While the for fully terms of implementation Autonomous vehicles is constantly changing, this doesn't slow down the growth of the automotive startup ecosystem. That some companies are still working over achieving the goal of level 5 autonomy, while others are addressing issues related to electric vehicles, cybersecurity, processor equipment, and other painful moments in the automotive industry.
We invite you to get acquainted with the newest automotive startups of 2019 who are already impacting the automotive industry. Parts 2., view parts 1...
Freer Logic: What if your car could read your mind? Freer Logic has created a contactless EEG/ECD sensor that can be integrated into the car's headrest. A headrest with a neurobiomonitor does not need to be in contact with the driver; it can track brain waves up to 6-10 inches from the head. The device is able to recognize fatigue, drowsiness, distraction, stress, relaxation, cognitive load and other emotions through brain waves and can then instruct the car to act accordingly. Warnings may be issued when the driver falls asleep or the vehicle may issue a warning if the driver shows signs of distraction.
Metamoto: Metamoto from Silicon Valley is a company that provides simulation as a service. Their simulators test software for Autonomous vehicles. The company's proprietary platform allows OEMs to create test scenarios for self-driving cars and reproduce them in a fully virtual environment. This allows manufacturers to test various sensors and software in their vehicles in various road conditions without spending time and money on exhaustive real-world testing. While simulation will likely never completely replace real-world road testing, virtual simulation services like those offered by Metamoto will become increasingly important as OEMs strive to quickly develop vehicles that can perform better in the complex and often unpredictable conditions of real-world roads.
Metawave: Metawave is a startup focused on wireless communication technologies with a particular focus on creating intelligent radars for driverless driving systems. The company's flagship product, the Warlord radar, aims to produce radars that work as well as lidars, and camera systems for detecting objects, people, and animals in the real world. According to the company, Warlord is able to determine the location and speed of road objects in busy areas, such as busy city streets, as well as in all weather conditions.
Warlord uses millimeter wave radiation technology developed by the company, combined with its own computer vision system that can expand the capabilities of the radar. The intelligent Warlord system allows vehicles to detect objects that are out of line of sight (mainly small objects around corners), predict the road situation, as well as identify road hazards or dangerous situations when driving and warn of approaching vehicles in this area.
Rivian: The most talked-about company at the 2018 auto show was Rivian, a Michigan startup that wants to do for pickup trucks and SUVs what Tesla did for luxury sedans. During the Los Angeles auto show, the company unveiled the first two products from its "Electric Adventure Vehicles" line — the five-seat R1T pickup truck and the seven-seat R1S SUV.
According to a statement from Rivian, both cars boast a driving range of 400 miles on a single charge, a top speed of 125 mph and an acceleration of 0-60 m/h in about 3.2 seconds — all with a 180 kilowatt-hour battery. Both cars will also offer level 3 Autonomous driving.
The most unique thing about these cars is the company's "skateboard platform". Rivian cars strive for maximum capacity and volume for cargo transportation by placing the battery pack, drive units, suspension, brakes, and thermal system on a platform that rests below the level of the wheels — like a skateboard. Rivian is currently taking pre-orders for both R1S and R1T, with deliveries expected in 2020.
Thor Trucks: Winner of the" Top Ten automotive startups of 2018 " competition at the Los Angeles auto show, Thor Trucks specializes in managing a fleet of semi-trucks. The company has created a commercial electric cargo platform for short-and medium-distance cargo transportation. Instead of focusing on mainline transportation, Thor has chosen applications such as FedEx-style delivery, where routes are predictable, 150 miles or less in length, and where there are many opportunities to start and stop. According to the company, it is all-electric approach can save suppliers up to 50% of operating costs and allow them to avoid the work associated with the need to comply with emissions standards. The company's flagship is the ET-One, an all-electric semi-truck that travels 300 miles on a single charge and can carry up to 80,000 pounds of cargo. Thor recently announced that UPS will be their first partner and customer. As part of this partnership, UPS will test Thor trucks in Los Angeles in the coming months.
what3words: Another representative of the three finalists of the LA Auto Show 2018 Top Ten Automotive Startups Competition, London-based startup what3words believes that our current addressing system — often a complex combination of numbers and letters — has become too unmanageable and inefficient for the future world of self-driving cars connected to the network. Today, the need for accurate vehicle navigation is much greater than it was centuries ago when our addressing systems were first created. The company's solution? Turn every place on the planet into a simple address consisting of just three words.
what3words has divided the world into 57 trillion 3x3-meter squares, each of which is identified by three keywords (according to the company's statement, keywords are currently translated into 26 languages and their number is constantly growing). So instead of your current, long address, you now live at ///goat. torch. things or //fire. beginning. straight. Maybe your parents house is now located at ////limit. broom. revolution.
Self-driving vehicles equipped with the what3words system can, for example, take people and objects to within a meter, just by hearing three words. The company's website already allows any interested person to view its address consisting of three words… And no, you will not be able to request a change of address, if you don't like these three words.