Robots

• [New] Volvo says its SPA2 architecture that the next-generation XC90 will use will be hardware-ready for autonomous vehicles from the start of production.
• [New] Volvo will use Nvidia's latest generation of chips to enable more autonomous driving functions in its future vehicles.
• [New] Cruise, the San Francisco-based robotaxi company backed by General Motors, plans to expand its operations to Dubai and will set up its first overseas unit in the Middle Eastern city by 2023 and have thousands of its electric autonomous vans operating there by the end of the decade.
• [New] Vehicles equipped with the new Nvidia Orin systems will be hardware-ready for autonomous driving features such as a Highway Pilot feature that will be activated via a software download when it is verified to be safe for individual geographic locations and conditions.
• [New] Volvo Cars will use a new generation of high-powered chips from Nvidia to enable more autonomous driving functions in future vehicles, starting in 2022.
• [New] Startup automaker Faraday Future will deploy the Orin platform in its flagship FF 91 EV (electric vehicle), with plans to achieve advanced highway autonomous driving capabilities and advanced parking and summon features when it goes on sale in 2022.
• [New] The expected launch of the Air 2 S comes just over a month after the China-based company unveiled its first-ever racing machine, the DJI FPV drone.
• [New] While most people might assume that driverless cars are still a thing that will happen in the future, the city of Arlington, Texas has launched a pilot project that includes the use of five autonomous vehicles.
• [New] DRIVE Atlan will integrate an NVIDIA BlueField data processing unit, which delivers a broad range of advanced networking, storage and security services to support complex compute and AI workloads found in autonomous vehicles.
• [New] Growing need for safe means of transportation due to an aging population demographic: Just as an aging workforce and shortage of manpower will stimulate demand for industrial robots, an aging society worldwide will boost the need for safe means of transportation.
• [New] Honda and Verizon are researching how 5G and mobile edge computing could help improve safety for connected and autonomous vehicles.
• [New] With the emerging 5G technology, autonomous driving will revolutionize the experience of transport and help Hong Kong evolve into a world-class smart city.
• [New] General Motors is investing $27 billion through 2025 on development of electric vehicles and autonomous tech.
• [New] If the provisions on autonomous cars in the MPS Proposed Amendments are passed, it will be the first time that China has specifically legislated in respect of autonomous cars.
• [New] As the world shifts into recovery, expect to see the focus on autonomous vehicles, especially autonomous fleets, accelerate.
• [New] In a year, more MRFs will rely on AI-driven solutions, and five years from now, MRFs will continue evolving from material hubs to information hubs.
• Beyond ride-hailing service, Waymo has reinvigorated its push into long-haul trucking, which many - including Waymo rival Aurora - believe will be the first practical operational applications for autonomous vehicles.
• The retail industry is looking to adopt new robotic technology faster than expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with widespread adoption now expected in just a few years.
• Industrial item-handling robots and autonomous systems that can work in warehouses and eventually in factories, will see widespread adoption globally over the next decade.
• The rising demand for vehicle telematics and autonomous driving is creating growth opportunities for the vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication market in the Western Europe region.
• The global robot end-effector market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14.21% over the forecast period to reach a market size of US$ 7.640 billion in 2026 from US$ 3.014 billion in 2019.
• Several tests with other autonomous systems will follow over the course of 2021, in preparation of an operational network of autonomous drones ready to be deployed in 2022.

Last updated: 18 April 2021