Waymo is announcing a big step today, as it has committed to producing autonomous vehicles in Michigan. Waymo's choice of state probably won't come as a surprise to most folks given Michigan's deep ties to the US auto industry. The company was granted approval to begin manufacturing by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and will now begin looking for a place to set up shop.
US-based supermarket chain Stop & Shop is the latest to unveil autonomous grocery deliveries, but with a twist. Unlike other grocery delivery options unveiled by competitors, Stop & Shop will load self-driving vehicles with a variety of items that consumers can directly purchase, essentially transforming these cars into miniature convenience stores. The vehicles will first deploy in the Greater Boston area this spring.
Volkswagen and Ford have inked a deal to collaborate on future vehicles, kicking off with midsize trucks but potentially expanding to EVs and autonomous cars. The alliance was announced today, with the first fruits of the two automakers' handiwork expected to arrive in 2022.
Forget drones. Your future parcels might be delivered by autonomous and electric quadrupedal “robodogs” instead. German automotive company Continental unveiled at CES 2019 its vision for “seamless mobility” which included not only a self-driving van but also a prototype of a similarly autonomous vehicle that will take care of the “last mile” of the delivery right to the doorstep. And those who have been keeping tabs on Boston Dynamics robots may have flashbacks to the robotics company’s Spot robots.
A new Ford Volkswagen deal potentially announced as soon as next week could see Ford get a jump on VW's EV platform wheel the two firms collaborate on driverless tech, according to industry insiders. An official announcement of the alliance, which would build upon an existing collaboration between the two automakers, may be announced at the Detroit Auto Show 2019.
Walmart and Udelv have teamed on a pilot program for delivering groceries in Arizona using autonomous vehicles. The test will involve Udelv cargo vans that were custom designed specifically for fresh grocery delivery, according to Walmart. The test comes at a time when reports claim Amazon is working on a major local grocery delivery service expansion in the US.
The Mercedes-Benz Vision URBANETIC concept looks like a TRON party bus or a prop from a Netflix sci-fi series, but in reality the show-friendly styling hides a surprisingly sensible idea. Making its US debut at CES 2019 this week, the Vision URBANETIC asks the question of whether an autonomous vehicle needs to always be the same thing, all of the time.
Vehicles are getting smarter, either from the smartphones we connect to them or in the way they can drive themselves. Many of these technologies have been designed for the common use case of people with full physical mobility. More than two years ago, WHILLS tried to corner a niche market of personal electric vehicles that cater to everyone, even those with accessibility concerns. And like most electric vehicle today, it’s getting some self-driving features too.
Though bread vending machines are a thing in some places, they still require some degree of human involvement. The Breadbot, a machine set to debut at CES 2019, is different: it is an autonomous gadget that functions as an all-in-one bakery. At first glance, Breadbot resembles an old train engine, but a second look reveals its container of bread loaves and baking contraption.
DoorDash has teamed up with General Motors' Cruise Automation to test autonomous food deliveries in San Francisco. The test will begin in March, according to DoorDash, which plans to use these autonomous deliveries to gather data on the new method. The company has outlined three big questions it will be seeking answers for during this test, including whether an autonomous system can even meet the same standards as the existing one.
Nikon is getting into the LIDAR business, with the camera and lens company teaming up with Velodyne on sensors and scanners for autonomous cars, robotics, drones, and more. The deal comes as Nikon invests $25m into Velodyne, though the cash is only part of the involvement the two companies will have moving forward.
Uber has been granted permission to resume self-driving car tests in Pennsylvania, according to a new report. The permission follows a fatal accident involving an Uber autonomous car that took place nine months ago. Just days before the approval was publicized, a different report detailed an alleged Uber email that had expressed concerns with the company's autonomous vehicle unit.