Tag: self-driving

Alphabet’s Waymo raises $2.25 bn to rev up autonomous projects

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Waymo said Monday it had raised $2.25 billion in its first external funding round to help the former Google car unit accelerate its deployment of autonomous cars and trucks. Born in a Google lab devoted to big-vision new technology, Waymo became a subsidiary of Alphabet in 2016 — and has been one of the tech giant’s “other bets” that have been losing money in recent years. Leading the investment round […]

Waymo to sell its self-driving tech to outside firms

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — The sudden death last year of millions of Iraqi carp, used in the country’s signature dish, was caused by a strain of herpes harmless to humans, the United Nations said Wednesday. Iraqi fish farmers south of Baghdad were left reeling in late 2018 after piles of dead carp were found washed up on the banks of the Euphrates River or floating in their cages. Rumours swirled over whether the […]

Uber self-driving car kills Arizona pedestrian

by Glenn Chapman Agence France Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Ride-sharing giant Uber said Monday it is suspending use of self-driving cars after one of the vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian in the US state of Arizona. The Uber vehicle was in autonomous mode, with an operator behind the wheel, when it hit a woman walking in the street in the city of Tempe late Sunday, according to the San Francisco-based company. […]

Apple gets permit to test self-driving cars

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Apple has joined the list of companies with permits to test self-driving cars in California, according to an updated roster released on Friday by state officials. The iPhone maker has disclosed little about its ambitions when it comes to self-driving vehicles, with chief Tim Cook hinting at plans but the company declining to comment for news reports on long-idling rumors. Late last year, Apple revealed it is investing heavily […]

Robocar – a self-driving electric AI car – wows MWC crowds

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) — The team behind the world’s first driver less electric racing series unveiled its first real autonomous car at the World Mobile Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on Monday (February 27). The sleek Roborace vehicle is around five meters long, two meters wide, and weighs in at 975 kilograms. It is entirely driver less, with a computer “brain” using information from sensors to direct the Robocar. It has four motors of 300kW each, […]

Olli, a 3D printed, self-driving minibus, to hit the road in US

by Rob Lever NATIONAL, HARBOR, United States (AFP) — A new maker of self-driving vehicles burst onto the scene Thursday in partnership with IBM’s supercomputer platform Watson, and it’s ready to roll right now. The vehicle — a 3D-printed minibus called “Olli” capable of carrying 12 people — was unveiled by Arizona-based startup Local Motors outside the US capital city Washington. Olli was designed as an on-demand transportation solution that passengers can summon with a […]