News
AAA warns on carmaker marketing
New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that motorists using active driving assistance systems tend to overlook their safety limitations when the branding and marketing used to sell them suggest an "automated" driving experience. AAA warned that a false sense of system capabilities created by marketing campaigns can lead to dangerous scenarios on the road, with its executive director, Dr. David Yang, saying that the systems "don't eliminate the need for drivers to pay attention".
aaa.com
Baidu launches manned robotaxis in Beijing
Baidu this week launched its Apollo Go Robotaxi service in Beijing, becoming the first company to allow people to use robotaxis in China's capital. Passengers will be able to use the manned vehicles across a network of around 700 km, with nearly 100 pick-up and drop-off stations in both residential and business areas of the city.
medium.com
Automated vehicles
Aeva partners with ZF on self-driving sensors
A Silicon Valley start-up working on a crucial sensor for self-driving vehicles is partnering with German automotive industry supplier ZF to put the sensors into production, reports Reuters. The partnership will see ZF produce an 'automotive grade' version of Aeva's LiDAR sensors, which use frequency modulated continuous wave technology to differentiate between stationary objects like trees and moving objects like bikes.
reuters.com
StradVision selects BlackBerry for perception software tool
AI-based camera perception technology developer StradVision has selected BlackBerry's QNX software development platform for use in its SVNet perception software tool. The company expects SVNet to be used by South Korean carmakers in the development of advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles.
blackberry.com
Connected vehicles
5GAA releases paper on V2X vision
The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) has released a white paper outlining its vision for how carmakers, mobile network operators and their suppliers see the world of automotive connectivity evolving over the coming decade. The body expects to see the mass deployment of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) use cases in the next two to three years, focused on improving traffic efficiency and road safety around the world.
5gaa.org
Learning
Digital twin of Tokyo expressway created for AV development
Simulation software specialist rFpro has developed a 'digital twin' of Tokyo's famous Shuto Expressway for vehicle engineering developers seeking to accelerate autonomous vehicle development. The virtual replica of the road will accelerate the training of artificial intelligence, enabling engineers to generate thousands of test scenarios that would be too dangerous or costly to perform in the real world.
rfpro.com
Deliveries
King Long and JD partner on autonomous delivery vehicles
JD Logistics and Chinese bus manufacturer King Long have announced a partnership to research and manufacture low-speed autonomous delivery vehicles. JD Logistics, which deployed autonomous delivery robots in Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year, will contribute the autonomous driving system and operations platform, while King Long will focus on commercial deployment.
jdcorporateblog.com
Amazon expands UK autonomous delivery tech team
Amazon has announced new investment in the research and development of autonomous delivery technology in the UK, with plans to create a team of dozens of engineers at its development centre in Cambridge. The team will focus on the company's fully-electric autonomous delivery service, Amazon Scout, which uses devices the size of a small cooler that roll along pavements at a walking pace.
aboutamazon.co.uk
And finally...
Self-driving restaurant-on-wheels
The humble food truck is the latest vehicle to be given a self-driving makeover, with the newly revealed concept truck 'Streat', reports Yanko Design. The autonomously driven restaurant has been designed for today's uncertain times, says the article, with operators not having to worry about rent, location or occupancy in the age of social distancing, while the vehicle's self-driving capabilities mean it can travel directly to deliver food to customers.
yankodesign.com