Background: companies that produce robomobils
Cars with autonomous or almost autonomous control are a long-playing trend in the automotive industry. And if earlier only technology companies like Google were involved in their development, now traditional auto companies have entered the “autopilot race”.
About robots and their developers are increasingly writing and talking, so it's time to take stock of the past time and make a list of those companies that are engaged in the creation of "independent" machines.
Over the past year and a half, quite large events have taken place on the market of robotic and worth mentioning:
In addition to all that has been named, many smaller transactions have been concluded and quite a few partner organizations have been founded. "Friends" Audi and nVidia, Bosch and nVidia, Lyft and NuTonomy. And this is only the tip of the iceberg - now many companies enter into contracts and agreements with each other.
There are two types of companies in the auto market: those who produce vehicles that can move along the road in automatic or semi-automatic mode, and those who supply solutions for vehicles. There are much more second ones than the first ones and it is not possible to list them within one article. Yes, and the regiment of the first constantly arrives - especially active now are Chinese companies, among which there are many little-known startups.
SAIC Motor
The largest automaker in China, and the company is the state. The organization began with the production of tractors and trolley buses for the needs of Chinese society. Now
SAIC Motor produces both conventional vehicles and electric vehicles, for which with the help of Intel develops automatic control systems.
Ford
One of the most famous car companies in the world, Ford is developing its own robomobili. But only they will deliver not people, but loads . And these are not trucks, like those of Mercedes, but relatively small vehicles that carry parcels. The company's solutions are based on systems from Argo Ai.
BMW
The automaker has always had a lot of projects, but now this company is actively engaged in the development of robomobiles. Interestingly, the main work is done by the Chinese division of the brand. We are talking about BMW China Services Ltd., the company that was the first to receive permission to test unmanned robots on the roads of China.
BMW romobile center is located in Shanghai, where more than 60 specialists work. On the roads are now driving around a few dozen robomobily. The BMW 7 series is used as a “volunteer”.
Also, the company's robobiles are tested on the roads of Munich and California. On the project, BMW is working with Intel.
MobileEye
This organization develops universal solutions for creators of machines with an automatic control system. She managed to conclude supply contracts with BMW, Audi and a number of other companies. She also conducts her own drone tests. In particular, tests are conducted in Jerusalem. In this case, Ford Mondeo sedans are used. According to the head of the company, drones are about three orders of magnitude safer than a human driver.
NIO
Another Chinese company that manufactures solutions for robots. Its headquarters is also located in Shanghai. Robo-vehicles are tested here, of course, with the permission of the Chinese authorities. In recent months, the company’s drones have traveled several thousand kilometers on public roads, and without incident.
Tencent
The technology giant, which also received permission to test robots in Shanghai.
Tesla Inc
Company Ilona Mask was one of the first to add an autopilot to the list of features of the machine. True, despite the name (Autopilot), the company asks not to consider this feature a full-fledged autonomous driving, since the system is only an auxiliary one. The instructions say that the driver should always keep his hands on the wheel while the autopilot is running, and not be distracted. Unfortunately, not all Tesla owners read the instructions or consider it necessary to comply with their provisions, so sometimes there are accidents involving electric vehicles of the company.
Audi
Audi has its own car with a built-in autonomous control system - A8. His autopilot is called Jam Pilot.built on Nvidia solutions. He is able to control the movement of the car at speeds up to 50 km / h. The expensive system is monitored using lidar. The company plans to release a fully autonomous car by 2020.
Mercedes-Benz
The company has been working on the issue of creating robots for several years. There is progress - test cars should appear on the roads of Europe and the USA in a short time. The project is implemented with the participation of Bosch, with which a cooperation agreement has been concluded. The autopilot includes radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, video cameras. In addition, there are laser systems that help create high-resolution navigation maps.
Mercedes is working on both the creation of passenger “robots” and full-fledged cargo mobiles that can move without human intervention for a long time.
Waymo
Thisis Google’s division of Alphabet Holding, which was created specifically for the development of robots. Perhaps, Waymo has advanced on this issue further competitors. Not so long ago, the company announced that its robots had traveled more than 11 million kilometers during tests on ordinary roads. This is still an absolute record.
Every month the company withdrawsRobo-mobiles are on the roads, and progress in testing continues. In March of this year, Waymo purchased more than 20,000 Jaguar I-PACE cars, complementing this fleet with 62,000 Chrysler Pacifica.
Baidu The
Chinese Internet giant has also been developing robotic technology for a long time. As part of its program, Baidu collaborates with companies such as Chery, FAW Group, Changan Automobile, Daimler, Ford and Great Wall Motors, and NVIDIA. The authorities of China have given the company permission to test machines with autopilot in the suburbs of Beijing. For testing machines provided about 30 roads with a total length of 105 kilometers. Not much, but for a test run it is enough.
According to representatives of the company, the launch of vehicles with autopilot to the commercial market is not far off. By 2021, Baidu plans to release a fully autonomous car that can drive on public roads without human intervention.
Yandex
Domestic company for the first time told about their own robil mobile in the spring of 2017. The car was equipped with cameras, lidar, radar, a block of interactive meters and odometric sensors. The tests took place in difficult conditions in the winter, but the test went well.
But in the winter, the robomobil has to cope with such factors as a slippery road and limited visibility (in case of snowfall, for example). Complicated image processing from cameras due to the large amount of white light. In addition, it is more difficult than reading the road markings and evaluating the occurring signs in the summer.
Hyundai
South Korean company relatively recently joined the general race of the development of unmanned vehicles. Moreover, Hyundai believes that such machines can run on hydrogen, and not gasoline. At the beginning of this year, the company's five vehicles traveled 190 kilometers, breaking a path from Seoul to Pkhenchkhan. Of the five cars with autonomous control system, there were three Nexo SUVs and two Genesis G80 sedans.
Hyundai says it plans to commercialize ro-mobiles by 2021. The company is going to release fully autonomous cars by 2030.
In principle, there are other companies that are engaged in the development of autonomous machines - some are simply not mentioned in the selection. In an amicable way, to list the achievements of all, you need to publish a book, and not a separate article. But be that as it may, the trend is well marked - almost all of the more or less large automakers are engaged in the development of universal robots, which are capable of transporting the load and delivering the person to the right place.
In most cases, when companies talk about their projects to create robots, we are talking about 2020-2022. So the wait is not long. As for the permit for the movement of vehicles within the settlements, then if automakers prove the effectiveness and safety of robotic systems, officials will begin to issue permits.
About robots and their developers are increasingly writing and talking, so it's time to take stock of the past time and make a list of those companies that are engaged in the creation of "independent" machines.
Who is friends with who and what is happening in the market?
Over the past year and a half, quite large events have taken place on the market of robotic and worth mentioning:
- Intel acquired the Israeli startup Mobileye for $ 15 billion and turned it into a base for developing its own robotic platform. The corporation also invested $ 390 million in the company Here, which is developing cartographic services.
- Ford poured more than $ 1 billion into Argo, having acted with a startup in the same way as Intel - that is, the company used the purchased company as a base to create its own robotic platform.
- Broadcom paid $ 193 billion for Qualcomm, the largest supplier of microelectronics. The company bought earlier, in turn, acquired NXP, one of the main companies in the market of solutions for ro-mobiles. Well, NXP before that took Freescale. All together now represent the most powerful player in the market of solutions for robots.
- Another purchase was made by Delphi. This company acquired NuTonomy for $ 450 million.
- GM Cruise acquired all the assets of the company Stobe, which was engaged in the development of lidars. The amount is unknown, but it was hardly small.
- Seeing the long-lasting lidar trend, entrepreneurs one after another began to establish companies engaged in the production and supply of appropriate solutions to the market of ro-mobiles.
In addition to all that has been named, many smaller transactions have been concluded and quite a few partner organizations have been founded. "Friends" Audi and nVidia, Bosch and nVidia, Lyft and NuTonomy. And this is only the tip of the iceberg - now many companies enter into contracts and agreements with each other.
Robo mobile manufacturers
There are two types of companies in the auto market: those who produce vehicles that can move along the road in automatic or semi-automatic mode, and those who supply solutions for vehicles. There are much more second ones than the first ones and it is not possible to list them within one article. Yes, and the regiment of the first constantly arrives - especially active now are Chinese companies, among which there are many little-known startups.
SAIC Motor
The largest automaker in China, and the company is the state. The organization began with the production of tractors and trolley buses for the needs of Chinese society. Now
SAIC Motor produces both conventional vehicles and electric vehicles, for which with the help of Intel develops automatic control systems.
Ford
One of the most famous car companies in the world, Ford is developing its own robomobili. But only they will deliver not people, but loads . And these are not trucks, like those of Mercedes, but relatively small vehicles that carry parcels. The company's solutions are based on systems from Argo Ai.
BMW
The automaker has always had a lot of projects, but now this company is actively engaged in the development of robomobiles. Interestingly, the main work is done by the Chinese division of the brand. We are talking about BMW China Services Ltd., the company that was the first to receive permission to test unmanned robots on the roads of China.
BMW romobile center is located in Shanghai, where more than 60 specialists work. On the roads are now driving around a few dozen robomobily. The BMW 7 series is used as a “volunteer”.
Also, the company's robobiles are tested on the roads of Munich and California. On the project, BMW is working with Intel.
MobileEye
This organization develops universal solutions for creators of machines with an automatic control system. She managed to conclude supply contracts with BMW, Audi and a number of other companies. She also conducts her own drone tests. In particular, tests are conducted in Jerusalem. In this case, Ford Mondeo sedans are used. According to the head of the company, drones are about three orders of magnitude safer than a human driver.
NIO
Another Chinese company that manufactures solutions for robots. Its headquarters is also located in Shanghai. Robo-vehicles are tested here, of course, with the permission of the Chinese authorities. In recent months, the company’s drones have traveled several thousand kilometers on public roads, and without incident.
Tencent
The technology giant, which also received permission to test robots in Shanghai.
Tesla Inc
Company Ilona Mask was one of the first to add an autopilot to the list of features of the machine. True, despite the name (Autopilot), the company asks not to consider this feature a full-fledged autonomous driving, since the system is only an auxiliary one. The instructions say that the driver should always keep his hands on the wheel while the autopilot is running, and not be distracted. Unfortunately, not all Tesla owners read the instructions or consider it necessary to comply with their provisions, so sometimes there are accidents involving electric vehicles of the company.
Audi
Audi has its own car with a built-in autonomous control system - A8. His autopilot is called Jam Pilot.built on Nvidia solutions. He is able to control the movement of the car at speeds up to 50 km / h. The expensive system is monitored using lidar. The company plans to release a fully autonomous car by 2020.
Mercedes-Benz
The company has been working on the issue of creating robots for several years. There is progress - test cars should appear on the roads of Europe and the USA in a short time. The project is implemented with the participation of Bosch, with which a cooperation agreement has been concluded. The autopilot includes radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, video cameras. In addition, there are laser systems that help create high-resolution navigation maps.
Mercedes is working on both the creation of passenger “robots” and full-fledged cargo mobiles that can move without human intervention for a long time.
Waymo
This
Every month the company withdrawsRobo-mobiles are on the roads, and progress in testing continues. In March of this year, Waymo purchased more than 20,000 Jaguar I-PACE cars, complementing this fleet with 62,000 Chrysler Pacifica.
Baidu The
Chinese Internet giant has also been developing robotic technology for a long time. As part of its program, Baidu collaborates with companies such as Chery, FAW Group, Changan Automobile, Daimler, Ford and Great Wall Motors, and NVIDIA. The authorities of China have given the company permission to test machines with autopilot in the suburbs of Beijing. For testing machines provided about 30 roads with a total length of 105 kilometers. Not much, but for a test run it is enough.
According to representatives of the company, the launch of vehicles with autopilot to the commercial market is not far off. By 2021, Baidu plans to release a fully autonomous car that can drive on public roads without human intervention.
Yandex
Domestic company for the first time told about their own robil mobile in the spring of 2017. The car was equipped with cameras, lidar, radar, a block of interactive meters and odometric sensors. The tests took place in difficult conditions in the winter, but the test went well.
But in the winter, the robomobil has to cope with such factors as a slippery road and limited visibility (in case of snowfall, for example). Complicated image processing from cameras due to the large amount of white light. In addition, it is more difficult than reading the road markings and evaluating the occurring signs in the summer.
Hyundai
South Korean company relatively recently joined the general race of the development of unmanned vehicles. Moreover, Hyundai believes that such machines can run on hydrogen, and not gasoline. At the beginning of this year, the company's five vehicles traveled 190 kilometers, breaking a path from Seoul to Pkhenchkhan. Of the five cars with autonomous control system, there were three Nexo SUVs and two Genesis G80 sedans.
Hyundai says it plans to commercialize ro-mobiles by 2021. The company is going to release fully autonomous cars by 2030.
As a conclusion
In principle, there are other companies that are engaged in the development of autonomous machines - some are simply not mentioned in the selection. In an amicable way, to list the achievements of all, you need to publish a book, and not a separate article. But be that as it may, the trend is well marked - almost all of the more or less large automakers are engaged in the development of universal robots, which are capable of transporting the load and delivering the person to the right place.
In most cases, when companies talk about their projects to create robots, we are talking about 2020-2022. So the wait is not long. As for the permit for the movement of vehicles within the settlements, then if automakers prove the effectiveness and safety of robotic systems, officials will begin to issue permits.