Waymo/Google – Page 203 – I wish I had more to offer

Waymo’s Chinese competitor says it can succeed in the driverless car market by pacing itself

Original Article

SEAT named leader in digital transformation by Financial Times study

The report by the Financial Times singles out 100 leading European companies in the field of digitalisation
The selected companies stand out for their ability to adapt to new technologies in an innovative way
SEAT, recognised for tackling digital challenges in manufacturing

MARTORELL, 23-Nov-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — SEAT has been acknowledged as a leader in digital transformation by a study carried out by the prestigious British daily the Financial Times. This publication, together with Google, Nesta and The Innovation Foundation, selected 100 organisations, people and companies from 4,000 entries, that are spearheading digital transformation in Europe, a key factor in economic growth, job creation and entering new markets. In recognising SEAT, the Financial Times cited the Company’s open innovation programme at its flagship plant in Martorell, to help tackle digital challenges in manufacturing.

SEAT President Luca de Meo stated that “digitalisation is a strategic priority. SEAT is one of the companies that invests the most in R&D in Spain, and has concentrated its efforts on developing new technologies in order to boost productivity and diversify its business. We are working on becoming a benchmark in future mobility. Having been selected by the Financial Times as one of the 100 leading European companies in digital transformation is a significant recognition of the efforts made by the company and the entire team.”

Industry 4.0, key to SEAT’s digitalisation

SEAT is promoting an ambitious transformation process whereby all of its production activities are being adapted to the digital environment with the most disruptive technologies on the market. The Spanish carmaker is developing and applying digital tools and solutions aimed at vehicle production that enable the company to gain in efficiency, flexibility and agility. For example, by implementing artificial intelligence, the use of collaborative robots as well as virtual reality and big data in the Martorell factory to revolutionise vehicle design and production.

Furthermore, SEAT has a biomechanical laboratory which stands out for its contribution to developing more ergonomic workstations. This one-of-a-kind facility in Spain features more than 20 cameras that process workers’ musculoskeletal characteristics in 3D with the aim of preventing pathologies resulting from the production process as well as improving rehabilitation in the event of injuries. In addition, SEAT has implemented training programmes using an innovative method that explains industrial transformation in a way that is easy, interactive and digital. Since the programme began, more than 2.500 employees have attended the courses.

Designing future mobility

In the framework of the Easy Mobility strategy, SEAT’s goal is to build a portfolio of products and services to offer customers new urban mobility solutions. In this sense, SEAT created Metropolis:Lab Barcelona in 2017, a centre of excellence dedicated to researching and developing new urban mobility solutions which is integrated in the Volkswagen Group’s IT Lab network. This year the company launched XMOBA to test and commercialise mobility services. In addition, SEAT acquired Respiro, a pioneering hourly car sharing service in Spain.

Last week at the Smart City Expo World Congress, SEAT presented its latest developments that will contribute to boosting its global transition towards smarter, more sustainable mobility. The initiatives developed by the SEAT Metropolis:Lab include ride-sharing and Bus on Demand, which XMOBA is going to roll out as a pilot test in 2019. Other novelties included the evolution of the SEAT Cristobal concept car, now with 5G technology; the new socially responsible navigation project together with Waze and the Barcelona City Council; and the brand’s first vehicle in its urban micromobility strategy, the SEAT eXS powered by Segway.

SEAT Communications

Cristina Vall-Losada
Head of Corporate Communications
T / +34 93 708 53 78
M/ +34 646 295 296
cristina.vall-llosada@seat.es

Aurora Vidal
International Corporate Communications
T / +34 93 708 40 05
M/ +34 608 483 266
aurora.vidal@seat.es

SOURCE: SEAT, S.A.

Self-Driving Trucks Will Transport Limestone in a Norwegian Mine

Rock Carriers An often-overlooked use for autonomous driving technology is in industrial applications, where raw materials have to be shipped from point A to point B. In what automaker Volvo calls its “first commercial autonomous solution transporting limestone from an open pit mine to a nearby port,” six existing autonomous trucks will be upgraded with sophisticated… Continue reading Self-Driving Trucks Will Transport Limestone in a Norwegian Mine

Ford hits the road in Miami, in a big bet on autonomous vehicles, ride sharing and delivery services

Ford's autonomous vehicle fleet
10:04 AM ET Fri, 16 Nov 2018 | 02:45

Ford is road testing its autonomous vehicles in partnership with the city of Miami, as the legacy automaker hopes to capitalize on the emerging technology in ride-share and business delivery.

The automaker has been testing a Ford Fusion equipped with autonomous vehicle tech, or AV, in Miami since February. It chose the city because of its congestion and the unpredictability of the traffic there. Tests are also being done in three other cities: Pittsburgh, Detroit and Washington, D.C.

Ford has said it plans to begin selling self-driving cars by 2021, but it is also testing out ways it can use these vehicles to carry people and things. Sherif Marakby, CEO of Ford Autonomous Vehicles, told CNBC the company is focused on profitability and scalability.

“We're laser focused on profitability,” said Marakby, who said autonomous vehicles provide transportation at a lower cost than current vehicles. “While the vehicle is expensive, initially we're deploying it in service so the cost per mile for transportation for a person or a business is going to be lower and will be profitable for us,” he said.

Ford has said it plans to invest a total of $4 billion into AV technology through 2023.

On Wednesday, the company announced a partnership with Walmart and Postmates to collaborate on a delivery service that will one day use autonomous vehicles.

During a test ride with CNBC, Ford used a car that was autonomous, however, it did travel along a predetermined and pre-programmed route. Ford also manned the vehicle with a safety driver, whose hands hovered over the wheel, which the company said was a “precaution.”

Source: Ford
Ford AV Argo autonomous vehicle test car

Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Alphabet, will launch its first AV service by the end of the year and expects to attract business customers. General Motors' Cruise says it will have an autonomous ride-share service by next year.

Some analysts have said Ford is lagging behind in self-driving technology, but Marakby pushed back on that notion.

“I want investors and I want everyone to know that we are developing an autonomous vehicle service that means a whole lot more than the car,” Marakby said. “What that means is … when we launch these cars it's not just going to be the car. It's going to be an app. It's going to be the cloud … The autonomous car will know where to go when someone orders it.”

Ford is phasing out its manufacturing of most cars and increasing production of trucks and SUVs. Marakby said Ford's ride-share vehicle will be designed for that business.

“We feel that what we're building is an autonomous vehicle mobility service and we think the future is going to continue to have more and more of these transportation methods,” he said.

WATCH: Ford is using bionic suits to help employees work safer

Ford is using bionic suits to help employees work safer
6:24 PM ET Fri, 20 April 2018 | 02:20

A Waymo self-driving car sent a motorcyclist to the hospital — but the human driver was at fault

Human error is to blame in the case of a Waymo autonomous car side-swiping a motorcycle in California, the company says, in an accident that sent the rider to the hospital last month. The incident occurred on October 19 near the company’s Mountain View headquarters, according to the official state accident report, when a car… Continue reading A Waymo self-driving car sent a motorcyclist to the hospital — but the human driver was at fault

SEAT rolls out Amazon Alexa in Spain, Italy and France

SEAT, the first automotive brand in Europe to roll out Amazon Alexa, Amazon’s cloud-based voice service, launches today the service in Spanish and Italian, and in French as of Monday November 12th, giving customers access to a host of functions accessible through simple voice commands. As our lives become increasingly busy, bringing Amazon Alexa into… Continue reading SEAT rolls out Amazon Alexa in Spain, Italy and France

DeepMap, a maker of HD maps for self-driving, raised at least $60M at a $450M valuation

As car and tech companies continue to make inroads on vehicles and services to build autonomous driving systems, a startup that is creating high-definition maps to help these vehicles move around has quietly picked up a significant round of funding. DeepMap — a Palo Alto startup co-founded by James Wu and Mark Wheeler, who previously… Continue reading DeepMap, a maker of HD maps for self-driving, raised at least $60M at a $450M valuation

California Approves Waymo’s Autonomous Vehicle Testing

Alphabet backed-Waymo has been testing driverless vehicles in Phoenix since last year. Photo courtesy of Waymo. The California Department of Motor Vehicles has granted Waymo the state’s first permit to test autonomous vehicles on public roads without a safety operator in the driver’s seat. Alphabet backed-Waymo launched its first driverless vehicle test program in Phoenix last year. … Continue reading California Approves Waymo’s Autonomous Vehicle Testing

Mao Zedong’s Red Flag car gets driverless makeover

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s iconic Red Flag, the vehicle of choice of former revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, is going hands-free. Chinese tech giant Baidu Inc said on Thursday it would launch a fully autonomous passenger car next year in a partnership with Hongqi, or Red Flag, the car brand long favored by China’s political elite.… Continue reading Mao Zedong’s Red Flag car gets driverless makeover

UPDATE 2-Waymo gets first California OK for driverless testing without backup driver

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Waymo unit on Tuesday became the first company to receive a permit from the state of California to test driverless vehicles without a backup driver in the front seat, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles said. FILE PHOTO: The Waymo logo is displayed during the company’s unveil of a… Continue reading UPDATE 2-Waymo gets first California OK for driverless testing without backup driver