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Archive for the ‘transportation’ category: Page 333

Sep 5, 2018

Volvo’s 360c concept car is a fully autonomous bedroom on wheels

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

The Volvo 360c fully autonomous, all-electric concept car is a conversation starter. It envisions the replacement of short-haul flights with luxuriously comfortable car travel, while also proposing ideas for a more efficient work commute.

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Sep 5, 2018

Labor Day 2040: What Happens When Robots Do All the Work?

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

The holiday weekend from hell: humans still drove cars and flew the planes.

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Sep 4, 2018

MIT researchers develop passive, solar-powered de-icing system

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Researchers at MIT have come up with a de-icing system that is completely passive and relies only on the power of the sun, or artificial light, which means it can also work at night. The system could be used to prevent ice building up on aircraft wings, wind turbine blades, and powerlines.

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Sep 4, 2018

How Self-Driving Supergroup Aurora Plans to Make Robocars Real

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

One of the most respected—and quietest—teams in the race for autonomy reveals its approach to a problem that’s much harder than everybody hoped.

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Sep 2, 2018

Singapore has the Best Airport in the World

Posted by in category: transportation

Click on photo to start video.

Singapore’s Changi Airport is the world’s best airport. ✈️.

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Aug 29, 2018

Study identifies distinct groups interested in types of electric vehicles

Posted by in categories: economics, policy, transportation

Drivers considering plug-in hybrid vehicles with a gasoline backup are most interested in economic benefits while those gravitating toward battery-electric vehicles have stronger environmental concerns, according to a study led by a University of Kansas transportation policy scholar.

The research has identified distinct profiles of people considering newer electric vehicle technologies showing the two types of vehicles—one that offers gasoline as a safety net and another that relies solely on battery charging—are very different in the eyes of consumers.

“Our findings inform the misconception and show that electric vehicles are not a homogeneous entity,” said the study’s lead author Bradley Lane, associate professor in the KU School of Public Affairs & Administration. “There are distinctive profiles of potential users for whom a plug-in hybrid is attractive and another for whom a battery electric is attractive. And these are two very distinct groups, similar to how there is a group of users who are attracted to a sport-utility vehicle and a separate group attracted to an economy car. We have shed more light on what factors influence how people make these decisions.”

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Aug 28, 2018

Japanese engineers say their flying cars will be in the air by the Tokyo Olympics

Posted by in categories: futurism, transportation

A team of young Japanese engineers is developing a flying car with the goal of launching it in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The futuristic vehicle – dubbed Skydrive – is fitted with three wheels, a motor and four rotors, enabling it to take off and land vertically from public roads without the need of a runway.

Measuring only 9.5 feet by 4.3 feet, Skydrive claims to be the world’s smallest flying car, with a target top flight speed of 62 mph, while travelling up to 32 feet above the ground.

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Aug 27, 2018

Tesla’s Semi truck is traveling cross-country ‘alone’

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Tesla’s Semi truck has already made some city-to-city trips, but how does it fare on cross-country jaunts — you know, what it’ll be doing when it enters service? Just fine, if you ask Elon Musk. In response to an Electrek piece on the Semi’s latest visit (to Arkansas trucking behemoth J.B. Hunt), the CEO noted that the Semi has been traveling thousands of miles entirely by itself, using the existing Supercharger network. The only necessary help is an “extension cord” to help the truck plug in. To be exact, it’s a system of cords that plugs into multiple stations at once to top up the Semi’s giant battery before the company’s Megachargers come online.

That solo travel is likely meant in part to reassure customers (including J.B. Hunt) that the Semi is already capable of handling long-distance trips without escorts. However, it does leave a few open questions. How long does it take to top up using Superchargers, and how likely is it that drivers could rely on them when Megachargers aren’t available? While it’s easy for a Tesla-operated truck to cross the US using the existing framework, it’d be another matter with thousands of third-party trucks in service. This is a significant step toward the Semi hitting the road in earnest, but there are many more steps to go.

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Aug 26, 2018

China is building a police station powered by AI, not humans

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

China has announced an unmanned police station will soon be put into use.” The station will provide numerous driver and vehicle related services via AI.

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Aug 25, 2018

Waymo takes a tiny step into China

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

Alphabet’s self-driving car subsidiary, Waymo, has kicked off speculation about its ambitions for the Chinese market by creating a small outpost in Shanghai.

What’s it mean?: If Waymo is aiming to break into China, then this would be a very preliminary step. The new office might also be something less exciting: a means of working with Chinese hardware suppliers for instance.

Auto revolution: T hat said, it would make a lot of sense for Waymo to target China. It is the world’s largest auto market and a hotbed of technology and market innovation. And while Google’s plans to re-enter the Chinese market have proven controversial, the truth is that China cannot be ignored by any tech company that wants to a global force.

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