autonomous Archives - Gizmochina

Sony & Honda’s New Autonomous EV may have a built-in PS5

Sean — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 09:28:40 +0000

Sony and Honda have been working on a new electric vehicle that will feature self driving technology. Now, a new report has revealed an interesting detail regarding this upcoming autonomous EV model and it includes a PlayStation 5.

For those unaware, the two Japanese giants entered into a joint venture earlier this year to bring together their respective technological expertise to create a sustainable automobile. The two firms are set to showcase a deliverable product by 2025 and expect to begin taking orders by the following year. Now, this Sony-Honda collaboration could bring a Level 3 autonomous EV model that might feature a full built in PlayStation 5 gaming console. In other words, this joint venture will use the former’s popular console built into the infotainment system.

Izumi Kawanishi, President of the Sony Honda Mobility, had stated that putting a PS5 into the upcoming autonomous vehicle is “technologically possible.” Meanwhile, Yasuhide Mizuno, chairman of Sony Honda Mobility, also said that the company aims to “develop a car as hardware that will cater to the entertainment and network we would like to offer.” With the joint venture the veteran automobile maker Honda would leverage the technological expertise of Sony to create an autonomous electric vehicle that is set to launch in the US market soon.

So, the new EV will be built with Honda’s mechanicals while Sony would be responsible for the electronics. This would include integrated sensors and technology that is crucial for the self driving technology. The joint venture would likely take on the likes of Tesla in the electric vehicle market. So we can expect to see some premium offerings.

Jetour X-1 Hybrid SUV unveiled, with Huawei L3 autonomous driving

Sean — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 10:18:52 +0000

JETOUR Motors has just announced a new hybrid vehicle. It is the Jetour X-1 Hybrid SUV crossover, which is powered by the Huawei L3 autonomous driving assistance system and more.

For those unaware, the Chinese company is a sub brand of Chery Automobiles. Now, the automobile maker has launched the X-1 from its Jetour brand. It features its self developed “Kunlun” architecture platform that is powered by Huawei’s high end L3 autonomous driving assistance system along with the latest technologies like the Smart Cockpit 3.0 and Healthy Cockpit 4.0. The new crossover SUV was announced on the 1st of January 2022.

Through the Chinese tech giant’s L3 self driving assistance system, the car can drive on its own in a number of scenarios, although, the drive would still have to take control in some situations like emergencies. Under the hood, the X-1 is equipped with the Chery Kunpeng DHT hybrid system and Chery core fuel powered platform. In other words, it is a hybrid that is powered by both fuel and electricity.

Notably, the four wheel drive version of the car is also equipped with a rear mounted single motor that supports 9 different modes like pure electric drive, extended range mode drive, parallel mode drive, engine direct drive, and more. This enables users to switch between power and fuel efficiency modes based on their requirements. Looking at the car, it features a unique radiator grille, which is part of the bumper along with an angular overall design. Unfortunately, finer details like specifications, pricing, and availability are still unknown at the moment.

[UPDATE] Huawei engineer develops a self driving bicycle prototype

Sean — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 08:41:23 +0000

UPDATE: We want to clear that the engineer made this self-driving bike as a side project of his own that can be operated even when it is unmanned. We had previously stated that this prototype was a project from Huawei but have corrected the discrepancy.

An engineer from Huawei has developed an autonomous bicycle prototype. The prototype electric bicycle is quite impressive, with it being capable of maintaining its balance even on the slimmest of surfaces (demonstrated with the bike standing on a thin fence). Furthermore, the self-driving bike also arrives with a series of impressive features like the high precision sensors on its body, paired with image recognition cameras, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology as well, which enables it to run without the need for human interaction.

Okay in response to @TubeTimeUS's request, some of my favorite Chinese Makers (the real kind, not the entrepreneurs calling themselves Makers with no technical skills)

First up, 稚晖 and his self-driving bicycle, complete (really good) build video here: https://t.co/edjHcPOjUj pic.twitter.com/HyPvkQAszv

— Naomi Wu 机械妖姬 (@RealSexyCyborg) June 6, 2021

The engineer at the helm of this project is Zhihui Jun, who apparently got this idea after he faced an injury due to a bicycle accident. This injury leads him to realize that there is potential for a self-driving bike. Thus, the company’s team put together equipment such as an automatic control system along with a perception sensor network, and a chip that acts as the brain of the system and providers the required computing power.

The engineer first began modeling the bicycle on CAD, and then added two large brushless motors and steering gear on the physical prototype. After this, Zhihui Jun equipped the bike with an RGBD depth camera, an accelerometer, gyroscope, and even a LiDAR sensor. The bike is powered by a lithium-based battery that can last for up to 2 to 3 hours, while the main control module is housed right below the seat.

The engineer outfitted the bicycle with a control module that works similarly to the systems used in artificial satellites to maintain its balance. In other words, it is equipped with small but high precision sensors that can detect even the slightest of tilts and immediately sends data to the control module so that it can make changes that ensure that it can stand on its own. The motor also helps run the rear wheel, which enables it to move without pedaling.

You can check out the original video by clicking on his link here.

Alibaba-backed AutoX starts testing driverless robotaxis in China

Jeet — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 06:29:54 +0000

AutoX, a China-based autonomous vehicle startup which is backed by Alibaba Group, has today confirmed that it has started testing the fully driverless vehicles in China with Pacifica minivans from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA).

The company will be deploying a fleet of 25 driverless vehicles in Shenzhen and five more in other cities to test the technology. AutoX has modified a number of vehicles from various manufacturers and tested them in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, and Wuhu.

Earlier this year, in July, AutoX became the second company to test a passenger vehicle on California’s public roads without a safety driver sitting on the front seat. The first company to do so was Alphabet Inc’s Waymo.

AutoX has said that the company will not have a remote center. It’s competitors, WeRide and Baidu, which are also testing driverless vehicles in China, uses a remote center that can take control of the vehicle if and when needed.

The company is pursuing the so-called level 4 autonomous driving standard. In this, a vehicle can handle all aspects of driving in most possible circumstances without the need for human intervention.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi Mi 11 flagship smartphone powered by Snapdragon 888 to reportedly launch later this month

Vehicles of AutoX are equipped with the startup’s proprietary vehicle control unit called XCU, which the company claims have faster processing speed and more computational capability to handle complex road scenarios.

Xiao Jianxiong, Chief Executive Officer of the company had revealed last month that the company is currently in talks with prospective investors to fund fleet expansion and development plans. However, he has not shared more details about this.

Apart from Alibaba, the company is also backed by Dongfeng Motor Group and SAIC Motor Corp. So far, it has raised more than 160 million in five funding rounds, the latest being Series B raised in December last year.

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XQUAD: Smart Location Tracking Without Phones (video)

Dimitris Economou — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 18:28:25 +0000

Imagine what would it mean if there was a device that would help you locate friends when going for hiking, hunting, skiing or just decided to go play paintball or any other outdoor activity. Well, you should stop imagining as such a device is already possible and it’s called XQUAD. The XQUAD helps you track up to 30 people at the same time and send messages to them without the need of cellular coverage or a phone.

Unlike other one-on-one GPS trackers, XQUAD has implemented the U-Blox platform and collecting each one of the members’ real-time location information allows you to put everyone in a more comprehensive radar map so that you know who is close to you when you need help, and who is falling behind.

The device can message whoever you need to message without the need for a smartphone and most importantly, without any fees. In addition, you can set up a safe zone when you’ve finally found a place to pitch your camp.

Just set the zone and stay alert when someone crosses the line. Safe Zone will also move along with the leader, if someone falls behind or moving too fast ahead, an alarm will be triggered to notify everyone in the group.

The XQUAD has already reached its funding goal on Indiegogo and the campaign will go on for another 2 weeks so you have time to check it out and back the project. According to the information provided, it is in production as we speak and should be delivered soon. To find out all the information, visit the campaign page.

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