Articles about Autonomous Vehicles

Volkswagen is making a serious push into the world of autonomous vehicles, and it is teaming up with Uber to help drive that effort forward. The two companies have announced a partnership that will put Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz AD vans (fully autonomous, all-electric versions of its iconic Microbus) on American streets as robotaxis. The rollout will begin in Los Angeles, with testing set to start later this year and commercial service planned for 2026.

While the plan is for these vehicles to operate without drivers, don’t worry -- there will still be human operators on board during the early phases of testing and launch. This approach is designed to help fine-tune the technology and ensure rider safety while waiting on necessary regulatory approvals.

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Samsung Electronics has revealed its development of the first PCIe 4.0 automotive SSD built on eighth-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND). The new SSD, AM9C1, is designed to provide enhanced speed and reliability for automotive applications, particularly supporting on-device AI capabilities.

The AM9C1 SSD reportedly offers a 50 percent improvement in power efficiency compared to the previous model, the AM991, with sequential read speeds reaching 4,400MB/s and write speeds up to 400MB/s. This is intended to improve the handling of large amounts of data in vehicles, particularly for autonomous systems.

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Uber and Cruise have announced a strategic partnership that will introduce Cruise's autonomous vehicles to Uber's service platform. The initiative is slated to begin next year and will feature Chevy Bolt-based autonomous vehicles aimed at transforming urban mobility.

Customers using Uber may soon find the option to select an autonomous vehicle for their trips, provided their ride meets certain criteria. This integration is designed to offer a new, innovative choice for riders, emphasizing safety and technological advancement.

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Connected technology is everywhere and influences every part of our lives. On average, there are nine connected devices in every UK household, and according to the UK Department of Culture, Media, and Sport. This is estimated to grow to twenty-four billion connected devices by 2050.

While connected devices provide a range of benefits, there are now growing concerns around the data they are collecting, and the subsequent loss of consumer privacy. One very real example is the recent announcement from the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), which advised that its enforcement division will review the data privacy practices of connected vehicle manufacturers, stating that they are "connected computers on wheels" and should be treated as such.

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Saildrone, a Bay Area startup, is redefining oceanic exploration and data gathering with its innovative use of autonomous uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs). With an impressive track record that includes tracking North Atlantic hurricanes, discovering underwater mountains, and mapping the world’s ocean floor, Saildrone is revolutionizing the way we interact with our oceans.

This game-changing technology utilizes a broad array of sensors in its USVs, with the data they gather processed by NVIDIA Jetson modules for efficient AI at the edge. The company is currently optimizing their prototypes with NVIDIA DeepStream software, a leap forward in intelligent video analytics.

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