Two Chinese delivery and logistics companies, China Post and Deppon Express, have announced that in April, they will begin making commercial deliveries using self-driving trucks, with the first trucks being put into daily commercial use in China.
The trucks will be equipped with autonomous driving technologies developed by FABU Technology, which is an artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on intelligent driving systems.
Business Solutions
Business Solutions
Pittsburgh Mayor announces 'Pittsburgh Principles' for autonomous vehicles
On Monday, March 4, Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto issued an executive order that outlines city objectives and expectations for the safe testing of autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh.
Known as the “Pittsburgh Principles,” the order also assigns responsibilities for the development of transparent and constructive reporting guidelines for the growing technology sector.
“Autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to dramatically improve safety on our city streets and yield transformative benefits to equitable access and quality of life for all in our city. This can only happen when industry, agencies and people understand one another and work together,” says Mayor Peduto.
DroneUp and Vintun partner to provide UAS services for U.S. Government
On-demand drone pilot service provider DroneUp LLC has announced a partnership with Vintun LLC to provide UAS services for the United States Government.
A provider of a number of different services for various military and government organizations, Vintun has also developed Vintun Drone-as-a-Service (VDaaS). DroneUp will use its extensive global pilot network to serve as the UAS service provider to Vintun.
DroneUp says that its patent-pending platform, Mission Match, enables VDaaS’s participants to locate, qualify and deploy the right UAS pilot for the right mission. The entities will acquire, process, and deliver actionable aerial data for different agencies and organizations within the U.S. government at the highest levels.
Daimler and BMW partner to develop next-generation tech for autonomous driving
The Daimler AG and BMW Group will work together to develop next-generation technologies for automated driving, the companies announced on Thursday, Feb. 28.
The initial focus of the companies’ partnership will be advancing the development of next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, automated driving on highways and parking features (up to SAE Level 4).
With this in mind, Daimler and BMW have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop this technology, noting that they view their partnership as a “long-term, strategic cooperation,” with a goal of making next-level technologies widely available by the middle of the next decade.
XPO Preview: Illinois companies gravitate to unmanned, autonomous technologies
Companies in Illinois, home to the upcoming AUVSI Xponential conference and exhibition, have for years been researching, testing and ultimately benefiting from unmanned systems technologies throughout the state.
In 2015, the largest electric utility in Illinois, Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), became the first electric utility company to be granted permission by the Federal Aviation Administration to operationally use UAS.
Canadian government invests $40 million in BlackBerry QNX for next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles
In an effort to establish Canada as a global leader in cybersecurity and automotive software for connected and autonomous vehicles, the Government of Canada has announced that it will invest $40 million in BlackBerry QNX to develop safe and secure software systems for the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles.
BlackBerry QNX, which is a business unit of BlackBerry Limited, will create more than 800 new middle class jobs in Canada over the next ten years, with plans to maintain nearly 300 more.
The company will also provide new skills development and learning opportunities to help train Canadians for the jobs of tomorrow, and keep the country competitive in today’s global economy.
NASA's UTM project selects Lone Star UAS Center to test UAS traffic management
In an effort to ensure the safe and efficient operations of UAS, NASA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) project has selected the Lone Star UAS Center of Excellence & Innovation (LSUASC) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to test UAS traffic management.
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is one of just two test sites selected in the nation for this testing.
“This series of tests is a critical step in enabling the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems within an urban environment,” says Mike Sanders, acting executive director of the Lone Star UAS Center of Excellence & Innovation.
Persistent Systems and Hoverfly announce partnership; Hoverfly joins Wave Relay Ecosystem
Persistent Systems and tethered-UAS manufacturer Hoverfly Technologies Inc. have entered into a five-year agreement.
Hoverfly will join the recently launched Wave Relay Ecosystem, which is an alliance of unmanned systems and sensor companies working together to deliver a “true networked battlefield to warfighters.”
Hoverfly’s tether-powered small UAS, the LiveSky and the BigSky, will both be part of the Ecosystem, and the Wave Relay MANET will be offered as the standard communication link.
GA-EMS to develop and demonstrate prototype LiFT battery system for Snakehead LDUUV
Advanced Technology International (ATI) has awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) a contract to develop and demonstrate a prototype Lithium-ion Fault Tolerant (LiFT) battery system for the U.S. Navy’s prototype “Snakehead” Large-Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (LDUUV).
Built to increase endurance, range, and payload hosting capabilities in support of various future mission and operations requirements, the Snakehead LDUUV’s propulsion and support systems will be powered by the LiFT battery system.
