Location Based Systems

Both General Motors and Volkswagen are to incorporate Mobileye’s new road experience management (REM) mapping technology into their vehicles. REM uses crowd-sourced real-time data for precise localisation and high-definition lane data that forms an important layer of information for autonomous driving. The software, based on that running on Mobileye's EyeQ processing platforms, extracts landmarks and roadway information at extremely low bandwidths – using approximately 10kb/km.

The UK chancellor announced in his spring budget what he called the biggest investment, US$87.5 billion (£61 billion), in transport infrastructure in generations and is increasing capital investment in the transport network by 50 per cent over this Parliament compared to the last. The government plans to establish the UK as a global centre for excellence in connected and autonomous vehicles by establishing a US$24.1 million (£15 million) ‘connected corridor’ from London to Dover to enable vehicles to com

According to research company Statista’s Digital Market Outlook (DMO), 2016 will see approximately 11 million connected cars in America, with almost 32 million intelligent cars on America’s streets by 2020. Worldwide the number of connected cars is forecast to rise to 160 million intelligent vehicles. Statista claims the main impact of the enormous growth of the market comes from the rapid development of new features and possibilities. The biggest segment however, according to the DMO, is not infotainmen

The European Commission has revealed the finalists for the European Mobility Week Award 2015, which recognises excellence in sustainable mobility, and the award for sustainable urban mobility planning which aims to promote the adoption of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) across Europe. Both awards will be presented by Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella at a ceremony on 20 April in Brussels, Belgium. Of the 53 applications from 19 countries, Lisbon, M

Early next month six European truck manufacturers will bring platoons of semi-automated trucks to public roads, crossing borders from various European cities in order to reach their final destination of the Port of Rotterdam on 6 April. The overall objective of this European Truck Platooning Challenge is to accelerate the introduction of truck platoons by putting the subject high on the agenda of EU policy makers. The Platooning Challenge, organised by the Netherlands as part of its ongoing EU Presidency

After what he called an ‘overwhelming response’, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced seven finalists for the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Smart City Challenge. The USDOT has pledged up to US$40 million to one city to help it define what it means to be a Smart City and become the country’s first city to fully integrate innovative technologies – self-driving cars, connected vehicles, and smart sensors – into their transportation network. The finalists are: Austin, Texas;

Ford Motor Company is investing in expanding its smart mobility development with the establishment of a new subsidiary, Ford Smart Mobility, which the company says is designed to compete like a startup company. Ford Smart Mobility will design and build mobility services on its own and collaborate with start-ups and tech companies. The subsidiary is part of Ford’s expanded business model to be both an auto and a mobility company. The company is continuing to focus on and investing in its core business – d

General Motors (GM) is to acquire Cruise Automation to add Cruise’s software expertise and rapid development capability to further accelerate GM’s development of autonomous vehicle technology. GM intends intend to invest significantly to further grow the talent base and capabilities already established by the Cruise team. The acquisition is GM’s latest step toward its goal of redefining the future of personal mobility. Since the beginning of the year, GM has entered into a strategic alliance with ride-sh

The recent accident in California involving a Google autonomous car and a bus “was not a surprise,” according to US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx. No one was hurt in the accident, which happened when Google’s Lexus RX-450H tried to avoid some sandbags placed around a storm drain and blocking its path; the car’s computer was said to be at fault. Speaking at the South by Southwest Interactive festival in Austin, Texas, Secretary Foxx told the BBC: “It's not a surprise that at some point there wo

Toyota Research Institute (TRI), which is developing which is artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles, has hired the software engineering team of Massachusetts-based Jaybridge Robotics, which has focused on reliable automation of industrial vehicles, working with partners across a range of industrial applications including agriculture, mining, marine, and rail. The former Jaybridge team has joined TRI's Cambridge, Massachusetts, facility. Like everyone else at TRI, they will be working closely wi