In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Cruise, Cyngn, RoboSens, LG Innotek & Arbe Robotics.
Cyngn Expected 2024 Performance
Cyngn Inc. (the “Company” or “Cyngn”) (Nasdaq: CYN), t shared several company milestones and key achievements from 2023, including valuable deployments, paid projects with leading global customers, and key partnerships to propel it’s artificial intelligence and robotics technologies into even more complete solutions for customers. Together, these achievements are positioning Cyngn for a transformational 2024.
Key 2023 Milestones and Achievements:
- Valuable deployment: Cyngn started 2023 with a valuable deployment at US Continental, a California-based chemicals manufacturer. Here, Cyngn’s vehicles automated nearly 900 monthly trips, in addition to sparking employee growth opportunities and promotions. Overall, the company found that DriveMod is 400% more efficient than a human forklift driver.
- New products and partnerships: Cyngn has expanded its partnerships with two leading OEMs to propel the Company’s DriveMod autonomous technology into even more complete solutions. First, in July, Cyngn partnered with Motrec, a globally recognized manufacturer of industrial electric vehicles, to bring its autonomous DriveMod solution to Motrec’s MT-160 tow tractor. Cyngn also partnered with BYD, a renowned global brand, to integrate DriveMod into their fleet of electric forklifts, expanding Cyngn’s portfolio of DriveMod-enabled vehicles to the most universal material handling vehicle. Cyngn revealed the first footage of the AI-powered autonomous forklift in August.
- Customer contracts: Cyngn executed paid projects with leading global customers. In August, Cyngn announced a pre-order agreement with Arauco, a global company of sustainable forestry products, pulp, and engineered wood that is a supplier to the furniture and construction industries, to deploy 100 DriveMod Forklifts. This largest order-to-date refers to only a small portion of Arauco’s existing fleet but represents a meaningful annual recurring revenue deployment for the Company. In addition, Cyngn announced an agreement with a Fortune 100 heavy machinery manufacturer to deploy DriveMod Tuggers in its North American manufacturing facility.
- Proprietary technology: Cyngn secured several U.S. patents in 2023 for the Company’s autonomous vehicle and driving solutions, bringing the total number to 19. Cyngn also released its Enterprise Autonomy Suite (EAS) 9.0, which comes with a suite of intelligent fleet management tools that customers can use to manage and monitor their fleets from any location. The latest version includes a number of advanced features such as on-vehicle mission deployment and intelligent return to home capabilities.
- Product enhancements: In December, Cyngn enabled their new auto-unhitch capability. This feature is poised to bring greater value to customers by offering a hands-off solution to unloading towed cargo.
Robosense Joins Mcity
RoboSense (2498.HK), a leading innovator in LiDAR technology, announced its membership in Mcity, a public-private mobility research center led by the University of Michigan.
Mcity brings together the diverse expertise and resources required to develop emerging mobility technologies and to explore their commercial and economic viability. By joining Mcity, RoboSense aligns itself with a diverse community of Mcity industry members and government partners, including Toyota, Ford, Honda, Denso, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Becoming a member of the Mcity ecosystem underscores RoboSense’s commitment to remaining at the forefront of technological advancements within the mobility sector. RoboSense will contribute its M Platform sensors and ground truth software for research and development at Mcity.
The company’s technology will be installed on a Ford Mustang Mach-E to expand the data collection capabilities inside the world-class Mcity Test Facility and on-road in the city of Ann Arbor. Additionally, RoboSense will provide experiential learning opportunities for students through U-M’s Perot Jain TechLab at Mcity, a start-up-in-residence program. TechLab has provided hands-on experience for hundreds of U-M students and attracted dozens of startups to Southeast Michigan,
“Partnering with RoboSense enables Mcity to stay innovative, adaptive, and on top of the latest technological advancements in the ever-evolving field of transportation,” said Henry Liu, director of Mcity and a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at U-M. “We’ll now have two ways to approach data collection: The always-on, broad network of infrastructure-based sensors already deployed in Ann Arbor, and the much more targeted capability of RoboSense’s vehicle-mounted, lidar-based perception system.”
“RoboSense’s North American headquarters in Michigan are in close proximity to Mcity,” said Peipei Zhao, President of North America, RoboSense. “It is a natural partnership; we share a local community and the mission to advance transportation safety, sustainability, equity, and accessibility. By providing our cutting-edge LiDAR hardware + software solutions and hands-on support, we are part of a collective effort to realize the future of mobility.”
LG Innotek Invests in AOE
LG Innotek joins hands with a global lens manufacturing corporation to spur its penetration into the market for cameras for autonomous driving and optical components for extended reality (hereinafter, XR).
LG Innotek announces to sign Share Subscription Agreement and strategic collaboration between AOE Optronics (Hereinafter as AOE), a subsidiary of Asia Optical CO., INC. a Major Optical component manufacturing corporation in Taiwan on Jan. 24
In this agreement, LG Innotek invests in AOE’s shares, and the two companies will closely cooperate in the area of core optical components through a strategic partnership.
LG Innotek decided to make this investment to raise its product competitiveness as well as strengthen business competitiveness in optical solutions. LG Innotek’s strategy is to expand its capabilities and technologies in the Optics solution business accumulated with its global no.1 smartphone camera modules into new areas such as vehicles and XR.
LG Innotek is also able to enhance its ‘SCM (Supply Chain Management)’ a step further as it has a stable supply of the lens, a major component of camera modules, by investing in shares.
AOE is a Taiwanese corporation specializing in lenses, equipped with key technologies and mass production capabilities in areas ranging from glass materials to lens modules. AOE is recently increasing its supply to North American EV manufacturers. In particular, it possesses its strength in the lens for vehicle lens modules. As the recent demand for ‘Aspherical Glass Lens,’ a core component for high-resolution cameras, is increasing in the autonomous vehicle industry, the industry’s attention is being directed to AOE, which specializes in this area.
According to the strategic partnership, LG Innotek plans to share its capabilities in optical design and process automation and advanced quality control system, and AOE to share its independent materials & precision mold processing and precision lens manufacturing technologies to jointly develop lenses at the world’s top level.
The two companies plan to maximize quality and raise cost competitiveness by optimizing design and processes between lens and camera modules. The jointly developed products will be applied to core optical components and are anticipated to provide differentiated values to global carmakers, vehicle parts companies, and XR device manufacturers.
With this investment serving as an opportunity, LG Innotek will actively push ahead with the partnership with external companies and strengthen its business competitiveness.
Teamsters Warn of Autonomous Tech in South Dakota
Teamsters Local 120 and the South Dakota Peace Officers Association (SDPOA) condemn House Bill 1095, legislation that would allow autonomous vehicles (AVs) to operate on South Dakota roads without a human operator behind the wheel. The bill passed out of the state’s House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this week.
“Driverless technology is not ready for primetime. Allowing these dangerous vehicles to operate on our roads without a human operator behind the wheel is madness,” said Tom Erickson, Teamsters Central Region International Vice President and President of Local 120. “This bill was written by California tech companies that want to use public roads as lab rats, regardless of the safety risks or impact on working class jobs. Our careers should not be test subjects for Silicon Valley.”
James Heeren, Local 120 Business Agent, is a former police officer who currently represents other union members in law enforcement. Heeren testified at the hearing on HB 1095 to sound the alarm on the impact driverless cars and trucks could have on emergency response, noting that in San Francisco, AVs have blocked police from responding to the scene of a shooting, crashed into a firetruck, obstructed ambulances, caused massive traffic jams, and dragged a woman for 20 feet after striking her.
“As someone who has had to respond to emergencies more times than I can even count, I can tell you that every second matters. Oftentimes it’s the difference between life and death,” Heeren said. “This is especially true in our state, where response times are longer — particularly in rural communities, where our police and fire departments don’t have nearly the same level of resources as big coastal cities.”
Heeren also raised concern about a provision in the bill that takes away power from municipalities.
“Parents deserve to have a say in whether or not 80,000-pound trucks can speed by their child’s school or playground without a driver in the cab,” Heeren said. “This bill prevents that from happening by restricting the laws municipalities can pass to govern AVs. It takes power away from the people and puts it in the hands of bureaucrats.”
“As active and retired law enforcement personnel in South Dakota, we believe that House Bill 1095 will make our roadways significantly more dangerous and make it more difficult for first responders to do our jobs protecting the public,” said David H. Miller, President of the SDPOA, in a letter to lawmakers. “We have watched closely as driverless cars have hit the roads in cities across the country, and we have been alarmed by what we have seen. We urge our lawmakers to consider the public safety risk associated with autonomous vehicles and vote against House Bill 1095.”
Founded in 1903, Teamsters Local 120 represents over 12,000 workers at over 300 employers in four states: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Arbe Robotics & HiRain Mass Produce 4D Radar
Arbe Robotics Ltd. (NASDAQ: ARBE), a global leader in Perception Radar Solutions, announces that its tier 1, HiRain Technologies, a leading provider of intelligent driving solutions to car manufacturers in China, has announced that it will begin the mass production of state-of-the-art 4D Imaging Radars by the end of 2024. HiRain recently reached a significant milestone in this journey with the successful development of a high-performance B-sample (a production intent system design).
HiRain is currently positioned to embark on a rigorous data collection phase, with plans to cover 1 million kilometers using a vehicle fleet equipped with LRR610 Imaging Radars, powered by the Arbe chipset. This development initiative is designed to optimize the fusion and perception system, which enables key automotive safety and comfort features.
“HiRain’s LRR610 4D Imaging Radar, powered by Arbe’s cutting-edge chipset, is set to revolutionize autonomy and safety,” said Chengjian Fan, EVP and CTO of Hirain. “As we prepare for mass production by the end of 2024, our commitment to shaping the future echoes in every kilometer covered, paving the way for a new era of intelligent driving. Together, HiRain and Arbe are advancing innovation, ensuring ‘True Imaging’ radar excellence.”
“HiRain’s progress towards mass production in 2024, in collaboration with Arbe, reinforces our shared commitment to transforming automotive safety through innovative radar technology,” said Kobi Marenko, Chief Executive Officer of Arbe. “The anticipated escalating demand for HiRain’s 4D Imaging Radar systems is a testament to the high-quality, reliable technology both companies are delivering to the industry.”
Leveraging Arbe’s chipset extensive channel array of 48 transmitting (Tx) and 48 receiving (Rx) channels, HiRain’s LRR610 boasts ultra-high-resolution in both azimuth and elevation, that results in a dense point cloud that delivers exceptional imaging. The advanced imaging radar excels in detecting and tracking many objects, earning it the distinction of a “True Imaging” radar.
HiRain’s LRR610 Imaging Radar Features:
- Wide Field of View: 120° (Azimuth) × 30° (Elevation) coverage delivers comprehensive monitoring of multiple lanes and surrounding environments.
- Long-Range Detection: With a reach exceeding 350 meters, the LRR610 ensures the early detection of vehicles and obstacles ahead, enhancing overall driving safety.
- High Resolution and Dynamic Range: Enables accurate separation of a variety of targets, distinguishing a motorcycle near a truck or a pedestrian near a fence.
- All-Weather Reliability: Resilient to weather conditions, the LRR610 operates seamlessly in rain, snow, and fog, assuring consistent performance regardless of environmental challenges.
Cyngn to Deploy Nvidia Processors
Cyngn Inc. (the “Company” or “Cyngn”) (Nasdaq: CYN) announced a strategic shift to Nvidia AI computers that will revolutionize the technology powering its fleet of DriveMod autonomous industrial vehicles. Following the path Tesla took with its Autopilot hardware, the company is embarking on an innovative initiative to transition from Intel microprocessors to Nvidia AI computers. This transformation will encompass the entire DriveMod lineup, including the DriveMod Tugger, the DriveMod Stockchaser, and the DriveMod Forklift.
The decision to adopt Nvidia AI computers is driven by Cyngn’s commitment to enhancing both the efficiency and capability of its vehicles while concurrently reducing production costs. The unparalleled processing power and advanced development ecosystem offered by Nvidia’s computers align with Cyngn’s vision for the future of robotic autonomous platforms.
Commenting on the initiative, Cyngn’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lior Tal, emphasized the forward-thinking nature of Nvidia’s AI computers, stating, “Nvidia’s computers are the platforms of the future. By integrating them into our vehicles, we will not only see a reduction in power consumption but also a significant decrease in cost as we reduce the number of components in our DriveMod system. We are convinced that Nvidia’s AI computers are the clear winner when it comes to powering advanced robotics platforms like DriveMod. This initiative is in line with our continuous investment in R&D as evident from our rapidly growing patent portfolio.”
As Cyngn embraces this transformative journey, we believe the integration of Nvidia computers into its DriveMod vehicles signifies a bold step towards a future where innovation and efficiency converge to redefine the landscape of robotic technologies. The company remains dedicated to pushing boundaries and delivering cutting-edge solutions that elevate the performance and safety of its autonomous vehicles in the field.
Spirent & dSPACE Real-Time Positioning
Spirent Communications plc (LSE:SPT) and dSPACE have entered into a technology partnership to make real-time positioning scenarios for Autonomous Driving Hardware-in-the-Loop test systems (AD-HIL) even more realistic. The partnership enables developers to accelerate development timelines and time to market.
Based on years of cooperation between dSPACE and Spirent, the latest collaboration offers customers a turnkey solution by extending the leading dSPACE AD-HIL to include the Spirent GSS7000 high-fidelity global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) simulator. This enables developers of autonomous driving systems to validate vehicle behavior in location-critical scenarios utilizing real satellite signals, with all of the tooling pre-integrated from a single source provider to assure performance and continuity, and help accelerate development.
Increasing levels of driving automation and the associated responsibility for OEMs mean that the precision and latency of GNSS-enabled systems is becoming more and more critical, especially for SAE Levels of Driving Automation™ at or beyond Level 3. In addition to dSPACE’s powerful AD-HIL with radar, camera, lidar, and ultrasonic sensor simulation interfaces, the GSS7000 simulator, with high fidelity RF signal generation and low latency response, becomes an additional sensor working in parallel for validation of driver assistance algorithms, and a vital element of the digital homologation of the future. Jamming and spoofing scenarios can be validated as security-relevant functional tests for highly autonomous platforms, while Spirent’s SimHIL software interface ensures performant and reliable communication between each partner’s systems.
“By seamlessly integrating Spirent’s high-resolution GNSS simulators into the dSPACE test solutions, we enable our customers to achieve comprehensive validation of autonomous driving applications, increasing safety and precision through integration of positioning data,” explained Dr. Herbert Schuette, Executive Vice President at dSPACE.
“We are very excited to be partnering with dSPACE as a leader in the automotive test industry,” said Adam Price, Spirent’s Vice President of PNT Simulation. “Our complementary portfolios are focused on quality, accuracy, and reliability, and together they provide compelling solutions to ensure that the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles will be tested to the level of efficiency and safety that the industry demands.”
Cruise’s Lawyer Report on SF AV Incident
Cruise released the Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan report regarding the October 2, 2023 incident in San Francisco and Cruise’s subsequent interactions with regulators and the media. The Quinn Emanuel report makes important findings, conclusions, and recommendations regarding these events, which arose from an incident in which a hit-and-run driver tragically struck a pedestrian and launched her into the lane of travel of a Cruise AV, which unavoidably struck her. The Cruise AV, determining the collision to be a side impact with the pedestrian rather than frontal, pulled forward approximately 20 feet and dragged the individual in the process. This sequence of events caused serious injury. The hearts of all Cruise employees continue to be with the pedestrian and we hope for her ongoing recovery.
On October 24, 2023, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) suspended Cruise’s driverless permits, stating in part that Cruise failed to disclose in a meeting on the morning after the incident that the Cruise AV had pulled forward after the initial impact and dragged the pedestrian. Following suspension of the permit and review of the DMV’s order, as previously announced, Cruise retained the law firm Quinn Emanuel to conduct a third-party review into the events of October 2 and Cruise’s subsequent interactions with regulators and the media. Cruise also hired the engineering consulting firm Exponent Inc. to conduct a root cause analysis of the October 2 incident.
Cruise ismaking public the full Quinn Emanuel report and a cover letter sent to regulators. Understanding exactly where Cruise fell short will help both Cruise and the industry learn from the incident, strengthen protocols, and improve technology.
Quinn Emanuel review
Quinn Emanuel’s review included interviews with 88 Cruise employees and contractors as well as review of over 200,000 internal Cruise documents. The report found that the evidence to date does not establish that Cruise leadership or personnel intended to deceive or mislead regulators during its oral briefings on October 3. The review shows that Cruise played, or attempted to play, a 45-second, nine-pane video (“Full Video”) depicting the AV’s pullover maneuver, where the AV pulled forward, resulting in the dragging of the pedestrian for approximately 20 feet. However, the report concludes that Cruise did not verbally point out these facts to regulators or government officials in its meetings, despite video transmission issues that impeded or prevented regulators from seeing the pullover maneuver and pedestrian dragging. Quinn Emanuel ascribes this to a failure of leadership within Cruise, inadequate and uncoordinated internal processes, mistakes in judgment, an “us versus them” mentality with government officials, and a fundamental misunderstanding of regulatory requirements and expectations.
Additionally, the review found that in the immediate hours after the incident, Cruise employees were not yet aware of the AV’s pullover maneuver or dragging at the time it issued its initial press statement and began screen-sharing an early video with journalists. However, the review also shows Cruise failed to update the press statement or share the full video once it became aware of these facts. Quinn Emanuel attributes this to a myopic focus on correcting the initial inaccurate media narrative that the Cruise AV, rather than the human driver, had caused the incident.
Quinn Emanuel findings
Quinn Emanuel has reached the following principal findings and conclusions, which we are sharing verbatim here:
- By the morning of October 3, Cruise leadership knew about and discussed that the Cruise AV had moved forward after the initial pedestrian impact and, in doing so, had dragged the pedestrian for approximately 20 feet. More than 100 Cruise employees – including certain members of Cruise’s senior leadership, legal, government affairs, and systems integrity teams who briefed government officials – were informed of this information prior to Cruise’s meetings on October 3 with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, NHTSA, DMV, and other government officials. In each of those meetings, Cruise had the intent to affirmatively disclose those material facts by playing the Full Video and letting the “video speak for itself.” Because Cruise adopted that approach, it did not verbally point out these facts. This is because Cruise assumed that by playing the Full Video of the Accident for its regulators and other government officials, they would ask questions and Cruise would provide further information about the pullover maneuver and pedestrian dragging.
- The weight of the evidence establishes that Cruise played or attempted to play the Full Video depicting the pedestrian dragging in their October 3 briefings with the regulators and other government officials. However, in three of these meetings, internet connectivity issues likely precluded or hampered them from seeing the Full Video clearly and fully. And Cruise failed to augment the Full Video by affirmatively pointing out the pullover maneuver and dragging of the pedestrian.
- On October 2 and 3, Cruise leadership was fixated on correcting the inaccurate media narrative that the Cruise AV, not the Nissan, had caused the Accident. This myopic focus led Cruise to convey the information about the Nissan hit-and-run driver having caused the Accident to the media, regulators, and other government officials, but to omit other important information about the Accident. Even after obtaining the Full Video, Cruise did not correct the public narrative but continued instead to share incomplete facts and video about the Accident with the media and the public. This conduct has caused both regulators and the media to accuse Cruise of misleading them.
- The reasons for Cruise’s failings in this instance are numerous: poor leadership, mistakes in judgment, lack of coordination, an “us versus them” mentality with regulators, and a fundamental misapprehension of Cruise’s obligations of accountability and transparency to the government and the public. Cruise must take decisive steps to address these issues in order to restore trust and credibility.
- Despite the failure to discuss the pullover maneuver or pedestrian dragging with regulators, the evidence reviewed to date does not establish that Cruise leadership or employees sought to intentionally mislead or hide from regulators the details of the October 2 Accident. Instead, they attempted to show the Full Video of the Accident in good faith, but with varying degrees of success due to technical issues.
- Finally, the DMV Suspension Order is a direct result of a proverbial self-inflicted wound by certain senior Cruise leadership and employees who appear not to have fully appreciated how a regulated business should interact with its regulators. Regulators and other government officials who enforce laws and regulations designed to protect human health and safety want and need to know all relevant facts about an accident involving a regulated product. It was a fundamentally flawed approach for Cruise or any other business to take the position that a video of an accident causing serious injury provides all necessary information to regulators and otherwise relieves them of the need to affirmatively and fully inform these regulators of all relevant facts. As one Cruise employee stated in a text message to another employee about this matter, our “leaders have failed us.”
Quinn Emanuel recommendations and our actions to date
Cruise accepts Quinn Emanuel’s conclusions and will act on all of their recommendations (listed on pages 99-104). We acknowledge that we have failed to live up to the justifiable expectations of regulators and the communities we serve. In doing so, we also fell woefully short of our own expectations. We are profoundly remorseful both for the injuries to the pedestrian, as well as for breaching the trust of our regulators, the media, and the public. We are fully cooperating with the state and federal regulatory and enforcement agencies which have opened investigations or inquiries in connection with the incident, including the California DMV, the California Public Utilities Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Cruise takes these findings seriously and is committed to increased transparency, enhanced safety, and collaborative engagement with our stakeholders. We have made significant process improvements and operational and technical changes, and this work is ongoing. For example:
- Cruis voluntarily paused all of Cruise’s nationwide driverless, supervised, and manual AV driving operations in order to take time to examine our processes, systems, and tools and improve how we operate.
- Given Cruise’s deficient response to the October 2 incident, nine individuals departed Cruise in December, including key leaders from Legal, Government Affairs, Commercial Operations, and Safety and Systems. In addition, Cruise’s CEO, Chief Product Officer, and VP of Communications have departed since the October 2 incident.
- Cruise has established a new Chief Safety Officer role and appointed an interim leader while the search is underway for a permanent hire.
- Experienced leaders from GM have stepped in to support Cruise’s Legal, Government Affairs, and Communications teams as well as to establish more robust and transparent processes for working with our regulators and engaging with the public.
Exponent technical root cause analysis
A redacted version of the Exponent report, omitting confidential business information, is included as an appendix to the Quinn Emanuel report. Exponent’s analysis focused on identifying the technical root cause and contributing factors relevant to the AV’s overall behavior, responses, and actions during the incident. The causal factors determined by Exponent and described below are consistent with Cruise’s own internal analysis of the incident.
First, leading up to the initial collision between the human-driven vehicle and pedestrian, the AV accurately detected, classified, and tracked both the pedestrian and the human-driven vehicle. Second, the subsequent collision of the AV with the pedestrian was caused by the individual being launched into the AV’s path of travel by the human-driven vehicle. Third, the AV incorrectly classified the collision with the pedestrian as a side-impact collision, which led the AV to perform a subsequent pullover maneuver (to the outermost lane) instead of an emergency stop. In addition, while not a leading cause of the pullover movement, a semantic mapping error that failed to recognize that the AV was already in the outermost lane was a contributing factor.
Based on our internal analysis, Cruise updated the software to address the underlying issues and filed a voluntary recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in November. We are constantly working to improve performance of our AV technology in consultation with third-party experts.