In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Oxa, Beep, Cruise, Uber, Gatik, STRADVISION, IIHS, Lotus, Guident, JLR & Olis Robotics.
Oxa Driver Driving with Beep in Contra Costa County
Oxa, the worldwide provider of self-driving vehicle software, has announced its third commercial deployment of Oxa Driver in the United States in collaboration with Beep, Inc., a leading provider of autonomous shared mobility solutions. Oxa Driver is installed on the autonomous shuttles operated by Beep in a pilot program for Beep’s client, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA). This marks Oxa’s first West Coast deployment with Beep.
Named PRESTO, the autonomous shuttle service is operated by Beep for CCTA, servicing Rossmoor Walnut Creek, a 55+ active senior community, and is CCTA’s first pilot leveraging Oxa Driver. The autonomous shuttles can carry up to seven seated and secured passengers, and will operate Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a trained safety attendant on board.
The electric, autonomous shuttles will operate on a predetermined route in the Rossmoor community, running Oxa’s self-driving software product, Oxa Driver, with Beep managing the planning, deployment and operation of the autonomous mobility network. Oxa Driver enables a safe, smooth and energy-efficient experience – with superior transparency and explainability.
“As we continue to expand our presence in the U.S., deploying our autonomous software products in different locations and environments is key as we work towards our goal of Universal Autonomy,” said Oxa CEO Gavin Jackson. “The Rossmoor community has a population of over 9,000 residents and is a perfect location for us to continue to evolve our autonomous vehicle software while collaborating with Beep to provide a private service connecting Rossmoor residents to key amenities and locations throughout their community. This is a huge milestone for Oxa, as Beep has now officially deployed with us from coast to coast in the U.S.”
As part of this deployment, Oxa also leveraged its Oxa MetaDriver product, a virtual testing and training suite which uses generative AI, digital twins and simulation to accelerate machine learning and testing of self-driving technology before and during real-world use. It generates a vast bank of synthetic scenes and virtual scenarios, including rare and unusual edge cases — such as foggy days that hinder visibility, or objects appearing from behind moving vehicles — that are difficult, costly and time consuming to re-create in conventional testing. It also assures the safe and efficient deployment of AV technology in live operations.
“Safety is always our priority at Oxa, and using Oxa MetaDriver and Oxa Driver together provides multiple layers of safety for the vehicle, attendant and passengers,” continued Jackson. “Virtual simulation enables verification and validation to be over 1,000 times faster than real-world miles, and allows us to robustly test in advance of deployments, without putting humans at risk.”
The Rossmoor launch follows Oxa’s previous participation in Beep’s deployments in the U.S., at Lake Nona in Orlando, and Florida State College at Jacksonville, with additional deployments to come in both the U.S. and UK before the end of the year.
Cruise Autonomous Driving through Uber App
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) and Cruise, two companies revolutionizing transportation, announced a multiyear strategic partnership to bring Cruise autonomous vehicles to the Uber platform.
The companies plan to launch the partnership next year with a dedicated number of Chevy Bolt-based autonomous vehicles. Once launched, when an Uber rider requests a qualifying ride on the Uber app, they may be presented with the option to have that trip fulfilled by a Cruise autonomous vehicle.
“Cruise is on a mission to leverage driverless technology to create safer streets and redefine urban life,” said Marc Whitten, CEO of Cruise. “We are excited to partner with Uber to bring the benefits of safe, reliable, autonomous driving to even more people, unlocking a new era of urban mobility.”
“As the largest mobility and delivery platform, we believe Uber can play an important role in helping to safely and reliably introduce autonomous technology to consumers and cities around the world,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO. “We’re thrilled to partner with Cruise and look forward to launching next year.”
NIPPON Invests in Gatik AI
NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC., made an investment on Tuesday, August 20, in Gatik AI Inc. (hereinafter “Gatik”), a company developing self-driving technology for commercial vehicles and autonomous vehicle-based logistics services in North America, via the NX Global Innovation Fund.
STRADVISION Labelit
STRADVISION, a leader in computer vision technology, is proud to announce the launch of ‘Labelit,’ a cutting-edge labeling tool, aimed at accelerating the company’s digital transformation.
‘Labelit’ is a state-of-the-art web-based data labeling tool designed by STRADVISION to efficiently process the annotation needed for advanced recognition technologies in driving and parking applications. The tool handles intricate requirements like 2D and 3D recognition and multi-channel data processing. Previously managed manually, these tasks are now streamlined through cloud-based processing with ‘Labelit.’
One of the standout features of ‘Labelit’ is its ability to track and analyze user work records, allowing for precise measurement of task completion times. This data-driven approach enables continuous improvements in tool functionality. Additionally, the system can automatically calculate partner costs based on user activity, maximizing efficiency for all parties involved.
‘Labelit’ also allows operators to provide additional information across multiple channels simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate data processing for each channel. This enhancement significantly boosts efficiency, ensures consistency, and improves overall data quality.
Moreover, ‘Labelit’ integrates LiDAR and image data to support 3D functions, which is crucial for advancing the next generation of SVNet technology—the 3D Perception Network.
“The launch of our proprietary labeling tool, ‘Labelit,’ is a significant milestone in STRADVISION’s digital transformation journey. As a cloud-based global service, ‘Labelit’ is now available to our partners, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Jack Sim, CTO of STRADVISION. “Moving forward, we are committed to advancing SVNet to deliver stable and cutting-edge services to our customers.”
Meanwhile, STRADVISION is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) on the KOSDAQ market later this year. The company has been accelerating its digital transition since April and has passed the KOSDAQ technology evaluation with ‘A, A’ grades, particularly excelling in technology and marketability. For more information on STRADVISION and our cutting-edge technologies, please visit STRADVISION.
IHHS RAVE Checklist
Researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have joined colleagues from academia and the automated vehicle and insurance industries in issuing a set of best practices for future evaluations of highly automated vehicles.
The recommendations, known as the Retrospective Automated Vehicle Evaluation (RAVE) checklist, emerged from a two-day working group meeting in January and are described in a new paper. Eric Teoh, IIHS director of statistical services, and David Kidd, IIHS senior research scientist, are two of the co-authors.
Fleets of highly automated vehicles without human drivers are currently in use in various locations, and researchers are eager to examine their safety in the real world. The RAVE checklist aims to help promote good scientific practices in this new field and to help readers evaluate the quality of studies.
Lotus Robotics for Farizon Auto
Lotus Technology Inc. (“Lotus Tech” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LOT), a leading global intelligent luxury mobility provider, today announced that its intelligent driving arm, Lotus Robotics, has provided end-to-end intelligent driving solutions to Farizon Auto, a global leading automaker in new energy commercial vehicle sector. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone as the Company further expand its business outreach through technologies.
Farizon is dedicated to developing and producing clean, new energy commercial vehicles including heavy duty trucks, light duty vans, and commercial buses for interstate logistic and intracity dispatch, globally. Lotus Robotics provides a comprehensive suite of advanced intelligent driving solutions, including ADAS, highway NOA, urban NOA and intelligent driving toolchains. Dedicated to ensure driving safety, Lotus Robotics customized the solutions with both hardware and software that provide proactive adaptive cruise control to optimize speed and enhance gear control.
Lotus Robotics, a subsidiary of Lotus Tech, is committed to develop advanced intelligent driving technologies to foster global industry growth. Lotus Robotics has established itself as a global premier provider of comprehensive intelligent driving solutions, including advanced intelligent driving platform software, cloud toolchains, integrated hardware and software development, and intelligent driving operation solutions.
Research and development of intelligent driving commenced in 2018 as part of the Company’s Vision80 strategy championed by Qingfeng Feng, the Company’s CEO. Lotus Tech has been dedicated to delivering luxury intelligent vehicles and cutting-edge technologies across global markets. Lotus lifestyle (SUV and SEDAN) models are optional with best-in-class hardware that supports end-to-end intelligent driving solutions, which will be delivered through our sales network of over 200 stores in prime locations around the world.
“The collaboration highlights the recognition of our technological achievements and marks a significant step forward to expand into broader market opportunities,” said Alexious Lee, CFO of Lotus Tech. “Our global footprint further enhances our ability to serve international markets, including but not limited to automakers, transportation conglomerate, and fleet delivery companies. We are delighted to collaborate with our peers, helping global mobility sector improve efficiency while reducing operational risks and costs, through technologies.”
As announced in September 2023, Lotus Robotics was designated to license several leading automakers to provide them with its intelligent driving technology and software. The Company expects that intelligent driving business will further diversify its business portfolio with a range of high-margin revenue streams, accelerating its rapid growth.
Guident Corp & XRF
Guident Corp. (“Guident”) and XRF (“XRF”) have entered into a strategic partnership to integrate XRF’s cutting-edge solution with Guident’s Remote Monitor and Control Center (RMCC) platform. This partnership combines XRF’s advanced extended reality (XR) software with Guident’s RMCC software stack, transforming real-time monitoring into a fully immersive “virtual command center.” This innovative setup enables the visualization of autonomous robots and Autonomous Vehicles (AV) fleet location, health metrics, and other key performance indicators (KPIs) from anywhere.
The virtual command center leverages XR technologies, including Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR). A 3D digital twin model is created for the fixed routes, their environments, and each autonomous vehicle in the fleet, accurately reflecting the operational design domain.
By merging these technologies, the solution provides comprehensive situational awareness, enabling remote, immediate, and effective responses to various scenarios. These immersive tools are ideal for monitoring AV fleets, simulation, testing, and staff training.
In training mode, the platform transforms into an interactive learning environment, offering simulations to practice and refine various scenarios, including emergency response skills. With customizable modules, this solution ensures effective and targeted training.
Virtual agent monitoring autonomous vehicle fleets
The companies plan to launch the integrated XRF immersive extended reality solution with Guident’s RMCC software to customers in North America in the second half of 2024.
“Our partnership with Guident allows us to introduce an innovative solution for real-time managing of autonomous robots and AV fleets. By integrating XRF software with Guident’s RMCC, fleet operators can monitor and respond to situations more effectively. The interactive training mode offers an exciting way to develop skills and prepare for multiple scenarios. We’re eager to bring this combined solution to market,” said XRF’s CEO Gustavo Medina.
“The partnership between Guident and XRF represents a significant step forward in developing safe, smart, and sustainable transportation solutions for communities. We are excited to launch the XRF solution coupled with Guident’s RMCC software, which extends the monitoring of autonomous robots and vehicles worldwide through extended reality technologies,” said Fabio Tylim, VP of Business Development at Guident Corp.
Olis Robotics Remote Diagnostics
Olis Robotics will launch the world’s most comprehensive remote diagnostics solution for industrial automation cells at IMTS 2024 in Chicago, September 9-14, following the addition of powerful new PLC capabilities to its Olis solution.
Olis provides video and telemetry-based diagnostics for industrial cells, enabling technicians to diagnose the root cause of downtime events, such as a robot failure. Immediate access to diagnostic data enables the robotic cell to be debugged quickly and remotely, slashing manufacturer downtime while empowering integrators to take on more business.
Entire robotic cell now monitored, diagnosed and debugged
Olis’ new capabilities now extend the power of Olis to entire industrial cells from the PLC to the fingertips of the robotic gripper, including conveyors and other hardware. Using Olis software, users can monitor and set alerts for pre-defined runtime parameters through the PLC, including I/Os, registers, and custom tags. Common uses for PLC tags include measuring Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), monitoring cycle times, and fault detection.
“The PLC often contains important diagnostic data required to understand the causes of unplanned downtime,” says Fredrik Ryden, CEO, Olis Robotics. “Olis’ new PLC capabilities enable real-time access to that data, effectively closing the loop on video-based diagnostics for industrial automation systems.”
Remote access from Chicago to Seattle
IMTS attendees will be able to experience this first-hand by remotely accessing a machine tending cell in Seattle via the Olis application running on a tablet PC in partner Universal Robots’ IMTS booth #N 236131. Olis’ new PLC features are specific to Rockwell Automation’s Allen Bradley PLCs, while robotic arms compatible with Olis include Universal Robots, Kawasaki, and FANUC. In the near future, additional brands of PLCs and robotic arms will be Olis compatible.
‘Unstoppable’ integrators
The PLC orchestrates all of the robots and manages all of the logic for the whole cell. “Sometimes, when a failure occurs, the robots may not even know that there’s a problem,” says Bill Ordakowski, Sales Engineer, Olis Robotics, adding how early testers of the new PLC functionality felt greatly empowered by its addition to the Olis solution: “Integrators have told me that they will be ‘unstoppable’ with this new technology. It’s not just the radically reduced downtime that they appreciate, but the extra breadth and control PLC access brings to remote monitoring and diagnostics.”
Solving a notoriously difficult problem
Steve Solack, Controls Engineering Manager at Michigan-based integrator Mission Design & Automation, confirms: “Diagnosing the cause of failure in modern automation cells is notoriously difficult and requires considerable expertise. This is due to the complexity and variety of components involved. With the most crucial diagnostic information often being found in PLC tags and robot data, being able to quickly access such data via Olis’ easy to use interface reduces the time and skill set required to understand the problem, making us more efficient and reducing downtime costs for our customers.”
Key component of future growth
Kilen Multop, IT Director at Idaho-based integrator Kaitech Automation, sees Olis as a key component of the firm’s future growth: ““Kaitech expects to deploy a large number of robot cells to a variety of customers, including a major warehouse club retailer, in the coming years. To support this rapid growth, we need to ensure that robots are deployed quickly and without problems. We will also need to track cell performance for many years to come. Olis enables Kaitech to scale with added confidence by helping with these key elements of automation deployment and management.”
For integrators, the new PLC capabilities enhance their ability to debug a system before shipping, and their ability to successfully monitor the system after deployment and remotely monitor and debug entire industrial cells.
New functionalities improve production throughput
For end users, this means reduced downtime costs –not just in cases of robot failure, but across the entire cell. The new functionality can even be used to maintain and improve standards in production throughput. For example, in an application involving a robot inserting bolts into a part, users could create an alert that indicates when the feeder is running low on bolts. The PLC can then send Olis an alert informing the operator that it’s time to refill the feeder.
“We look forward to showing both manufacturers and integrators at IMTS what a difference Olis can make in reducing overall downtime,” says Fredrik Ryden, CEO, Olis Robotics.///
JLR Clears Up ADAS for Drivers
UK car manufacturer JLR is driving ahead with an initiative to increase driver awareness of critical advanced driving assistance (ADAS) systems, after its survey found many drivers are not clear about the technologies.
Latest vehicles are highly technologically advanced and now incorporate more ADAS features than ever before as standard, to support the driver, yet a JLR survey found 41 per cent of respondents are not clear what their ADAS systems do.
The survey also found large numbers of drivers do not realise safety critical ADAS systems, such as autonomous emergency braking or reversing collision detection systems can switch off when their cars’ sensors are obscured by dirt or other debris.
JLR has been working with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to increase awareness and the DVSA has updated its driver guidebooks** and other literature with information about ADAS systems and is issuing public guidance to increase awareness of the issue.
Road safety in Europe has improved significantly in the last decade thanks in part to technological advances such as mandatory fitting of ADAS systems to new cars. However, it is vital that drivers learn about the systems fitted to their cars and how to operate and maintain them so that they work most effectively.
In addition to warnings in JLR vehicle handbooks, we are launching a drive to increase awareness about ADAS systems, and we are pleased the UK Government is taking steps to educate drivers in the UK about ADAS systems.
JLR Executive Director of Product Engineering, Thomas Mueller
Other survey findings include:
- 36% of UK drivers have experienced their ADAS sensors not working because they are dirty
- 20% do not plan to clean their car more often, even though it will ensure the ADAS sensors work effectively
- 22% of drivers do not clean their cars at least once a month
JLR’s next generation electric vehicles will be built on the NVIDIA DRIVE™ software‑defined platform—delivering a wide spectrum of active safety, automated driving and parking systems as well as driver assistance systems. Inside the vehicle, the system will deliver AI features, including driver and occupant monitoring as well as advanced visualisation of the vehicle’s environment.