In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Zoox, Torc, Daimler, Waymo, TIER IV, TRATON, Scania, MAN, International, dSPACE and AWS.
Zoox Ready for Frisco & Vegas Deployment
Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle (AV) company Zoox is gearing up to launch dozens of its purpose-built driverless vehicles in San Francisco and Las Vegas in the coming weeks. Co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson announced it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024.
The rollout will begin in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood and on the iconic Las Vegas Strip, initially providing rides for Zoox employees.
“We have achieved the internal safety readiness required to launch the service,” Levinson said.
He claimed taking a “measured approach” to the rollout, Zoox has been working closely with safety regulators to ensure the new robotaxi service meets all local and federal standards. However the vehicles have no conventional steering wheels or control pedals to meet Federal safety guidelines.
Levinson revealed that, within weeks, Zoox will have several dozen robotaxis operating across geofenced areas in Foster City, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, with plans to expand these areas “several fold” over the next year. By 2026, Zoox aims to scale up production and deploy the vehicles on a larger scale.
Zoox is also launching an “explorer” program for early riders, who will have the chance to ride in the robotaxis for free before the service opens to paying customers. These early riders will begin using the vehicles in 2025, similar to Waymo’s invite-only early rider program.
Operating during the busiest 16 hours of each day, Zoox’s vehicles will initially cover a range of destinations, with plans to expand from SoMa into other Bay Area cities, including Foster City. In Las Vegas, Zoox has partnered with resort-hotels on the Strip to provide pick-up and drop-off service at select locations. However, Levinson declined to specify which hotels would be included in this first wave.
Torc & Daimler Tests Autonomous Trucks
Torc Robotics, a Daimler Truck AG subsidiary, has achieved a key milestone by successfully testing autonomous trucks without drivers on a multi-lane closed course at speeds up to 65 mph, enhancing fuel efficiency and safety. This driverless testing is part of Torc’s goal to launch scalable, autonomous trucking solutions by 2027, prioritizing rigorous safety and software practices. Torc’s embedded AI technology, safety engineering, and system architecture are shaping a robust product aimed at transforming the freight industry. CEO Peter Vaughan Schmidt and CTO CJ King emphasize Torc’s commitment to building a reliable, profitable autonomous trucking solution that prioritizes safety and operational efficiency.
Way More Waymo
Waymo One is now providing over 150,000 paid trips and driving over 1 million fully autonomous miles every week, the company Tweeted.
TIER IV: Japan’s First Level 4 Autonomous Bus Hits the Road in Shiojiri
TIER IV, the company behind the world’s first open-source software for autonomous vehicles, has reached a historic milestone with Japan’s first-ever Level 4* certification for its autonomous bus system, AI Pilot*2. Approved to operate up to 35 km/h on public roads alongside pedestrians and regular traffic, this autonomous bus will serve Shiojiri, a city in Nagano Prefecture, shuttling passengers between Shiojiri Station and Shiojiri City Hall.
AI Pilot, powered by TIER IV’s open-source Autoware*3 software, combines sensors, advanced computing, and an in-vehicle infotainment system. TIER IV designed it to work across a range of vehicle models, aiming to support Japan’s push for nationwide autonomous transport solutions. This new Shiojiri certification builds on Level 4 approval achieved at GLP ALFALINK Sagamihara last year, marking another leap forward for autonomous driving in Japan.
“Japan’s aging population has made it harder to sustain regional public transport,” said TIER IV founder and CEO Shinpei Kato. “With autonomous driving, we’re addressing these challenges. This Level 4 certification is a significant step, and we’ll continue research, development, and testing to make these solutions widely available.”
Shiojiri City has partnered with TIER IV since 2020, conducting proof-of-concept (PoC) tests and launching the TIER IV Minibus for Level 4 autonomous services last year. Now, with certification in hand, Shiojiri is on the cusp of making autonomous public transit a reality. Mayor Takashi Momose said, “Our city is working to create safer, more convenient next-generation transit options. This Level 4 certification is a vital move forward, and we hope it inspires a nationwide rollout to enhance public transit and reduce traffic accidents.”
Residents are excited about the launch of these autonomous buses, sharing comments like, “It’s thrilling to see this technology in our city,” and “I look forward to using these buses regularly.” As Japan’s population continues to age, TIER IV’s autonomous technology offers a vision of safer, smarter, and more accessible transit.
TRATON, Scania, MAN & International Complete 1st AV Tests
Plus and TRATON GROUP brands—Scania, MAN, and International—have completed the first phase of their collaboration to develop driverless trucks.
They launched Beta 5.0 of Plus’s Level 4 autonomous driving software, SuperDrive™. It is now operational in autonomous trucks in Europe and the U.S. Following extensive public road testing and mapping of hub-to-hub routes.
The partnership is preparing for phased commercial deployment starting in Texas. The teams in Sweden, Germany, and the U.S. implemented a rigorous testing process and aligned development across continents, ensuring consistent functionality across different vehicle platforms.
They claim success due to:
- Defined Testing Process
- Feature Metrics and Autonomy Readiness
- Global Product Alignment
- Feature Consistency Across Platforms
Future fleet pilots will provide insight into integrating autonomous trucks into U.S. operations, emphasizing safety and efficiency benefits.
dSPACE & AWS AV Conference 11/6
dSPACE and AWS are hosting a one-day user conference focused on the latest advancements in simulation and validation for automated vehicles.
The event will feature a keynote on successful software-defined vehicle deployment, expert discussions on industry challenges, and technology deep dives into ADAS, e-mobility, and cybersecurity.
The keynote, Strengthening the Foundation: Key Areas of Focus for Successful SDV Outcomes, presented by Jason France, Global Consulting Manager, SBD Automotive, will aim to address what’s conceptually needed to recognize successful SDV deployment at the consumer level (and by extension, OEM).
This event will cover topics including the dSPACE View on the Challenges Facing Our Customers, Dr. Peter Waeltermann, CEO, dSPACE Inc.; Data Challenges of a Global AV Company, Cameron Gieda, Director of Business Development, PonyAI USA; Lucid’s Scale of Testing and Infrastructure Using dSPACE Toolchain, Nirav Mehta, Sr. Manager SW Test, Lucid Motors; How GenAi Accelerates and Increases Quality for SDV Development, Jeremy Dahan, Automotive Compute Sr Tech GTM Specialist, AWS; plus technology deep dives in ADAS and Emobility topics including cybersecurity.
Besides the impressive lineup of thought leaders, dSPACE will have multiple in-person demos on site at the Lab such as a virtual environment for simulation and integration purposes using arm-based AWS graviton processors, data logging and prototyping with Seagate data storage services for autonomous driving applications, a flexible system for the precise and deterministic data replay of an unlimited number of raw sensor and bus data streams of any kind, a cloud-based, highly scalable solution for the simulation and validation of functions for autonomous driving including sensor-realistic simulation for ADAS/AD in real time, battery cell emulation and real-time-capable battery models that fit any use case, real-time simulation of power electronics circuits developed with Simscape Electrical™ (Specialized Power Systems), ready-to-use fuzzing cybersecurity test cases for commonly used automotive bus and network protocols and motor simulation with GDM — allows for higher fidelity models and complex motor topologies.
dSPACE User Conference West USA 2024 will be held on November 6, 2024 at AWS Automotive Prototyping and Innovation Lab, 2795 Augustine Dr.Santa Clara, CA 95054
GelSight Touch Data Sensor
GelSight and Meta AI have unveiled Digit 360, a new fingertip-shaped tactile sensor that captures touch data with human-like precision, advancing the field of tactile sensing. Equipped with over 18 sensing features, Digit 360 allows for deep analysis of touch by capturing fine surface details and detecting forces as small as 1 millinewton. Leveraging GelSight’s imaging-based technology, Digit 360 offers unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy, which will support developments in robotics, medicine, VR, and more.
The sensor also enhances robot dexterity, enabling applications in complex object handling. In virtual environments, Digit 360 helps create realistic interactions by modeling objects beyond their visual appearance. Meta AI will open-source all designs and code for Digit 360, with GelSight targeting wide availability next year for the research community.