Sateliot launches NB-IoT satellites, preps commercial service

Editorial staff
Sateliot launches NB-IoT satellites

If only to remind us that, despite all the hullabaloo, non-terrestrial network (NTN; satellite) IoT technology remains a putative proposition, Barcelona-based satellite IoT provider Sateliot has issued a press notice to declare the launch of four new low-Earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellites on a SpaceX mission sets it on the path to a properly-available IoT service. The firm said customers have already “contracted” the firm to connect eight million devices. It said it plans to raise a further €30 million in series B funds shortly, and restated its target to achieve…

Read More

DoT releases national V2X plan

Editorial staff
DoT releases national V2X plan

The U.S. Department of Transportation has officially released a national V2X plan for vehicle-to-everything communications and infrastructure, which envisions nationwide deployment of wireless technology in the 5.895-5.925 GHz band by 2036. “Deployments utilizing V2X technologies have already demonstrated the safety benefits on a smaller scale throughout the nation,” the agency said in the plan’s executive summary. “However, to realize the full lifesaving potential of V2X technology, it is important to expand the deployment and require vehicles and infrastructure to communicate safely, securely and without harmful interference across a variety of…

Read More

Swisscom deploys Nokia drone fleet for public safety and industrial monitoring

Editorial staff
Swisscom deploys Nokia drone fleet

Swisscom Broadcast is working with Nokia to deploy a nationwide drone network of 300 drones for the emergency services, public safety, and private industrial sectors. It follows the same model as Nokia’s drone rollout in Belgium with Citymesh, and is expected to pass it in terms of its volume and scope as the “largest drone network in the world”, said the Finnish vendor. Swisscom Broadcast, the enterprise-facing security and analytics arm of Swiss operator Swisscom, is offering a fully managed drone solution to national and regional police, fire, ambulance, and…

Read More

RoboSense Sales Volume of LiDAR for ADAS Achieved 487.7% YOY Growth in H1 2024

Editorial staff
RoboSense Sales Volume of LiDAR for ADAS Achieved 487.7% YOY Growth in H1 2024

Recently, RoboSense announced its business progress for the first half year of 2024, demonstrating a high-growth trajectory and maintaining its leadership in the global market. For the six months ended June 30, 2024, RoboSense’s sales volume of LiDAR products and LiDAR products for ADAS applications amounted to approximately 243,400 and 234,500 units, separately reflecting a year-on-year increase of 415.7% and 487.7%. As OEMs rapidly pursued advancements in intelligent technology, RoboSense achieved nearly its 2023 annual sales volume in the first half year of 2024. RoboSense and the global automotive industry’s…

Read More

Chinese scientists develop artificial brain to control ‘brain-on-chip organoid’ robot

Editorial staff
Tainjin University

Scientists in China have developed a ‘brain-on-chip’ system that combines lab-grown human brain matter with a neural interface chip to power a so-called ‘organoid’ robot. It was developed by researchers at Tianjin University and the Southern University of Science and Technology. The artificial brain that controls the system can apparently interact with external information by encoding, decoding, and responding to stimulus feedback when hooked up to electrode chips, with a report from state-owned Science and Technology Daily stating that the robot can be instructed to avoid obstacles, track, and grasp…

Read More

Dublin City Council launches drone strategy

Editorial staff
Dublin City Council launches drone strategy

Dublin City Council has launched its first drone and urban air strategy to transform how the Irish city utilises drone technology to enhance public services while understanding their future potential. The development of the Drone and Urban Air Mobility Strategy 2024-2029 has been led through the Smart City programme, which supports the council in future-proofing how new and emerging technologies are applied. Drone use cases By fostering a vibrant drone technology ecosystem, Dublin has the potential to attract new businesses and drive economic growth, positioning itself as a leader in…

Read More

JTA announces groundbreaking of Autonomous Innovation Centre

Editorial staff
Jacksonville Blue Bridge

Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) has announced the groundbreaking launch of the Autonomous Innovation Centre (AIC) at LaVilla, a hub centred around an advanced command-and-control centre that will store, service, monitor and maintain the city’s electric, autonomous mobility system. The AIC is an integral part of the upcoming Bay Street Innovation Corridor (BSIC), Phase I of the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) programme which is a comprehensive initiative to modernise and expand transportation options in the Downtown Jacksonville area and introduce autonomous vehicles (AVs) into JTA’s transportation system. Innovative mobility network Establishing…

Read More

Companies partner to advance “flying car” operations in UAE

Editorial staff
Archer Falcon Aviation

Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft specialist (eVTOL), Archer, and business aviation services operator, Falcon Aviation, are jointly developing a vertiport network in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It will enable flights between the two cities with Archer’s Midnight “flying car” as early as 2025 and help to develop an urban air mobility ecosystem in the UAE. Vertiport infrastructure Under this partnership, Archer and Falcon Aviation will start by developing vertiport infrastructure at Falcon Heliport at Atlantis, the Palm in Dubai, and the Marina Mall heliport in Abu Dhabi’s Corniche. Driving…

Read More

SkedGo announces MaaS coverage across France

Editorial staff
SkedGo

SkedGo is expanding its mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) offering to cover all of France, encompassing all internal regions. It marks a major step in its aim to improve MaaS coverage across Europe and provide local and interregional service support across territories. Mobility-as-a-service functionality SkedGo’s TripGo app and products allow users to compare and even combine any transport mode like train, bus, taxi, subway, metro, cab, tram, your own or share car and bike, motorcycle or ride share. It reports that this functionality is now extended to every corner of France, from cities…

Read More

Singapore invests in “future-ready” broadband network

Editorial staff
Marina Bay Sands

Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investing up to S$100m to upgrade the Nationwide Broadband Network (NBN), ensuring it remains “future-ready”. More than half a million households are expected to sign up and benefit from higher speeds of up to 10Gbps by 2028. 10Gbps connectivity The upgrade of the NBN will take place from mid-2024 to 2026. Together with the roll-out of 5G mobile services and faster wifi networks, the 10G NBN will provide more symmetric end-to-end 10Gbps connectivity. Read more: smartcitiesworld.net

Read More

Public transport ITS market in Europe and US to reach €4.3bn

Editorial staff
Public transport ITS market

The public transport intelligent transport systems (ITS) market in Europe and North America is forecast to reach €4.3bn by 2027. According to IoT market research provider Berg, the estimated market value for ITS deployed in public transport operations in Europe was €2.15bn in 2022. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3 per cent, this number is expected to reach €2.92bn by 2027. The North American market for public transport ITS is similarly forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 8.8 per cent from € 0.88bn in 2022…

Read More

Sugar Land partners with autonomous air taxi specialist Wisk

Editorial staff
Image wisk.aero

The City of Sugar Land, Texas, is partnering with advanced air mobility (AAM) company Wisk Aero to bring autonomous AAM to the Greater Houston region. Under this new partnership, Wisk and Sugar Land will identify and assess a location at the Sugar Land Regional Airport for the development of vertiport infrastructure that would allow for Wisk’s autonomous air taxi operations. The companies report that this initial partnership will lay the foundation and act as a gateway for the establishment of a larger network across the Greater Houston region. Autonomous eVTOL…

Read More

European Hyperloop Centre opens for testing in Netherlands

Editorial staff
European Hyperloop Center

The European Hyperloop Centre (EHC) has completed its hyperloop test infrastructure and is open for testing in Groningen, the northernmost province of the Netherlands. Hardt Hyperloop, an innovator in the field, is set to commence its first tests in the coming weeks. To foster technical advancement of the hyperloop ecosystem, the European Hyperloop Centre is an open hyperloop test facility with organisations welcome to test their technologies in this infrastructure. Hyperloop test tube The facility features a 420-metre hyperloop test tube that claims to be able to demonstrate all essential…

Read More

Phoenix uses sim game to educate residents on water usage

Editorial staff
The Drought Simulation Game (Drought Sim) Phoenix

The Phoenix Water Services Department’s Conservation Team has developed a simulation game to test residents’ ability to manage the City’s water portfolio. The Drought Simulation Game (Drought Sim) is designed as an educational resource to help residents better understand why it’s important to protect the water supply and what’s at stake each time a water management decision is made, no matter how small. Role of a water policymaker In the simulation game, players are assigned the role of water policymaker for a large city – impacted by a difficult drought…

Read More

Finnish cities explore re-use potential of artificial grass

Editorial staff
grass

Helsinki and five other Finnish cities are exploring the use of artificial grass in the context of the circular economy. The study, due to be completed in 2024, is gathering experiences on the reuse of artificial grass and surveying recycling solutions available in Finland and elsewhere in Europe. The national artificial grass study is a joint project of the cities of Espoo, Helsinki, Lahti, Oulu, Tampere and Vantaa. Sustainability challenges There are some 450 artificial grass fields in Finland, and the field materials are regularly replaced as they wear. There…

Read More