Mobility

On Sept. 15, Arm announced a new direction in its IP and technology portfolio to address the transformation of the automotive industry whose center of gravity is rapidly moving toward software, rather than hardware, components.

It appears evident that open-software platforms are of strategic import for the new mobility era. This role is evident not only from different bodies and companies investing in them, but also the effect on regional interests that are characterizing the automotive industry lately, with counterposing economic powers trying to dominate.

Ford’s BlueCruise is a strong addition to the Level 2+ driver assistance sector, scoring a solid “B” in performance and promising more reliable hands-free driving in more locations as the technology evolves.

There has been industry chatter the adoption of Google operating systems is making the GENIVI Alliance unnecessary, but even Google sources say that’s not true.

Across the automotive supply chain, software-defined vehicles appear to be following a clear path to future-proof architectures. Software architectures and standardized software platforms are fundamental to simplifying vehicle functional complexity while keeping up with the pace of technology and innovation, spanning from vehicle’s implementation to the back end and infrastructure digitalization.

Billions of dollars of investment and development are paying off as major robotaxi companies plan to launch commercial ride-hailing services over the next three years.

Autonomous vehicles use AI running on powerful processors to make sense of sensor data to perceive the world around them and chart a safe path to the destination.

Zoox CFO Ilan Hart and Bruce Baumgartner, Vice President of Procurement & Strategic Partnerships, discuss their company, their technology and the future of personal transportation in urban areas.

Next-generation E/E architectures will create new business models for automakers and suppliers. But a Wards Intelligence survey shows few see themselves as pacesetters, and there’s some uncertainty about where the best monetization opportunities are. The massive change in operations, and the associated costs, will put constraints on the timeframe and depth of the changes in infrastructure and vehicle architectures that OEMs will be able to address.

Sean Harrington describes the Optimus Ride strategy of operating low-speed geofenced autonomous shuttles to reduce costs for communities, provide a shorter wait time than current public transportation and reduce vehicle miles traveled, pollution and traffic congestion.

Ford, Argo AI and Lyft are working together to begin commercialization of autonomous Ford Escape Hybrids for ride hailing at scale through the Lyft network by the end of 2021.

The Tactile Mobility system will detect even very slight initial runover of virtually anything, including a soft human body part, and provide a warning and/or a full vehicle stop to prevent further runover, which could be life-saving.

A consequence of a software defined environment, driven by data, is that process digitalization and model engineering are becoming essential assets at various levels in the automotive industry: from the vehicles to OEMs´ back-end and the mobility infrastructure.