In The News Archives - Tuga Innovations Inc.

STARTUS INSIGHTS: 10 Top Mobility Startups in 2023

Website Development — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 14:23:23 +0000

Global Startup Heat Map highlights 10 Top Mobility Startups to Watch in 2023

By Startus Insights

Through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, which covers over 3 790 000+ startups & scaleups globally, we identified 1923 Mobility startups. The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the 10 mobility startups you should watch in 2023 as well as the geo-distribution of all mobility startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Based on the heat map, we see high startup activity in Europe and India, followed by the USA. These mobility startups work on solutions ranging from autonomous flying cars and electric bicycles to 3-wheeled hybrid micromobility and shared mobility platforms.

Click to download

As the world’s largest resource for data on emerging companies, the SaaS platform enables you to identify relevant technologies and industry trends quickly & exhaustively. Based on the data from the platform, the Top 5 Mobility Startup Hubs are in London, Bangalore, Berlin, New York City, & San Francisco. The 10 hand-picked startups highlighted in this report are chosen from all over the world and develop solutions for battery-equipped peddled bikes, multi-utility aerial mobility, shared mobility platforms, and bicycle-based vans.

10 Top Mobility Startups to Watch in 2023

The mobility sector is rapidly evolving and several exciting technologies revolutionizing the way we move around cities as we stand in 2023. Battery-equipped peddled bikes are becoming increasingly popular as people seek more sustainable and cost-effective transportation options. Autonomous flying cars are also on the horizon, promising to reduce congestion and improve travel times. Urban micromobility solutions, such as 3-wheeled hybrid mobility and electric bicycles, are gaining traction as people opt for more agile and flexible transportation modes. Bicycle-based vans are emerging as viable solutions for last-mile delivery. Bikes-as-a-Service, shared mobility platforms, and connected mobility platforms are transforming how people access transportation. Finally, multi-utility aerial mobility is an exciting concept that promises to merge transportation and logistics in innovative ways.

Urban Mobility -Battery-equipped Peddled Bikes
VINATA Aeromobility – Autonomous Hybrid Flying Cars
Swugo – Urban Micromobility
TUGA Innovations – 3-Wheeled Hybrid Mobility
Meiro Mobility – Shared Mobility
Fulpra – Bicycle-based Vans
Rhoda – Electric Bicycles
MOBY BIKES – Bikes-as-a-Service
Urbanique – Connected Mobility
BON V Aerospace – Multi-Utility Aerial Mobility

Urban Mobility makes Battery-equipped Peddled Bikes

German startup Urban Mobility manufactures battery-equipped peddled bikes to transport delivery loads and cargo for the logistics sector. It offers UM CargoBike, a three-wheel cargo pedelec designed for heavy loads transportation for courier express parcel (CEP) services in urban areas. The pedelec utilizes a tilting technology that enables the bike to be used as a bicycle and on a battery where electronic differentials allow cornering for continuous mobility and deliveries. Urban Mobility develops and produces new logistics solutions to save time and cost through smart mobility services.

VINATA Aeromobility manufactures Autonomous Hybrid Flying Cars

Indian startup VINATA Aeromobility creates autonomous hybrid flying cars for aerial urban mobility. It uses vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) combined with electric and zero-emission fuel hybrid power for air mobility and transportation. The startup’s flying cars also feature distributed electric propulsion (DEP) with multiple propellers that provide safe mobility by switching to backup propellers in case of emergency. Additionally, the startup offers an AI-enabled 300-degree panoramic view with optional autonomous driving that enables return-to-home features, geofencing, and soft-landing assistance to passengers. VINATA Aeromobility thus enables uninterrupted air mobility by using backup power to provide electricity to motors in case of generator failure.

Swugo advances Urban Micromobility

Swugo is a Dutch startup that provides conversion kits to turn existing bicycles into e-bikes for urban micromobility. It uses a drop-in motor and smart battery to convert traditional pedaled bikes into hybrid e-bikes. The startup offers batteries as a service, and a cell-swapping network to recharge the bike faster and eliminate waiting times at charging stations. It also leverages smart control algorithms to increase the life and availability of batteries and provides safety against unauthorized use. Swugo allows the last-mile delivery industry to switch to smarter urban micro-mobility.

TUGA Innovations offers 3-Wheel Hybrid Mobility

Canadian startup TUGA Innovations manufactures 3-wheel electric vehicles for urban mobility. It offers a motorcycle-car hybrid that combines agility and safety to provide smarter personal commuting. The solution features modular body components such as expanding rear axle that enhances stability and offers narrower lane splitting for safer mobility. The startup also offers other EVs with an extendable chassis option that offers increased rear seat access and added space for pickups and deliveries in urban areas. TUGA Innovations enables personal and industrial applications of its vehicles by allowing customers and industries to utilize vehicles specific to their needs.

Meiro Mobility advances Shared Mobility

Meiro Mobility is an Indian startup that makes hardware and software solutions for last-mile shared mobility. It offers Yuja, a shared mobility stack that enables convenient and flexible ride-sharing for commuters as well as drivers. The startup also offers a shared mobility platform to deploy and manage on-demand route-based rides for dynamic fleet operations and smart city integration. Additionally, it offers smart meters that enable adaptive trip metering for accurate fares and minimal usage charges to make shared mobility cost-effective. As a result, Meiro Mobility improves transport efficiency by balancing the use of private vehicles through shared mobility and also streamlines logistics operations.

Fulpra makes Bicycle-based Vans

Dutch startup Fulpra manufactures bicycle-based vans for cargo pickup and delivery services. It offers 3-wheel battery-powered hybrid pedaled load carriage vans — Fulpra Roll and Fulpra Pick Up. These products cater to the last-mile delivery industry by providing convenient and greener delivery options. They feature tilt-steering with automatically switching pedal assistance for longer and safer mobility. Additionally, the startup’s vehicles contain a multi-use open container to carry and deliver heavy loads. Fulpra offers emission-free mobility services for urban cities using bicycle routes for faster transportation.

Rhoda manufactures Electric Bicycles

Rhoda is a Sri Lankan startup that develops pedaled electric bicycles for urban mobility. It offers Rhoda AT and Rhoda ATS, hybrid e-bikes designed for personal commuting and last-mile delivery services. The products utilize a detachable and rechargeable battery and a built-in DC hub motor. This offers a more extended range and efficient performance in changing traffic conditions. They also feature smartphone connectivity that provides navigational updates, vehicle health updates, and biometric authentication for safer commuting. Rhoda, thus, manufactures cost-efficient and eco-friendly fleet upgrades for the delivery industry.

MOBY BIKES provides Bikes-as-a-Service

Irish startup MOBY BIKES delivers e-bikes as a service for small-load deliveries and personal mobility in urban cities. It offers MOBY Move, a bike-sharing solution on a daily rental basis. The startup’s other product, MOBY Pro, is an e-bike with cargo space for delivery riders. It uses a hybrid mechanism that switches between the battery and pedal and provides uninterrupted commuting in changing traffic environments. MOBY BIKES caters to the last-mile courier industry and ensures economical delivery options.

Urbanique ensures Connected Mobility

Hungarian startup Urbanique develops fleet management applications for monitoring commercial and passenger vehicles. It allows small and medium shared mobility businesses to take control of cars by making usage more transparent and reducing fuel costs. The startup provides automated reports on driving style analysis, fuel consumption, and emission to optimize fleet performance and manage operational costs. Urbanique enables delivering of goods, field sales, and logistics-as-a-service through its connected mobility platform.

BON V Aerospace provides Multi-Utility Aerial Mobility

BON V Aerospace is an Indian startup that offers flying cars for urban aerial mobility and cargo transportation. It develops BON V AERO RM001, an AI-powered multi-utility vehicle for faster and aerial deliveries in hilly regions. The solution provides end-to-end aerial logistics solutions for emergency services and regional air mobility. It features autonomous remote control fleet management from a single control station and ensures economic cargo transportation. This enables BON V Aerospace to provide cost-effective autonomous air transportation services to the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry.

Discover All Emerging Mobility Startups

The mobility startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free Mobility Innovation Report for a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies & emerging solutions that will impact your company in 2023!

Click here to view the original post.

The post STARTUS INSIGHTS: 10 Top Mobility Startups in 2023 appeared first on Tuga Innovations Inc..

Archyde.com: The car of the future: a computer on wheels

Website Development — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:56:45 +0000

Those who buy a car today usually drive it for between five and seven years until they acquire a new vehicle. “In the future, cars will change every three months,” says Claus Gruber, an expert in automotive software at the consulting firm PwC Strategy &, in an interview with DW. “They will get new functions and, of course, security features through software updates, similar to what we are used to today with smartphones and laptops.”

The engineering doctor is the co-author of a study that describes the prerequisites for the transformation to a software-based automotive industry. According to this study, software development costs for the new model series will double in the next ten years. Autonomous driving functions are the ones that generate the most costs, with 45% of the total.

The car of the future will be electric, networked and “smart” in terms of automated driving. In addition, there will be digital entertainment on board.

Inconsistent electronics

In today’s cars there is a veritable mosaic of dozens of electronic control units, for example for the engine, air conditioning or window regulators. In the future, these individual control units will be combined into a few powerful computers known as domain controllers. “These central computers are the brain of the car and control all the functions,” explains Gruber.

The software is periodically updated from the cloud via a chip using the 5G network, as with smartphones. For this, visits to the workshops are not necessary.

New business culture

For the automotive industry, this evolution requires a readjustment of company culture. It’s no longer enough to build high-quality vehicles, says Gruber. “We will perform more and more functions in the software. Consequently, an automobile company must also change its culture, in the way of creating the product, (evolve) towards a software company.”

If a smartphone app doesn’t work the way it should, it’s not a big problem. However, in a car, a breakdown of this type can have dire consequences. The computer programs of the vehicles in which passengers are transported must be particularly secure and resistant to malfunctions.

But since the software industry has not yet solved its problems one hundred percent, as every PC user knows from painful experience, management consultant Gruber calls for further cooperation. “The automotive industry and its suppliers must collaborate with the technology industry to jointly offer these new functions with really good quality and safety.”

A great business

One thing is clear: the companies that develop these operating systems have a big business ahead of them. Like software companies. Because margins of 50 percent or more are common in the software industry.

The automaker Tesla has already announced that it will license its automated driving software and also sell it to its competitors if necessary. Its supremacy in this area may partly explain why the American automaker, with a market capitalization of around € 670 billion, is now worth more than three times as much as VW, Daimler and BMW combined.

German automakers react

However, German automakers are already developing their own operating systems, some of which are already in operation. BMW is a pioneer in this regard, with its own BMW OS 7 operating system installed in new cars since 2018. Mercedes-Benz is currently designing the MB.OS platform for its cars. VW is creating a car software organization with the goal of creating its own operating system called VW.OS and is also cooperating with Microsoft.

These kinds of collaborations are liked by software expert Claus Gruber. Because, in his opinion, the transformation of the automotive industry has to happen quickly and will be relatively expensive. “We have to gather the resources we have and the digital talent. My request to the auto industry is that they cooperate more, that they dare to work together.” Because only by working together, he said, will it be possible to achieve the necessary speed. The risks are too great for lone wolves.

Reposted from: https://www.archyde.com/the-car-of-the-future-a-computer-on-wheels/
Author: Klaus Ulrich

The post Archyde.com: The car of the future: a computer on wheels appeared first on Tuga Innovations Inc..

The near future of urban mobility

Ian Murray — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 21:50:52 +0000

SMARTCITIESWORLD.NET

By by Phil Williams: Director of Strategic Partnerships at Iomob

17 Apr 2019

Improving mobility is complex, affected by many inter-related and shifting trends. Phil Williams, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Iomob, looks at how we move towards ’mobility heaven’ and avoid ’driverless car hell’.

The world of personal mobility, long dominated by the private car, is changing fast.

With growing car use, crushing congestion, stark urban environmental effects and decreasing municipal funds, cities worldwide are struggling to enable transport options that meet the needs of the planet as well as their people.

In response, disruptive mobility technologies such as micromobility and autonomous vehicles are coming to the forefront. They’re providing alternatives to private cars that are cheaper and better for the environment – and in many cases, they are faster and equally convenient too.

These new transit modes are being stitched together by digital infrastructure that’s just as important as the bits of metal we ride in. Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) apps and connective platforms are starting to enable connected mobility options: new ways to get from A to B that are on-demand, real-time and end-to-end.

One of these is Iomob’s blockchain-based mobility marketplace.

Transport is, after all, responsible for 25 per cent of some continents’ emissions.

Many new solutions aim to contribute to saving the planet’s resources. Transport is, after all, responsible for 25 per cent of some continents’ emissions. There is an opportunity to reframe our way of thinking about mobility and foster a strong circular economy that will also benefit the environment and people.

In this, the first part of a two-part series, let’s take some time to summarise the dominant mobility trends of the next five years.

In the second part, we’ll look at how digital infrastructure will support those trends.

Micromobility

Micromobility is the fastest-growing sector in the mobility market, and showing no signs of slowing. In technical terms, micromobility covers any urban transport mode under 500kg. This includes e-scooters (such as Lime and Bird), e-bikes and shared mopeds.

Micromobility is perfect for short-distance personal movement. Roughly half of all journeys (and vehicle miles) normally performed by motor vehicles are under 15km. And of these, two-thirds are clustered under 6km. Trips at this distance are much cheaper (and frequently faster) to do in non-car modes. In fact, most short inner-city trips could be taken by micromobility, making the potential of this market enormous.

When Micromobility Attacks from Horace Dediu

What micromobility needs to be effective

There are some caveats, though: many micro-modes will require a combination of regulatory, infrastructural and behavioural change to achieve full value.

Take e-bikes, the most efficient way to cover typical commuter distances in cities. They’re cheaper and faster than private cars at peak hours, with no parking hassle at the end. However they move quicker than regular cycles, and at scale need to have dedicated lanes to capitalise on their speed potential.

Many city councils aren’t yet willing to convert roads to cycle lanes, seeing it as a vote killer – even though it has significant potential to actually reduce congestion.

On the behavioural side, not everyone wants to cycle in the pouring rain or risk their safety on car-heavy city streets. This will change over time, as the all-weather riders of Amsterdam and Copenhagen show. In these places, cars negotiate well with cyclists and the modes are considered equal.

The shoot-first approach pioneered by Uber is wearing thin on the public, and on regulators.

Others have concerns about e-scooters littering city avenues, hence the knee-jerk reaction of many US cities to the emergence of Bird last year. The shoot-first approach pioneered by companies such as Uber is wearing thin on the public, and on regulators.

It’s time is up, and the micromobility startups will face a wave of civic resistance if they aren’t party to solving the side-effects they generate.

Despite the potential barriers, though, micromobility will continue to grow:

The cost per mile is already low and will only get lower
The market for short trips is huge and will only increase as more people move to cities
The electrification of bikes and scooters will combine with new design features and improved infrastructure to reduce behavioural barriers
Many cities looking to cut emissions are likely to try to accelerate micromobility uptake by instigating regulatory changes.

Autonomy and electrification

Micromobility is exciting, but cars are still king of our mobility world. In many markets, more than 90 per cent of journeys are done in single-occupancy private cars. Thankfully two big game-changers are currently transforming the car space: autonomy and electrification.

Combined, these two technologies offer huge potential in terms of time-savings, congestion- cutting and smoother urban mobility.

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that they’ll deliver the kind of mobility future we want: faster, cheaper and more sustainable transit.

The ‘driverless car hell’ scenario

Robin Chase succinctly summarises the challenges in her video The Future of Autonomous Vehicles.

In the worst case, Chase identifies that the two trends could actually increase the congestion problems caused by the way we prioritise private vehicle ownership.

By allowing everyone to travel seamlessly in their own autonomous vehicle (AV), individuals could buy their own AV and instead of paying for parking, they might send their empty AV around the block or send it home until they are ready to be picked up, instantly doubling car miles and thus congestion.

If the development and introduction of autonomy and electrification are not well-managed by national and local governments, many cities could become less liveable than they are now.

Shops may even do away with renting store space and simply send loaded AVs to their customers, increasing vehicle movements.

In this ‘mobility hell’ scenario, energy usage and socioeconomic inequalities are likely to rise.

If the development and introduction of autonomy and electrification are not well-managed by national and local governments, many cities could become less liveable than they are now.

The ‘shared heaven” scenario

In the best case, autonomy and electrification will play a leading role in the transition to a ‘mobility heaven’ of more sustainable, efficient and equitable urban mobility systems.

Autonomy could also bring widespread benefits if it is introduced within a mobility system founded upon the principles of sharing. Sharing has two meanings: shared within a fleet model but for individual riders (like Uber) or pooled, meaning several riders need to share a vehicle (like Waze).

If shared and pooled models are used within a city-wide framework, autonomous cars could allow people to access door-to-door transport, with the convenience of a private vehicle for the same cost as public transport. If this happens, they will cut energy usage, reduce congestion and improve quality of life for city-dwellers.

It’s possible.

Non-owned, fleet-based car networks exist today – one example is Zipcar. If they proliferated, replacing most private vehicles and offering pooling we would need just 10 per cent of the cars we have in cities today, even at peak times.

Electrification will force electronic road-user pricing

The impact of electrification will become more obvious around 2030, when the technologies reach a tipping point and become more advanced, cheaper and therefore more widespread.

The biggest impact of electrification for nations is not better air quality and lower operating costs, although those will be great.

It has created a looming policy cliff that will force governments into change: the need to recuperate lost fuel tax income. As electric vehicles take over the fleet, many existing fuel taxes will cease to work. Dynamic electronic road pricing (ERP) systems need to be introduced to replace fuel taxes.

The impact of electrification will become more obvious around 2030.

This is an opportunity, as a new digitally enabled system can also incentivise the transition to a green car fleet, maintain and improve road networks, and encourage more people to “pool-share”.

Dynamic ERP systems will do more than simply replace fuel taxes, they’ll charge us based on a range of factors including carbon emissions and congestion effects. This will affect behaviour at a much more granular level.

There are some great policy indications. The work of Paul Buchanan (Volterra) and Stelios Rodoulis (Jacobs) in their Wolfson Economics Prize 2017 finalist entry “Pricing for Prosperity” is some of the best thinking on the subject.

The team clearly identify the challenges facing us, and make clear and implementable recommendations on how a new system should be designed.

What do countries need to do?

If we want to make our cities more equitable and liveable places for all, waiting to see how these new technologies will pan out, laissez-faire-style, will not work. Simply drifting on with our private-ownership-first mobility models into the AV and EV future will result in more vehicles, unmaintained roads and reduced quality of life.

To transition from private-first to shared-first behaviour, a staged approach with a level of government intervention is needed. They’ll need to make brave decisions now, about road charging and private vehicle ownership, if we want to see effective change by 2030.

The critical steps cities and policymakers need to take are:

Support the re-assignment of road space for micromobility options, particularly ebikes
Pilot ERP using on-board devices (not gantries) before 2021
Support the development of open MaaS marketplaces which all mobility providers have equal access to (to be covered in part two of this article)
Consider how ERP will integrate with MaaS

Source: https://www.smartcitiesworld.net/opinions/opinions/the-near-future-of-urban-mobility

The post The near future of urban mobility appeared first on Tuga Innovations Inc..

What is Intelligent Transport System and how it works?

Ian Murray — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 21:44:31 +0000

GEOSPATIALWORLD.NET

By Mahashreveta Choudhary — 01/15/2019

With the conception of smart city transmuting cities into digital societies, making the life of its citizens easy in every facet, Intelligent Transport System becomes the indispensable component among all. In any city mobility is a key concern; be it going to school, college and office or for any other purpose citizens use transport system to travel within the city. Leveraging citizens with an Intelligent Transport System can save their time and make the city even smarter. Intelligent Transport System (ITS) aims to achieve traffic efficiency by minimizing traffic problems. It enriches users with prior information about traffic, local convenience real-time running information, seat availability etc. which reduces travel time of commuters as well as enhances their safety and comfort.

Intelligent Transport System (ITS) aims to achieve traffic efficiency by minimizing traffic problems. It aims to reduce time of commuters as well as enhances their safety and comfort.

The application of ITS is widely accepted and used in many countries today. The use is not just limited to traffic congestion control and information, but also for road safety and efficient infrastructure usage. Because of its endless possibilities, ITS has now become a multidisciplinary conjunctive field of work and thus many organizations around the world have developed solutions for providing ITS applications to meet the need.

One such example is the city of Glasgow. In the city, Intelligent Transport System gives regular information to the daily commuters about public buses, timings, seat availability, the current location of the bus, time taken to reach a particular destination, next location of the bus and the density of passengers inside the bus.

Iain Langlands, GIS and Data Manager, Glasgow City Council explains, bus operators in the city have the sensors in their buses. So, if the bus is going to be early to the next bus stop the bus is temporarily and very slightly is slowed down at the red light little longer than it should be to make sure the bus is on time and do not ahead of the schedule”. The system has been designed so smartly that passengers and even drivers are unaware of the delay as they are very little delays.

Application areas of Intelligent Transport System

The entire application of ITS is based on data collection, analysis and using the results of the analysis in the operations, control and research concepts for traffic management where location plays an important role.

How Intelligent Transport System works?

Traffic Management Centre (TMC) is the vital unit of ITS. It is mainly a technical system administered by the transportation authority. Here all data is collected and analyzed for further operations and control management of the traffic in real time or information about local transportation vehicle.

Well-organized and proficient operations of Traffic Management Centre depends on automatized data collection with precise location information than analysis of that data to generate accurate information and then transmitting it back to travelers. Let’s understand the entire process in a more detailed way.

ALSO READ: 5 futuristic transportation technologies that will transform the world

Data collection: Strategic planning needs precise, extensive and prompt data collection with real-time observation. So the data here is collected via varied hardware devices that lay the base of further ITS functions. These devices are Automatic Vehicle Identifiers, GPS based automatic vehicle locators, sensors, camera etc. The hardware mainly records the data like traffic count, surveillance, travel speed and travel time, location, vehicle weight, delays etc. These hardware devices are connected to the servers generally located at data collection centre which stores large amounts of data for further analysis.

Data Transmission: Rapid and real-time information communication is the Key to proficiency in ITS implementation so this aspect of ITS consists of the transmission of collected data from the field to TMC and then sending back that analyzed information from TMC to travelers. Traffic-related announcements are communicated to the travelers through internet, SMS or onboard units of Vehicle. Other methods of communications are dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) using radio and Continuous Air Interface Long and Medium Range (CAILM) using cellular connectivity and infra-red links.

Data Analysis: The data that has been collected and received at TMC is processed further in various steps. These steps are error rectification, data cleaning, data synthesis, and adaptive logical analysis. Inconsistencies in data are identified with specialized software and rectified. After that data is further altered and pooled for analysis. This mended collective data is analyzed further to predict traffic scenario which is available to deliver appropriate information to users.

Traveler Information: Travel Advisory Systems (TAS) is used to inform transportation updates to the traveling user. The system delivers real-time information like travel time, travel speed, delay, accidents on roads, change in route, diversions, work zone conditions etc. This information is delivered by a wide range of electronic devices like variable message signs, highway advisory radio, internet, SMS, automated cell.

With urbanization expanding with speedy stride, number of vehicles on road is also increasing. Combination of both in return puts enormous pressure on cities to maintain a better traffic system so that the city keeps on moving without any hassle. For the purpose application of Intelligent Transport System is the only solution. ITS is a win-win situation for both citizens and city administrators where it provides safety and comfort to citizens and easy maintenance and surveillance to city administrators.

Watch Niraj Prakash of Oracle explaining intelligent public transportation system in developing countries.

Source: https://www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/what-is-intelligent-transport-system-and-how-it-works/

The post What is Intelligent Transport System and how it works? appeared first on Tuga Innovations Inc..

VIDEO: The future of mobility: Ben’s Journey | Deloitte Insights

Ian Murray — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 21:56:21 +0000

Frictionless, automated, personalized travel on demand—that’s the dream of the future of mobility. And the extended auto ecosystem’s various elements are coalescing to realize that dream sooner than expected, which means that incumbents and disruptors need to move at top speed to get on board. To learn more, visit: http://bit.ly/2fkFM1q

The post VIDEO: The future of mobility: Ben’s Journey | Deloitte Insights appeared first on Tuga Innovations Inc..

ABC News: Cars of the future will be computers on wheels

Website Development — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:11:24 +0000

HANOVER, Germany — A handful of people have seen the car of the near-future, and it looks suspiciously like a lunar land rover. Or a plane. Or a driverless vehicle. Take your choice.

At auto shows and tech conferences around the globe, prototypes of whiz-bang cars offer a visual narrative into what to expect on the nation’s streets a decade from now. Some already are in production; others will be shortly, carmakers say. But in technology laboratories and engineering facilities worldwide, the imaginings don’t stop there.

Think 15 to 20 years out.

By 2030, city streets will teem with small, driverless cars whose wireless capabilities direct traffic flow smoothly, rendering traffic lights unnecessary, car designers and automotive visionaries say. The cars themselves will be made of collapsible, lightweight material, allowing them to be tucked into the tiniest parking crevices.

Cloud computing will enable riders to work or play games during their commutes while listening to their favorite music as chosen by the car, says Kevin Dallas, general manager of Microsoft Windows Embedded. The software giant is working with Ford, BMW and others to make vehicles more connected.

For years, we’ve heard predictions about the cars of the future and seen them depicted in pop culture from the writings of Jules Verne to TV’s The Jetsons. But advances in wireless communications and battery technology have made what once was a far-off idea a near-reality, says Mark Boyadjis, senior analyst at market researcher IHS Automotive, an industry consulting firm.

Changes in transportation infrastructure and policy, coupled with technology advances, could make this all possible in the not-too-distant future, say auto executives, analysts and scientists.

Within 20 years, not as many people will own cars. In fact, they will share them, Boyadjis predicts.

The future took a step closer to reality this year when Nevada became the first place anywhere to issue license plates to self-driving cars, allowing Google, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors to further develop and refine robo-driving on the state’s 25,000 miles of road.

The wild card is how humans will react.

“It will be a different kind of automotive experience,” Boyadjis says. “But for it to take shape, we need a seismic change in people’s attitudes toward cars … and early adoption of technology (by) consumers, automakers and infrastructure.”

There are indications that as an array of personal and information technology enters the mainstream in cars — from parking-assist aids to navigation systems to voice control — drivers are slowly warming to the idea of letting the car do more on its own. Indeed, many drivers say they would pay $3,000 for self-driving technology, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

Several recent shows offer glimpses into where cars are headed:

•EO. At the CeBit computer-electronics show in Hanover in March, the blue, egg-shaped electric car was the head-turner as part of a futuristic exhibit. “It is half-robot, half-car,” says Benjamin Girault, a researcher at DFKI, a research institute that has developed small robots and an underwater rover. In several years, it could be on city streets, outfitted with cameras and lasers, and be controlled remotely, if necessary. An extension added to the back of the car would double the number of passengers, to four.

German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, which designed the car, says that in the city, the car’s wheels could be rotated at 90-degree angles so the vehicle could squeeze into a tight parking space. A tablet-like dashboard would show battery life, speed and energy use and would allow the driver to shift gears.

•The Transition. Terrafugia’s flying car is getting closer to its maiden test flight. It is due in modest volume in 2014. You’ll need a pilot’s license to fly the two-seat car-plane hybrid, with foldable wings, that can fit into a garage. And, oh, about $279,000 to buy it.

Its top speeds are 70 mph on the ground and up to 115 mph in the air. About 100 people have put down $10,000 deposits to get on the waiting list for the sci-fi-like vehicle.

Terrafugia CEO Carl Dietrich sees the hybrid as a boon for the aviation industry and a lower-cost alternative for business people who travel frequently within a region. “You can drive in bad weather and fly in good weather,” Dietrich says.

Changing on the inside

The auto industry’s 127-year history is chock-full of technology innovations, beginning with steam-, electric- and gasoline-powered vehicles.

Hydraulic brakes were invented in 1919, and the first automatic transmission came three years later. If the late 1920s and 1930s were defined by Henry Ford’s manufacturing achievements, they were also distinguished by the introduction of the gearbox, V-8 engine and front-wheel drive.

For decades, advances in car technology were judged largely on design. Models became smaller, sleeker — and in the case of the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, more muscular — after World War II. The modern era saw the rise of the hatchback, sedan and sport-utility vehicle. Safety features became standard in the 1960s.

Current and future models, however, are more often evaluated largely on what’s inside them as they increasingly become fuel-efficient, Internet-connected computers on wheels.

“We used to talk about surfing the Internet. Soon, it just may be driving the Internet,” says Harry Sverdlove, chief technology officer at security-software company Bit9.

Internet-wired cars will help usher in an era of car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication, which has been discussed for years but is becoming more of a reality now that U.S. automakers have agreed on a standardized frequency on which to transmit information.

Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC), a version of Wi-Fi designed for automotive, is considered a cornerstone technology, but adoption will take time, analyst Boyadjis says.

In an oft-mentioned example of DSRC’s potential, a car 100 feet ahead of another could alert the trailing auto about black ice on a ramp, giving the second car the chance to adjust its electronic-stability system or avoid the ramp. Car-to-grid communications, meanwhile, could record suspension activity on city roads, and relay that data to officials to fix damaged roads.

“The car is going to act like a data-collection probe,” Tom Baloga, BMW’s vice president of engineering, said of his company’s pending car-to-car communication system. A car’s location will be transmitted, anonymously, to other cars and infrastructure. The data, he says, would be used to study traffic flow, slippery conditions, bottlenecks and potholes.

Ford’s Evos concept car, a four-door fastback design that is about five years away, would be a cloud-computing device on four wheels. It would link to the driver’s digital records; monitor vital signs, such as indications of drowsiness; and play music based on the driver’s smartphone playlist. Radar, ultrasonic sensors and cameras would all be activated by voice-recognition technology.

Chris Borroni-Bird, director of GM’s advanced technology vehicle concepts, is one of the masterminds behind its Electric Networked Vehicle, or EN-V (pronounced “envy”).

The mind-bending EN-V, with speeds of up to 25 mph, is envisioned by 2030 for congested cities such as Beijing and Mumbai, college campuses, tourist resorts and retirement communities. “Cities are wrestling with not just more people, but cars,” Borroni-Bird says. “It is smaller (5 feet by 5 feet and about 1,000 pounds), has lower emissions and solves the challenges of gridlock through an onboard communications system tied to other vehicles and city infrastructures. The battery-powered car could be owned, shared or rented.”

“The most remarkable advances will be in fuel sourcing and technology inside cars,” says Alex Nunez, senior automotive editor for ConsumerSearch.com.

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley (Calif.) National Laboratory, with funding from the Department of Energy, are developing battery technology that would extend the range of electric cars to 300 miles from 50 to 100 miles, says Venkat Srinivasan, manager of the Batteries for Advanced Transportation Technologies program.

When is it too much?

There seems to be no limit to eye-popping features in future cars.

Flexible-display technology could add new wrinkles in the form of maps, traffic patterns and ads that are projected on dashboards. GM, meanwhile, is exploring the idea of a Windows app that would let consumers draw, play games, “peek” into other locations around the globe in real time, and share music and messages with other passengers on the road.

While that may entice consumers, it worries folks at the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which recently proposed guidelines to reduce driver distraction because of the use of dashboard technologies and integrated electronic devices, including smartphones.

NHTSA Administrator David Strickland says, “We are in close contact with manufacturers, component suppliers, Google, Microsoft and others about this.”

There are potential upsides, too. Automated cars would include technology, such as advanced cruise control and crash-imminent braking, that would minimize risk.

“If we get this right, we could eliminate risk to the road,” Strickland says. NHTSA is also considering guidelines for voice-activated controls.

Privacy is another concern, with so much data floating between cars, consumers and the cloud — and the chief reason the vast majority of data would remain anonymous, Baloga says.

“Security is a big issue,” auto analyst Boyadjis says. “There is a conceivable concern about terrorists hacking into an infrastructure system and intentionally crashing cars. Stolen ID is one thing. A car going 60 mph without brakes is a worry.”

But that would be a rare exception in a futuristic city full of autonomous autos, say experts. Transportation by car would never be safer, they contend.

Raj Rajkumar, who heads Carnegie Mellon’s GM autonomous driving lab, argues that in 15 to 20 years, when driverless vehicles become fixtures on U.S. roads, they will help dramatically reduce accidents, as well as the need for big, steel-framed cars to protect drivers.

“Most, if not all, accidents are because of human error,” he says.

“People get drunk, tired, mad, text,” he says. In the future, “Cars will be smaller and lighter, which means better gas mileage, a healthier environment, less traffic jams — even fewer traffic lights.”

Jim Buczkowski, Ford’s director of electronics research and innovation, says, “Technology is important, but how do you create experiences that make (consumers’) lives better? Futuristic cars could deliver, with the promise of safer roads, improved fuel efficiency and a cleaner environment.”

Reposted from: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/cars-future-computers-wheels/story?id=16324586
Author: Jon Swartz

The post ABC News: Cars of the future will be computers on wheels appeared first on Tuga Innovations Inc..