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Category: transportation – Page 210

Google announces new high-definition maps, Android Auto redesign rolling out

Google announced a new HD version of its Maps service for cars with the Android Automotive operating system. The new HD maps will provide more detailed road markings, lane-level localization, road barriers and signs. The feature will debut on the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 models and will benefit from the lidar, radar and camera sensors on vehicles to ensure a safer driving experience.

Volvo EX90 using Google HD maps
Volvo EX90 using Google HD maps.

Volvo’s HD maps demo shows users will get a detailed model of their vehicle on the screen which mimics all actions undertaken by the driver. HD maps will be available only on vehicles that use Google Automotive Services.

Ohio-based startup’s e-bikes come with swappable batteries

They can be your power source on the go.

A startup named LAND Energy offers its customers something that most companies don’t. The option to swap the batteries on the vehicle, keeping the vehicle brand new even as technology improves over the years.

Unlike gas-powered vehicles, where the engine is the core of the machine, the battery pack on an electric vehicle (EV) is where the most advanced technology lies. With the EV industry still in its infancy, we can surely expect technology to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years, and that means that the vehicle you buy now could likely be obsolete.

LAND Energy.

Top Self-Driving Car Stories Of 2022 In Review

As we enter 2023, these were the big stories in self-driving cars for 2022. You an also check out my summary of early 2022 for more details on that quarter, but these are the game-changers for this year. There’s no doubt this was a year of huge ups and downs. A year where some gave up and others doubled down. A year where the stock market and VC funding took a massive nosedive and companies mostly shrunk, but also a year of great technical progress.

Usually I do this as a countdown to the biggest story, but I’ll spoil it right now and say the big story was the incredible contrast of the good and bad news. So I’m instead going to tell you the good, the bad and the not particularly ugly.

We wrap up the year with the biggest stories in robocars, from the very bad to the very good, of which 2022 had lots of both. Includes video of the stories.

Glow in The Dark Highway in Australia

The glow-in-the-dark pavement is charged by the sun during the day and emits its own light for up to 10 hours at night, eliminating the need for energy-consuming street lights. The glow-in-the-dark pavement is just the first stage of many potential projects engineers are testing to make roadways safer and more energy efficient.

Everyone is concerned when driving on a dark road if the road markers are not clearly visible or if the lighting is insufficient. Fortunately, Tarmac Linemarking, an Australian firm that works with OmniGrip and Vicroads, has made a fresh breakthrough by generating glow-in-the-dark road markings that resemble children’s toys. According to a report by News.com.au published on Thursday. The test was conducted on a one-kilometer section of the Metong Road in Victoria’s southeast and images were posted on Facebook.

Auto industry races into metaverse at CES

Allowing the driver of an autonomous vehicle to watch a movie, a dealer to sell automobiles from a “virtual” car lot, or an engineer to simulate how a new part fits: the auto industry is getting a tantalizing taste of the metaverse at the huge CES technology show.

One gadget on display in Las Vegas is an in-car television system, developed by French parts maker Valeo, that needs no remote.

To change the channel, drivers or passengers wearing a headset make a simple swipe in the air with their hand, and sensors in the car detect the movement.

The Future of Car Technology, as Seen at CES 2023

Color-changing cars. Flying taxis. And a gaming-style tablet that can steer a vehicle.

Car companies descended on CES in Las Vegas this week to show off their latest ideas—some quirky and far out, others more relevant in the near term—as the industry navigates technological shifts in its business.

During the week, car executives unveiled new in-car software, hyped automated-driving tech, and highlighted new partnerships and investment deals. Auto makers in recent years have accelerated the rollout of their new battery-powered models.

Top 5 AI Predictions for 2023

With 2023 right around the corner, we make 5 predictions that will happen in the artificial intelligence (AI) world.

5 Predictions.
1) GPT-4 to be released.
2) Autonomous Vehicles as primary source of transportation for general population.
3) Evolution of search engines.
4) Humanoid robot development.
5) Run out of data to train AI language models.

Guide dogs will be giving the side-eye to self-driving car tech coming for their jobs

The visually impaired are getting a helping hand (or a helping belt, as it were) from Korean startup AI Guided. At CES in Las Vegas, the company was showing off some pretty neat tech that incorporates optical and Lidar technology along with AI-powered on-device computing to identify obstacles and help with navigation.

The company claims to be able to do advanced object identification to help keep walkers safe, in addition to using gentle haptic feedback to help with wayfinding. The whole system is carried on a belt, leaving the users hands-free.

Davinci Motor debuts its electric motorcycle with a 400 kilometer range at CES 2023

The bike can hit the 60 mph mark in three seconds and offers a top speed of 124 mph.

Making its foray into the US market, Davinci Motor has debuted its first electric motorcycle — DC100, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas. The Chinese manufacturer focuses on producing high-performance electric offerings with a long-range to rival traditional liter-class motorcycles.

The streetfighter-inspired design encapsulates an electric motor that produces 135 bhp of peak power and 850 Nm of torque. The self-developed synchronous AC motor is mounted directly on the rear wheel of the motorcycle. DC100 features a 17.7 kWh battery pack and weighs 562 lbs (255 kg).

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