Autonomous Vehicle News & Analysis

News: Autonomous

2024-06-18

Iseki develops one of the largest unmanned tractors in Japan

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Iseki announced the development of an unmanned tractor that operates without a pilot under the supervision of a human operator. With 123 horsepower, one of the largest in Japan, the tractor will support labor-saving agricultural work amid the trend toward large-scale farming. Priced from 21.9 million yen, the tractor will be marketed to large-scale farmers, mainly in Hokkaido.

The company’s human-supervised robotic tractor, which previously had a maximum power of 98 hp, has increased its power to 123 hp, thereby expanding the range of work and reducing the time required. It also reduces the time needed to train farmers who are unfamiliar with operating the tractor, allowing them to work more efficiently.

Source: The Nikkei

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2024-05-25

Bosch China Establishes Commercial Vehicle Group

CHINA REPORT
Jack Hao
Jack Hao

Bosch Powertrain announced the establishment of a commercial vehicle group, aiming to strengthen cross-domain cooperation at the same time it introduced a new electronic pneumatic braking system and intelligent mobility solutions for commercial vehicles at the 2024 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.

Bosch also has developed an advanced super thermal management system to address the thermal management challenges in the commercial vehicle industry. Bosch says it is optimistic about the development prospects of hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles and is actively promoting the adaptive development and promotion of related technologies.

During the Beijing Auto Show, Wang Weiliang, the President of the Board of Bosch Intelligent Transportation Solutions China and the President of Bosch Powertrain Systems China, announced Bosch’s significant strategic initiatives for this year. Wang Weiliang said that China, as the world’s largest commercial vehicle market, is in a golden era of booming development for the commercial vehicle industry.

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2023-12-17

Hyundai Motor, Apple May Partner on Self-Driving EVs

FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company and Apple Inc. plan to set up a partnership in the field of self-driving electric cars, according to Korea IT News. And recently another media outlet reported that Hyundai Motor and Apple plan to launch a self-driving EV in 2027.

In response to this news, Hyundai Motor announced that it was in early-stage talks with Apple. On Dec. 10, Hyundai Motor declined to comment on the Korea IT News report, reiterating its statement from Dec. 8 that it had received inquiries from various companies interested in collaborating on the development of self-driving EVs. Apple was not available for comment at the time of our publication.

Source: REUTERS

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2023-03-17

Alternative Power Report, March 2023

Hydrogen power continues to be a hot topic as an alternative power source, as you’ll see when you read the March 2023 issue of the Alternative Power Report from Power Systems Research. Development of the charging infrastructure is a hot topic, too, as we see with the article on Subway tying its sandwich shops in with charging stations. PSR

PSR Alt Power Report_March_2023Download

2023-01-20

Hyundai Plans $14.7 Billion for Software Development

FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Hyundai Motor Company is getting serious about developing the software needed for automated driving, etc. It has decided to invest $14.7 billion by 2030 and has begun building a development structure and embarking on M&A.

Hyundai Motor Company has achieved record profits through a shift in strategy in conjunction with a generational change. The company plans to further improve profitability in the software field, where customers can add functions to their cars after purchase. But acquiring human resources will be an immediate challenge for Hyundai.

The “Over the Air (OTA)” function, which updates the latest software via the Internet, will be standard on all new models released in 2023 and after. The plan is to establish a system that allows users to be charged according to function updates. The company will first introduce content such as car navigation systems, audio, lighting, and remote-control functions, and then expand into peripheral areas such as auto insurance policies, to diversify and upgrade services in response to customer needs.

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2022-10-21

Hyundai Motor and KT Invest in Autonomous Driving

FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT

The Hyundai Motor Group and telecommunications giant KT have formed a capital and business alliance. The two companies will invest about 750 billion won in each other by exchanging their shares.

The two companies will jointly develop communication-related technologies to produce autonomous driving equipment. In addition to automobiles, Hyundai Motor is expanding its business in the fields of robotics and urban air transportation (UAM, or flying cabs), and has decided that partnering with KT will enable it to accelerate research and development in fields other than automobiles.

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Agri Week 2022 Report: Drones Become Popular

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Agri Week 2022 is a comprehensive exhibition on agriculture, livestock, and horticulture. It is held twice a year in Kyushu and Kanto. Agricultural materials, smart agriculture products, livestock materials, and products related to industrialization are exhibited. Agriculture Week consists of the following four exhibitions: AGRI TECH (Material & Technology), AGRI NEXT (Next Generation), AGRI PROCESS (Farmer‘s Processing), LIVESTOCK (Livestock Supply & Equipment)

Source: Official HP

PSR Analysis: The drone market is seeing an increase in the number of new entrants. Currently, the market size is estimated to be around 300 billion yen, but some say it will grow to nearly 800 billion yen in five years. This is because the revision of the Civil Aeronautics Law to be implemented this December will lift the ban on Level 4 unassisted visual flights in manned areas. Until now this has been limited to Level 3 unmanned areas. Currently, the use of drones is mainly for spraying chemicals, but it is also being considered for logistics, inspections, civil engineering, and construction.

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2022-05-23

MEGURI2040: The Fully Autonomous Ship Program

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

The Nippon Foundation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group company Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and Shin Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. have successfully completed a demonstration test of the world’s first fully autonomous ship navigation systems on a large ferry, conducted on the Iyonada Sea from Shinmoji, Kitakyushuu City, in January.

This demonstration was part of MEGURI2040, a fully autonomous ship navigation project launched by The Nippon Foundation in February 2020.

Japan’s declining birthrate, aging population, and shrinking population have resulted in labor shortages in many fields. Seafarers in coastal shipping, which requires hard work on board, are no exception. More than half of the seafarers in coastal shipping are over 50 years old, which poses a major challenge.

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