Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.09
February 25, 2022
…connected vehicle firm Aptiv formed Motional as a joint venture in 2020. The Boston-based company is developing SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles for robotaxi providers and fleet operators. It claimed that its achievements include the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and more than 100,000 public rides. In November 2021, Motional announced plans to partner with Lyft Inc. on robotaxi service in Las Vegas by 2023. Via helps cities digitize transportation The new service will combine Via's booking, routing, and mobile app technology with Motional's autonomous vehicles, fleet management software, and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 38.76
January 21, 2022
…Agtonomy Funding the future of local farming Strategic and venture investors Toyota Ventures, Flybridge, Hampton VC (founded by Sam Parr and Joe Speiser), E²JDJ, and Momenta contributed to Agtonomy's Seed II round. Existing investors GV (formerly Google Ventures) and Grit Ventures also participated in the new round. “Our commitment to sustainability and the future of autonomy, battery and EV technology makes Agtonomy a perfectly aligned investment for our growing portfolio,” stated Jim Adler, the founding managing director of Toyota Ventures. “We see huge potential in agtech and are making investments accordingly—fully autonomous vehicles will become a reality on farms, where…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.64
January 14, 2022
…secured funding from global brands including Ingram Micro and Toyota. The company has added a number of experts in commerce and robotics to its team as it prepares to go to market. HDS Global’s company directors include Craig A. Leavitt, former CEO of Kate Spade, and Sujeet Chand, chief technology officer (CTO) of Rockwell Automation. HDS Global said its advisors include Bob DiRomualdo, chairperson and CEO of Naples Ventures and former chairman of the board of directors at Ulta Beauty, plus Rudy Salas, former senior vice president of bottler strategy at Coca-Cola. HDS Global announced the appointment of several veterans…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 24.27
December 14, 2021
…New participants included ZF, Continental AG, AGCO, Canaan, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Airbus Ventures, and Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion Ventures. Other previously announced investors included Volvo Group Venture Capital, Toyota Ventures, and HELLA Ventures. “We have a lot of strategic investors, predicated on technology partnerships,” said Becker. “All of these relationships have been built up over quite some time.” “Based on the Apex.OS, we can offer our customers an additional ZF Middleware option,” said Nico Hartmann, head of the ZF Global Software Center. “This solution is certified to the highest standards of functional safety for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Thus,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.49
November 09, 2021
…of Motional. Motional began in 2020 as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv and is developing SAE Level 4 autonomous robotaxis. The Boston-based startup said it has set industry milestones including the first fully autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the world's first robotaxi pilot, and the operation of a fleet conducting over 100,000 public rides. “Lyft’s powerful network is the ideal platform for deploying autonomous vehicles at scale. Motional’s driverless tech, combined with Lyft’s marketplace engine, brings us firmly into the self-driving future,” said Logan Green, co-founder and CEO of Lyft. “We can’t wait for riders…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 17.92
November 04, 2021
…and autonomous driving technology developer include major automakers and venture capital firms. “We are honored to have partnered with many leading global automakers and Tier 1 suppliers for strategic investments,” stated Cao Xudong, CEO of Momenta. “This financing marks a milestone for Momenta. The company's autonomous driving products and R&D capabilities have been recognized by customers around the world. The addition of these partners and capital will help us accelerate the implementation of autonomous driving on a larger scale.” Momenta readies for mass production, rapid scaling Momenta claimed that it has taken a “unique, scalable path toward full autonomous driving…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.70
October 04, 2021
About six years ago, the CEO of Toyota Research Institute published a seminal paper about whether a Cambrian explosion was coming for robotics. The term “Cambrian explosion” refers to an important event approximately half a billion years ago in which there was a rapid expansion of different forms of life on earth. There are parallels with the field of robotics as modern technological advancements are fueling an analogous explosion in the diversification and applicability of robots. Today, we’re seeing this Cambrian explosion of robotics unfolding, and consequently, many distinct patterns are emerging. I’ll outline the top three trends that are…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 32.28
September 29, 2021
…to do increasingly complex work outdoors,” the company said. Toyota co-leads farming tech funding S2G Ventures and Toyota Ventures led Burro's Series A round. It is Toyota Ventures' first investment in agricultural robotics. F-Prime Capital and the Cibus Enterprise Fund joined the round along with existing investors including Radicle Growth and ffVC. “Charlie and the Burro team have big plans to drive their product roadmap from a growing customer base, harden their technology through real-world use, and offer extended platform services that farmers need every day,” said Jim Adler, founding managing director at Toyota Ventures. “Burro is already gaining traction…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 41.62
August 06, 2021
…$40 million in Series B funding led by Norwest Venture Partners. The Union City, Calif.-based “shared autonomy” startup said it plans to use the investment to accelerate growth and commercialization efforts. “I've been tracking Arshan [Poursohi, CEO] and the team at Third Wave for some time and have been consistently impressed,” said Matt Howard, general partner at Norwest Venture Partners, who will join Third Wave's board of directors. “When I last visited the Third Wave facility and saw its forklifts easily completing picks and places, my jaw dropped, and I knew Norwest needed to be a part of this journey.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.05
July 16, 2021
…it plans to rapidly scale passenger mobility with partner Toyota, the world's No. 1 OEM supplier, and Uber, the world's largest ride-hailing network by market cap. Late last year, Aurora acquired Uber's Advanced Technologies Group for $400 million, and it acquired lidar startup OURS Technology in February. The company is testing its systems and next-generation approaches to perception and decision-making in the San Francisco Bay area, Pittsburgh, and Dallas. Transaction details “We believe Aurora will be the first to commercialize self-driving technology at scale for the U.S. trucking and passenger transportation markets based on its industry-leading team, technology and partnerships,”…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 27.87
July 15, 2021
Woven Planet Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp., yesterday said it is acquiring CARMERA Inc., which specializes in spatial artificial intelligence for automated mobility. CARMERA will join Woven Planet Group as a wholly-owned subsidiary, expanding the company’s footprint beyond its Tokyo headquarters by adding New York and Seattle offices to its planned offices in Silicon Valley and London. Terms were not disclosed. The predecessor to Woven Planet—Toyota Research institute - Advanced Development Inc. (TRI-AD)—previously collaborated with CARMERA on projects from 2018 to 2020. They demonstrated that the companies could successfully develop and update high-definition (HD) maps from commodity,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.77
July 05, 2021
…in San Francisco, Atlanta, and Greece. Its investors include Toyota AI Ventures, Samsung NEXT, and iRobot, among others. ElliQ designed to promote engagement Primary care providers encounter two major challenges in engaging older adult patients, according to Intuition Robotics. The first is lack of visibility on the accurate state of their patient in between touchpoints. Leading primary care providers have about touchpoint a month with each patient, but most have less than one per year. As a result, day-to-day changes in older adults' clinical conditions are largely unknown, the company said. The second challenge is consistent and timely communication and…
