Companies collaborate to provide multi-city autonomous delivery service

Ford, Argo AI and Walmart are working together to launch an autonomous last-mile vehicle delivery service to customers in Miami, Austin and Washington, DC.

Consumer expectations continue to shift to next-day or same-day delivery

Ford Motor Company, artificial intelligence specialist Argo AI and retailer Walmart are working together to launch a door-to-door autonomous vehicle delivery service in Miami, Austin (Texas) and Washington, DC. It marks Walmart’s first multi-city autonomous delivery collaboration in the US. The last mile delivery service will use Ford self-driving test vehicles equipped with the Argo AI Self-Driving System to deliver Walmart orders to customers. Scaling the service The collaboration brings together a self-driving technology provider with an automotive manufacturer able to integrate that technology with vehicles at scale, plus the world’s largest retailer. The commercial service will be available to Walmart customers within defined service areas of the three markets and will expand over time, with initial integration testing slated to begin later this year. As consumer expectations continue to shift to next-day or same-day delivery – especially in the urban core where there is a higher concentration of deliveries – this collaboration will drive key learnings in how autonomous technology can enhance customer experiences, while also optimising logistics and operations. “Our focus on the testing and development of self-driving technology that operates in urban areas where customer demand is high really comes to life with this collaboration,” said Bryan Salesky, founder and CEO, Argo AI. “Working together with Walmart and Ford across three markets, we’re showing the potential for autonomous vehicle delivery services at scale.” “Argo and Ford are aggressively preparing for large-scale autonomous vehicle operations across a broad footprint of US cities”

Argo’s cloud-based infrastructure, which is designed to work seamlessly and efficiently with partners’ business operations, will integrate with Walmart’s online ordering platform to route orders and schedule package deliveries to customers’ homes. “Argo and Ford are aggressively preparing for large-scale autonomous vehicle operations across a broad footprint of US cities,” said Scott Griffith, CEO, Ford Autonomous Vehicles & Mobility Businesses.

Source: Smart Cities World

Italian tourist destination to become smart city prototype

Integral to the Taormina City tech project, led by start-up T.net, is 5Ghz wireless networking that will help create an IoT network and a vehicle-to-everything a corridor.

The Taormina project aims to be a model for other smart cities in Italy Taormina, on the Italian island of Sicily, famous for its landscape, beauty and historical monuments, is to become a showcase and model for smart city projects in Italy. The Taormina City tech project is being led T.net, a start-up in the innovation accelerator EIT Digital’s portfolio, and is supported by the municipality. Smart city services The project, scheduled to be finished by the end of the year, focuses on a range of services from mobility and waste collection to lighting, which will be managed via a network of intelligent sensors. It leverages 5Ghz wireless networking, enabling the creation of an Internet of Things (IoT) network and a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) corridor for connected autonomous vehicles. This is intended to significantly improve intermodal communication in real-time as well as the overall travel experience. By successfully managing the interaction between the vehicles, the road infrastructure, and the infrastructure users, T.net hopes to ease the burden of heavy traffic flow, making it simpler for citizens and tourists to move across the city. “We are doing this using innovative and modular IoT technologies, replicable in other contexts and expandable with additional services” For instance, it is possible to calculate waiting times at toll booths, travel times from the highway to the city centre and to show available municipal parking stalls. Moreover, the system monitors the cable-car tourist service, keeping passengers informed of the waiting times for the next trip. T.net’s technology allows authorities to save and optimise resources by using smart lighting systems, metering systems for pollutants and monitoring systems for garbage bins. It said with citizens’ collaboration, it is possible to trigger a “virtuous process” leading to a smart community.

Source: Smart Cities World

Ericsson Connected Cars report highlights monetization opportunities for car manufacture

While drivers and passengers still need vehicles to get to their destination, other parts of driving experiences across the world are changing fast. The ‘driving’ factor in this change is reliable and robust connectivity. Automakers are embracing connectivity and adapting business strategies to remain competitive as consumers demand better connected-vehicle experiences. A new Ericsson report provides insights into this rapidly changing market, highlighting opportunities to capitalize on IoT and connectivity innovation. With the connected car market forecasted to reach revenues of USD 166 billion by 2025 (Statista), Ericsson’s report - Connected Cars: Succeeding in the midst of economic and societal transformation - takes a closer look at the major challenges, solutions and use cases as automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) reassess their value to customers.

The report also highlights how new market players are proving that a big brand name alone may not be enough to retain customer loyalty and market share. By capitalizing on cellular connectivity IoT, smart over-the-air (OTA) updates can offer cost savings of up to 87 percent (according to Stout’s 2019 Automotive Defect and Recall report) for the baseline automotive OEM described in the report.

Instead of physically driving the car to a dealership or service center for software updates, they could be done remotely, saving time and money. Optimizing data transfer to off-peak periods will also be more cost-effective as OEMs will be able to take advantage of discounts. Smartly managing connectivity and subscriptions is another way for OEMs to meet drivers’ expectations of being fully and seamlessly connected on the road, regardless of location.

The cost of installing a fixed SIM, like those found in most mobile phones, is 10 times greater than updating an embedded SIM (eSIM) – a programmable SIM card.

This eSIM capability gives the industry better flexibility in controlling costs, while providing a better experience for consumers as it would remove the complexities consumers may face if car journeys cross multi-CSP run networks or cross border travel. An embedded eSIM would automatically handle all such requirements without the need for changing or updating cards dependent on the scope of the journey.

Tapping the intelligence from car data is another opportunity for auto OEMs. According to the report, the overall global revenue pool from car data monetization could range from USD 450 billion to USD 750 billion by 2030. Kyle Okamoto, General Manager, Ericsson IoT, says: ”Automakers need to strategically consider the future of their business and capitalize on an evolving ecosystem of technology companies, information and entertainment companies, suppliers and many more players who are progressing innovation around the Internet of Things. This interesting report outlines how automakers can adapt and succeed in the market.”

Source: Ericsson