF CEO Wolf-Henning Scheider. “We cannot wait to tackle the major issues that our world faces as they are critical to our survival and the quality of life that we all deserve to enjoy. To enhance the lives of future generations we must all work together, from governments, to industry, to members of society all focused on the unified goal to deliver on the promises of tomorrow.”
Green Hills Software and Apex.AI
Developers of safety-critical transportation systems face a gap for successfully migrating the prototypes they developed with ROS / ROS 2 to a production-focused real-time and safety-certified computing platform and into production. Moving from high-powered engineering mule test vehicles to production vehicles is challenging. The computing platforms of production vehicles are composed of a complex mix of heterogeneous multicore processors, limited memory, mixed-criticality services, and multiple asynchronous communication networks. Moreover, production vehicles require high reliability, real-time determinism, safety and security as defined by the ISO 26262 automotive safety standard and ISO 21434 automotive cybersecurity standard. The products and expertise from Green Hills Software and Apex.AI provide this purpose-built path to production.
“We love that Green Hills shares our vision for how developers can speed prototypes into production for automotive domains including ADAS and autonomous driving. What we’re doing together is part of the recipe for realizing the next generation of software-defined vehicles,” said Joe Speed, Apex.AI VP of Product & Chief Evangelist.
“The combination of the Green Hills production-proven, safe and secure INTEGRITY RTOS with its advanced ROS-aware development tools and industry-leading C/C++ compilers provide the necessary foundation to the production-focused Apex.AI ROS 2 safety framework and middleware for today’s automated drive systems,” said Dan Mender, VP of Business Development, Green Hills Software. “Our collaboration with the Apex.AI team provides OEMs and their partners a highly optimized ROS 2-based foundational software development platform allowing OEMs to focus on unique software-defined vehicle application differentiations.”
The INTEGRITY RTOS separation kernel is pre-certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D and has adopted the automotive cybersecurity standard ISO 21434. It provides the safe, secure, and deterministic run-time foundation to run, separate, and protect complex software that performs critical functions, such as the Apex.OS and Apex.Middleware, from less critical aspects of the platform. INTEGRITY securely separates critical and non-critical software components and guarantees that system-critical applications receive the necessary hardware and software resources, even when faced with malicious or unintended events. In addition, the advanced ROS-aware MULTI® integrated development environment (IDE) helps developers find and fix the most difficult software bugs faster, reducing development time and cost while raising code quality. The MULTI IDE, with its ISO 26262 ASIL D safety-qualified compilers and safety-certified C/C++ run time libraries, provides developers with the proper tools for creating system critical application code that requires safety certification.
Apex.OS is a real-time, functionally-safe ROS 2 distribution that abstracts the complexity of underlying hardware, middleware, kernel, interfaces, and drivers into simple to use, robust, reliable, and safe APIs. Apex.OS Cert is TÜV Nord certified for ISO 26262 ASIL D. Apex.Middleware provides the discovery and communication between applications with zero-copy and a small, fixed latency and CPU budget cost regardless of data size or type.
The solution is available today to early qualified customers. Contact Green Hills Software for more information.