In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Waymo, Tier IV, HOLON & Kyocera.
Waymo Paid Airport Trips in Phoenix
Waymo is initiating the industry’s first-ever paid trips to and from an airport at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Trusted Testers can hail a ride 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a fully electric Jaguar I-PACE equipped with the fifth generation Waymo Driver, between Downtown Phoenix and Phoenix Sky Harbor. Waymo is partnering with Phoenix Sky Harbor to offer pickups and dropoffs from the 44th Street Sky Train® station.Waymo will start by offering trips with an autonomous specialist in the driver’s seat and will remove the specialist over weeks to come.
TIER IV Launches Pilot.Auto & Web.Auto
TIER IV, an open source autonomous driving startup, announced that it has launched commercial autonomous driving software platforms “Pilot.Auto” and “Web.Auto”, which offer a range of support from development to operation of customers’ autonomous driving systems. These platforms can be used in multiple operational design domains (ODD) including closed spaces with restricted traffic and pedestrian-vehicle mixed traffic in urban areas.
Pilot.Auto is an autonomous driving software platform based on “Autoware*1“, an open-source software (OSS) for autonomous driving whose development is led by TIER IV. Pilot.Auto enables partners to achieve their own autonomous driving goals in accordance with TIER IV’s proprietary reference design specifications.
Web.Auto, on the other hand, is a development and operation (DevOps*2) software platform for expanding and improving Pilot.Auto in order to meet individual requirements specified by partners’ systems.
These platforms enable partners to significantly reduce development costs of their desired autonomous driving system and shorten time to market.
Features of Pilot.Auto and Web.Auto
Pilot.Auto provides the following functions for the implementation of autonomous driving systems by customers in their respective communities.
- Customization of software: Offers customization including the addition and expansion of functions to meet the function and performance requirements for individual use cases and ODD. Pilot.Auto performs evaluations of new functions so that customers can respond to specific requirements within a short time.
- Integration of software with the target vehicle systems (vehicle construction): Incorporates Autoware-based autonomous driving systems into a wide range of autonomous vehicles by utilizing TIER IV’s proprietary tools.
- Adaptation of software to the target driving environments: Offers tuning and verification to ensure safe and comfortable driving in accordance with specific use cases and ODD.
- Maintenance for the customized, integrated, and adapted software: Provides regular inspection of entire systems including vehicles and software and over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
Reference designs currently provided by TIER IV
Pilot.Auto currently provides five variants of the reference designs. Each reference design defines the functions and performance requirements that are essential for specific use cases and ODD, and Pilot.Auto is equipped with the basic software and hardware designs to meet those requirements. The reference designs provided by TIER IV play the role of a “starting point”, so to speak, for the development of autonomous driving systems for our partners, and can significantly reduce the cost and lead time required for the development and operation of autonomous vehicles.
- Cargo Transport: Use case designed for low-speed autonomous transport in enclosed and confined spaces, such as factories.
- Shuttle Bus: Use case designed for passenger transport (bus) in confined and mixed spaces, such as parks and streets.
- Robo-Taxi: Use case designed for passenger transport (taxi) in urban and other areas as part of transportation improvement plans.
- Personal Car: Use case designed for advanced driver assistance systems in spaces dedicated to autonomous driving, such as on highways.
- Delivery Robot: Use case designed for last-mile delivery in a mixed space such as a residential road.
Web.Auto is a cloud-native, edge-intensive DevOps software platform that is essential for the development and safe operation of autonomous driving systems. Web.Auto is configured with development platform tools, (e.g., autonomous driving simulators, CI/CD*3 data pipeline), which are required to develop autonomous driving systems efficiently and effectively, as well as operation platform tools (e.g., fleet management system (FMS) and remote monitoring system that can be integrated with applications provided by a third party), which are required for safe operation and maintenance of vehicles equipped with autonomous driving systems.
Please refer to TIER IV’s website for the examples of platform development and application of each reference design.
Technology roadmap
TIER IV has formulated a roadmap to develop Pilot.Auto and Web.Auto for the application of the five reference designs.
- End of 2023: Regarding the Cargo Transport, TIER IV plans to increase functionality to Level 4 autonomy in closed and confined spaces such as factories, airports, and theme parks.
- End of 2025: Regarding the Shuttle Bus, TIER IV plans to implement its reference designs for Level 4 autonomous vehicles in local cities and implement it in more than 40 locations throughout Japan. As for the Cargo Transport, TIER IV plans to launch the application of its reference designs overseas, in addition to providing Level 3 functionality for the Personal Car.
- End of 2028: Regarding the Shuttle Bus, Robo-Taxi, and Personal Car, TIER IV plans to realize functions of its reference designs for Level 4 autonomous vehicles even in major urban areas. As for the Shuttle Bus, TIER IV plans to push forward with the application of its reference designs for Level 4 autonomous vehicles overseas.
- Around 2030: TIER IV plans to be compatible with major driving environments in Japan and overseas for each reference design.
TIER IV aims to improve customers’ autonomous driving development capabilities by offering Pilot.Auto and Web.Auto, which are end-to-end solutions for entire processes ranging from development to vehicle construction, adaptation, evaluation, and operation.
TIER IV intends to continue to provide autonomous driving software platforms to the market and form an ecosystem where any organization or individual can work on the development of autonomous driving technologies and service operations, thereby contributing to the realization of a safe and secure society through autonomous driving.
*1 Autoware is a registered trademark of the Autoware Foundation.
*2 DevOps is the acronym for “development” and “operations.” DevOps is used to build a system that enables close collaboration between a software development group and an installation/operation group so that software installation and updates can be carried out speedily.
*3 CI/CD is the acronym for “continuous integration” and “continuous delivery.” CI/CD refers to methods used for automating software building and testing, delivery, and deployment processes in software development and for continuously performing these tasks.
BENTELER Starts HOLON Electric & Autonomous
BENTELER is underlining its global business ambitions in autonomous mobility by establishing a new brand – HOLON. As a result, the BENTELER EV Systems business unit, which was spun off at the end of 2021, will change its name. As HOLON, the company will in future focus on the business with fully electric, autonomous movers.
Ralf Göttel, BENTELER Group CEO explains: “Mobility around the world is undergoing rapid change. BENTELER is optimally prepared for this – 85% of our products are technology and propulsion-method agnostic. In parallel with the traditional automotive business, innovative, digitally connected, and autonomous mobility services promise high growth in the coming years. With our engineering and manufacturing expertise, we are predestined to fill a gap in this hitherto strongly software-dominated field. By founding HOLON, an independent legal entity, we can react flexibly to changing customer requirements in this dynamic market. In this way, we will make the best possible use of growth opportunities.”
Marco Kollmeier, Managing Director of HOLON, emphasizes: “Autonomous movers are an essential part of tomorrow’s mobility – emission-free, comfortable, reliable and, above all, inclusive. HOLON will be the first OEM for autonomous movers with the standards and scaling potential we know from the automotive industry. With our platform technology, our vehicle expertise, and our strong partner network, it’s our goal to redefine passenger transport – in both the public and private sectors.”
HOLON – Established Tomorrow
The structure of the new brand is unique in the entire OEM landscape for autonomous movers, stresses Marco Kollmeier. “To achieve this, HOLON combines the best of two worlds: We combine the speed, passion and entrepreneurial spirit of a start-up with the strength, resources and expertise of an established automotive company. This is how we support our customers in implementing safe and environmentally friendly mobility solutions that accelerate their businesses.”
The term holon comes from the Greek and means “something that is both a whole and a part of a whole”. The future orientation of the brand is also reflected in the new brand’s slogan: HOLON – Established Tomorrow. The young company’s next milestone is the CES 2023 trade show in Las Vegas. HOLON will present the world’s first autonomous mover that meets automotive standards there in January next year – i.e. leading in safety, driving comfort and production quality.
Kyocera Automotive Night Vision
Kyocera Corporation (President: Hideo Tanimoto) announced that it has developed an Automotive Night Vision System that can accurately identify collision-risk objects in low-visibility driving conditions, such as at night, or in rain, snow, fog, or smoke. The system is expected to reduce traffic accidents and promote safer driving.
Kyocera’s Automotive Night Vision features the first headlight in the world that can emit both white (RGB) and near-infrared (NIR) light on the same optical axis; this allows higher accuracy object recognition than alternative technologies. The system integrates RGB-NIR sensors and a unique “Image-Fusion AI Recognition Technology” developed by Kyocera for high performance object recognition. In addition, Kyocera has developed another generative AI feature to create training data for more cost-efficient learning and product development.
*For headlights using white and near-infrared light in a single SMD device (Kyocera research, September 2022)
Development Background
To reduce traffic accidents and promote autonomous driving, automakers will require more advanced hazard-detection systems. The global market for Automotive Night Vision Systems was estimated at approximately $2.17 billion+ in 2020. Furthermore, the market is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of more than 16.5%+ from 2020 to 2027. Kyocera’s new night vision system will help prevent traffic accidents by notifying drivers of hazards in adverse driving environments, a benefit made possible only through the innovative integration of visible and near-infrared images using proprietary fusion recognition AI technology.
+Source: Reportocean, “Global Automotive Night Vision System Market by Technology Type” Nov. 3rd, 2021
System Features and Benefits
[1] Laser headlight integrates white and near-infrared light on the same optical axis
Kyocera’s system integrates both white and near-infrared light from a laser headlight on a single optical axis. This eliminates image parallax and greatly enhances image recognition. The integrated headlight also incorporates an extremely bright, high-efficiency, miniaturized GaN laser developed by KYOCERA SLD Laser, Inc. Furthermore, the system has automatic “beam shaping” functionality for the RGB and NIR light that prevents glare for oncoming drivers by automatically shifting visible light into a low-beam pattern when necessary, while the NIR light can remain in high-beam mode.
[2] More accurate object recognition using Kyocera’s proprietary fusion recognition AI technology
Kyocera’s vehicle-mounted RGB-NIR sensor uses original fusion recognition AI technology** developed by Kyocera’s Advanced Technology Laboratories. Instead of simply combining the image data from the two sources, Kyocera’s system uses qualitative AI to compare and assess both RGB and NIR images, differentiating between pedestrians and vehicles with high accuracy even in low visibility conditions.
** Received the Symposium and Sensing via Image Information (SSII) Distinguished Academic Award.
[3] AI significantly reduces development costs while improving recognition performance
Conventional methods require collection of vast amounts of NIR training data, a time-consuming and costly process. Conversely, Kyocera’s AI technology generates training data automatically. As a result, this approach can significantly reduce training costs while maintaining high accuracy in recognition performance.
Future Developments
Kyocera will continue R&D for this system, aiming for commercialization after 2027. We will also contribute to making transportation safer and more secure through traffic-monitoring infrastructure technologies, such as smart road-side units (RSUs) and other equipment, while adapting our technologies to other diverse applications ranging from nighttime security to delivery systems.