Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.13
March 12, 2017
…and buses. Last week, another self-driving truck startup was at the center of a lawsuit filed by Google parent Alphabet Inc, whose Waymo self-driving car unit accused ride services startup Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] and its autonomous trucking subsidiary Otto of trade theft. Uber acquired Otto, founded by two former Google executives, last summer. Related: Self-Driving Technology for Commercial Trucking Download the Paper: Technological Disruption and Innovation in Last-Mile Delivery
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.11
May 13, 2019
As reported by Bloomberg, an offshoot of Alphabet Inc.’s Google has become the first drone operator to receive government approval as an airline, an important step that gives it the legal authority to begin dropping products to actual customers. The subsidiary, Wing Aviation LLC, now has the same certifications that smaller airlines receive from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation. It plans to begin routine deliveries of small consumer items in two rural communities in Virginia within months, the company said. From Bloomberg: Google Spinoff’s Drone Delivery Business First to Get FAA Approval Recode reports that…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.90
March 23, 2022
…and Waymo said it became an official company under Alphabet in 2016. In June 2021, the company raised $2.5 billion in funding. Waymo invests in autonomous trucking Aside from ride-hailing, the company has been actively in the autonomous trucking space. In 2020, the company launched Waymo Via, its autonomous trucking unit. In recent months, Waymo Via has announced it is working with several transportation services companies, including Ryder Systems, UPS, J.B. Hunt, and C.H. Robinson. The global autonomous trucking market could grow to $2 billion by 2027, according to Fortune and Business Insights. The global autonomous ride-hailing service market is…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.26
June 21, 2021
…became popular on YouTube. Google X, now part of Alphabet Inc., acquired Boston Dynamics in 2013. In 2017, SoftBank bought Boston Dynamics, which itself acquired vision provider Kinema Systems in 2019. SoftBank Robotics makes other humanoid and service robots. Hyundai announced its intention to pick up the company in December 2020. Boston Dynamics began selling the quadruped Spot robot in June 2020 for commercial applications such as inspection and security. The company said that hundreds of its robots are now operating in a variety of industries, including power utilities, construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, and mining. For warehouses and distribution…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.93
January 30, 2023
…list of select companies – including Amazon Prime Air, Alphabet’s Wing, UPS, and Zipline, the companies said. “We live in an era of instant gratification, where consumers want to get their food or goods faster, more reliably, more economically and more sustainably – and drone delivery has risen to the occasion,” stated Yariv Bash, CEO and cofounder of Flytrex. “Flytrex’s continued success delivering to customers throughout North Carolina and Texas has put us ahead of the curve. “With this certification, we look forward to bringing our super swift, sustainable and safe airborne delivery systems to every backyard across the US,”…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.66
August 08, 2023
…was previously owned by Google X (now part of Alphabet Inc.) and SoftBank Robotics. Already well-known for videos of its Atlas humanoid robots, Boston Dynamics has focused on commercial applications of its robots since the Hyundai acquisition. The Spot quadruped has been used for security and infrastructure inspection, and the company has developed the Stretch mobile manipulator to unload truck trailers and shipping containers. In 2021, Hyundai deployed Spot robots for safety inspections at a factory in Gwangmyeong, South Korea. DHL Supply Chain deployed Stretch in February 2023. In June, Boston Dynamics announced new capabilities for Spot and a partnership…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.53
June 14, 2021
…access to mobility. The Mountain View, Calif.-based subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. said its systems have drive more than 20 million miles on public roads across 10 states and 20 billion miles in simulation. It is reportedly raising up to $4 billion in funding. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo One, which the company describes as “the world's first fully autonomous ride-hailing service,” as well as the Waymo Via, trucking and local delivery service. Waymo offers robotaxi services around Phoenix, Ariz., and has applied for permission to charge for self-driving car rides in San Francisco. J.B. Hunt to test Class 8 autonomous…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.43
June 23, 2023
…in advanced perception, machine learning, and reinforcement learning. The Alphabet company also said its automation engineers and software developers have domain knowledge about industrial robotics. Intrinsic claimed that its software will make automation accessible to more businesses, entrepreneurs, and developers. In December 2022, the company acquired the commercial division of Open Source Robotics. Siemens and Intrinsic to bridge IT/OT gap “Currently, the development and runtime environments for AI-based robotics and automation components differ significantly in their development paradigms and make integration cumbersome,” said Intrinsic and Siemens. The companies cited the example of deploying capabilities such as pose estimation, robot manipulation,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.42
June 16, 2021
…private equity round adding $750 million in May 2020. Alphabet (the parent company of Waymo and Google), Andreessen Horowitz, AutoNation, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Magna International, Mubadala Investment Company, Perry Creek Capital, and Silver Lake participated in Waymo's latest round. In addition, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates Inc., Temasek, and Tiger Global invested in the company. Other companies that have obtained billions in investment include Uber, Didi Chuxing, Tesla, and Cruise. The global market for autonomous vehicles will experience a 64.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2020 and 2027,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.31
November 24, 2021
…with more trials. Waymo Via, the delivery unit of Alphabet Inc. company Waymo LLC, last week announced that it is expanding its partnership with United Parcel Service of America Inc. from vans to trucks. “As we enter into the holiday season, this year’s delivery demand and the need for freight movement remains unprecedented, and Waymo Via will help fill critical needs for our partners during this time,” said Waymo in a blog post. “That’s why we’re expanding our partnership with UPS to autonomous freight movement with Class 8 trucks, a natural next step following the strong and successful partnership we’ve…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.63
January 17, 2022
…service, the Waymo Driver powers Waymo One, which the Alphabet company described as “the world's first fully autonomous ride-hailing service.” J.B. Hunt, Waymo collaborate beyond the highway Other partnerships working on autonomous trucks include TuSimple and DHL Supply Chain, Gatik and Walmart, Aurora Innovation and Uber Freight, Embark Trucks and Texas A&M, and Locomation and Wilson Logistics. Mountain View, Calif.-based Waymo Via is also working with UPS. In addition to J.B. Hunt being Waymo's first customer for self-driving trucks, the companies plan to explore innovations in autonomous driving technology and the digital marketplace. J.B. Hunt claimed that its J.B. Hunt…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.55
October 05, 2021
…on testing autonomous trucks, Berkshire Grey for small package processing, and Nuro for delivery robots. It previously partnered with Alphabet's Wing Aviation unit on a drone-delivery pilot in Christiansburg, Va.
