BMW is currently testing the system at its Munich manufacturing facility.

By A. Tarantola

Despite Tesla’s ambitious claims of its vehicles’ Full Self-Driving capabilities, today’s autonomous navigation technology generally tops out at Level 2. More advanced self-driving systems are in development but likely still years away from being safe and cost-effective enough for everyday use. Seoul Robotics, however, has developed a mesh network that reportedly imparts Level 5 autonomy to vehicle fleets, if only for the “last mile.”

The company’s Level 5 Control Tower system sidesteps some technical challenges of self-driving technology by embedding sensors in the surrounding infrastructure — traffic lights, nearby buildings, freeway overpasses, etc — rather than on the vehicles themselves. Instead of each vehicle looking out for itself and responding autonomously to surrounding traffic, the Level 5 Control Tower uses its meshed sensor network to collect data on the overall traffic situation and automate vehicles in the area accordingly, using V2X communications and 4/5G radios.

The self-driving Deere 8R can operate without a pilot when covering a field.

By D. Cooper

Agricultural hardware giant and scourge of right-to-repair advocateseverywhere John Deere is ready to show off its finished, fully-autonomous tractor. Here at CES, the company is saying that this unit is going to be put into large-scale production, and will be made available to farmers later this year. When in use, a farmer can set the hardware to work and then leave it running, allowing them to tend to vital work elsewhere. The idea, so the company says, is to help make farming more efficient and more robust in the face of ever-increasing demand and dwindling resources.

by Florina Spînu

California-based startup Udelv unveiled the first cab-less electric delivery van virtually at CES 2022. Called the Transporter, the vehicle will use Mobileye’s vision-sensing technology that will allow it to achieve Level 4 autonomous operation for last- and middle-mile delivery of goods. 

The Transporter features a modular pod that is capable of carrying up to 2,000 lbs (907 kg) of cargo that includes anything from convenience goods, e-commerce packages, and auto parts to electronics and medical supplies. 

“The Transporter is transformative for two of the world’s largest industries: automotive and logistics. It was created to solve two great challenges of commercial fleets: the shortage of drivers and the electrification of fleets,”said Udelv CEO Daniel Laury.

The vehicle can make up to 80 stops per run at speeds that reach 70 mph (113 kph). It has a battery capacity between 90 and 160 kWh. The cab-less van can cover between 160 and 300 miles (257-483 km) depending on the chosen battery pack. The company says that it will take less than an hour to add up to 220 miles (322 km) of range when recharged at a DC Fast Charging station.