In response to growing commercial demand from 12 contracted customers, TuSimple has announced that it currently has 11 trucks operating fully autonomously in the U.S., with plans for that number to reach 40 by June.
TuSimple has also announced that right now, it makes three to five fully-autonomous trips per day for customers on three different routes in Arizona, with another route from Arizona to Texas expected to launch early next year.
According to TuSimple, it is the only self-driving truck company running daily fully-autonomous commercial routes from depot-to-depot, which requires highway driving, as well as local street driving.
Technology
Technology
Apollo Robotics announces early access to its Apollo Development Partner Program
Apollo Robotics has announced the immediate availability of early access to its Apollo Development Partner Program, which is designed to deliver a fully automated, autonomous surveying UAS for professionals.
Apollo Robotics says that it can quickly digitize and reconstruct any worksite into a “highly accurate and instantly actionable” 3D model from a single scan by combining multi-sensoring LiDAR, HD and thermal cameras with artificial intelligence.
Tech startup Spare believes its on-demand technology can be applied to driverless transportation systems
According to the Vancouver Sun, a Vancouver-based tech startup called Spare is part of a Norwegian/Canadian consortium that was selected as one of five competitors in an experiment to test fleets of automated buses in six different European cities.
Initially launched as a platform for arranging carpools, Spare has experience applying its technology to on-demand service-scheduling for transit systems in Oslo and Stavanger, Norway, which led to it being invited to join SAGA, the Norwegian-based team, according to Spare CEO Kristoffer Vik Hansen.
Segway-Ninebot unveils first autonomous vehicle for short distance delivery
Segway-Ninebot has unveiled Loomo Delivery, which is the company’s first autonomous vehicle that is designed for the short distance delivery industry for take-outs, parcels, and goods.
Capable of safely navigating obstacles and crowded environments, Loomo Delivery is described by Segway-Ninebot as “fast, convenient and a fully automated transporter.”
DoorDash and Cruise Automation to use autonomous vehicles to deliver your food in San Francisco
On-demand courier service DoorDash has partnered with General Motors’ Cruise Automation to test what the companies are calling the first food deliveries using autonomous vehicles in San Francisco.
Testing will begin in March.
During testing, DoorDash and Cruise will seek to answer the following three primary questions:
What key technical and infrastructure challenges exist with autonomous delivery?
How can autonomous delivery positively impact merchants, dashers, and customers?
And are autonomous vehicles capable of achieving the same quality standards DoorDash customers have come to know and love?
Mid Michigan College to offer UAS classes for professionals and hobbyists
According to the Midland Daily News, Mid Michigan College will soon begin offering professional UAS users, as well as hobbyists, the opportunity to learn more about UAS and their impact on businesses.
Mid Michigan College has a Drone Training program, which is designed to address a number of areas, including teaching UAS-piloting skills, identifying potential uses and industry applications for the technology, and ultimately preparing students to pass the remote pilot knowledge test needed to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA to legally operate the systems under the FAA's small UAS Rule.
Mid Michigan College adjunct faculty member Robert Giuliani will teach the courses.
Fairfax County to host public information meetings on new Public Safety UAS program
Virginia’s Fairfax County has announced that it is developing a comprehensive Public Safety UAS program, which is designed to support a number of government mission types including, but not limited to, search and rescue operations, flooding assessments, and wildlife estimation.
Fairfax County is interested in getting feedback from its residents about the program, so during the month of January, it will host six public information meetings throughout Fairfax County.
During each meeting, there will be a static display of UAS, followed by a presentation that outlines the program.
University of North Dakota and partners test UAS network
On Friday, Dec. 21, the University of North Dakota (UND), along with research partners from Harris Corporation and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), completed what they are calling the first-ever test flights over a “specially developed UAS network of technologies” that opens the skies for broad commercial use of UAS.
Known as the Harris UAS Network, the North Dakota-based network combines detect-and-avoid capabilities developed at UND with UAS technology and services from Harris. The network is described as a “system of integrated ground infrastructure” that enables commercial UAS to fly much farther and safer beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) in national airspace.
PAE ISR selects Persistent Systems' MPU5 Wave Relay MANET tech for its Resolute Eagle UAS
PAE ISR recently chose Persistent Systems’ MPU5 Wave Relay mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) technology for its Resolute Eagle UAS.
Capable of running live voice-over-internet-protocols, video, and other high demand applications, the system augments the capacity of a wireless network using existing infrastructure.
Additionally, users can incorporate a variety of meshed devices into the network—thanks to the radio's algorithm—in which the devices themselves form the communication infrastructure.
“We're excited about the capability of the MPU5 radio,” says Joe Sartiano, PAE ISR chief operating officer.
