UPS has announced that its venture capital arm, UPS Ventures, has made a minority investment in self-driving truck company TuSimple.
Building off of an ongoing commercial relationship between the two companies in which UPS has purchased transportation services from TuSimple, UPS and TuSimple are testing self-driving tractor trailers on a route in Arizona to determine if the vehicles are capable of improving service and efficiency in the UPS network.
“UPS is committed to developing and deploying technologies that enable us to operate our global logistics network more efficiently,” says Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Scott Price.
Mobility
Mobility
Local Motors' Olli autonomous shuttle now operating in Rancho Cordova, California
Local Motors has announced that its Olli autonomous shuttle recently began operating in the city of Rancho Cordova, California at the White Rock Corporate Campus, which is a large business park that is home to 1,600 employees.
Over the next three months, Olli will be available to campus employees and the general public under a pilot project being funded primarily by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG). The city of Rancho Cordova is providing additional funding assistance.
Loadsmart, Starsky Robotics automatically dispatch autonomous truck to haul freight
Digital freight broker Loadsmart and autonomous truck startup Starsky Robotics have announced that they were able to automatically dispatch an autonomous truck to haul freight.
Loadsmart successfully priced, tendered and booked the dispatchment, while Starsky's self-driving technology was used to pick up and deliver the shipment.
There was no need for human intervention during this process, thanks to the integration of Loadsmart's artificial intelligence (AI)-powered pricing and load matching technology with Starsky's API.
Kodiak Robotics making first commercial deliveries using self-driving trucks
Just 16 months after forming, self-driving truck startup Kodiak Robotics Inc. has announced that it has started making its first commercial deliveries with a safety driver behind the wheel.
Amazon Scout delivery robots to begin making deliveries in Southern California
Amazon has announced that its Scout delivery robots began delivering packages to customers in Southern California on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
To start, a small number of Scout robots will make deliveries Monday through Friday during daylight hours.
Amazon says that customers in the Irvine, California area can order things the way they normally do, and their Amazon packages will be delivered either by one of Amazon's carrier partners or by an Amazon Scout. The same delivery options are available via Scout including fast, FREE Same-Day, One-Day and Two-Day shipping for Prime members.
Initially, the robots will be accompanied by an Amazon Scout Ambassador, as they autonomously follow their delivery route.
Optimus Ride launching New York state's first self-driving vehicle program
New York state’s first self-driving vehicle program will officially launch on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The program will feature autonomous vehicles from Optimus Ride, as six of the company's autonomous vehicles will be used to transport passengers between the NYC Ferry stop at Dock 72 and the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Cumberland Gate at Flushing Avenue.
According to Optimus Ride, its vehicles will transport an expected 500 passengers per day and more than 16,000 passengers per month.
EasyMile driverless shuttle being tested at Texas Airport
An EasyMile EZ10 driverless shuttle is being tested at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) in Austin, Texas, as part of a new pilot program.
The shuttle is available to transport passengers traveling between the Barbara Jordan Terminal and the Rental Car Facility/Ground Transportation.
The shuttle will take passengers from the terminal to the front of the Rental Car Facility/Ground Transportation, which is also where the airport's ground transportation pick-up area for taxis and ride-app services is located.
AUS notes that other route options could be explored in further testing.
EasyMile's NUSmart Shuttle begins passenger service at National University of Singapore
This week, EasyMile’s fully autonomous NUSmart Shuttle began passenger service at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Kent Ridge campus.
Part of a year-long study, the trial, which is free to all commuters, is designed to determine the commercial viability of providing safe autonomous shuttle bus services. The shuttle will operate along a predefined route.
“As a pioneer in autonomous vehicle technologies, EasyMile is proud to support its partners in testing the integration of our autonomous shuttle for public transportation,” says Alexandre Pequignot, EasyMile Business Development & Partnership manager for Asia Pacific.
Ford acquires Quantum Signal to boost its autonomous vehicle efforts
Ford has announced its acquisition of a Saline, Michigan-based company called Quantum Signal that works on mobile robotics for a number of different clients, including the military.
With a mindset towards further advancing its goal of launching a self-driving vehicle business, Ford says that it plans on leveraging Quantum Signal’s “extensive experience” in real-time simulation and algorithm development to develop its Transportation as a Service (TaaS) platform, as well as vehicle controls that support the customer experience, functional safety and other vehicle systems.
Driverless shuttle unveiled in Newcastle, Australia
The city of Newcastle, Australia has unveiled its new driverless shuttle.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes revealed the vehicle for the first time at Keolis Downer’s Hamilton depot. Exhaustive safety testing will soon begin at this location, and once testing is complete, passengers will be able to experience the vehicle along the harbour foreshore.
“This is a major milestone for the city’s smart city journey, and I look forward to working with Transport for NSW and partners Keolis Downer on this unique opportunity to make the future of automated transport in Newcastle a reality as we transform the city into a living lab,” Councillor Nelmes says.
