mobility
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US regulators approve BMW-Daimler services merger
BMW and Daimler's plan to combine their transportation services, including car sharing, ride hailing and electric vehicle charging, is a step closer to reality after US antitrust officials approved the partnership. The companies hope to close the deal by January 31st, and plan to reveal more details of their joint venture by the end of March.
Behind the quest to control a wheelchair with a smile
Facial recognition software has earned a difficult reputation over the past few years, what with its massive privacy implications and ease of being misused by governments and retailers alike, but the technology has just as many beneficial applications. Take the Wheelie 7, for example.
Zoov launches an ebike sharing system that fits in with existing roads
Whether they take the form of scooters or bikes, pedestrian mobility programs have sprung up quickly around the globe, occasionally angering people and governments in cities that hadn't asked for a rack of vehicles in the middle of their sidewalk. New French startup Zoov claims its approach to bike sharing "respects public roads" with smaller stations that can fit 20 bikes in the area of a single parking space and comfortable bikes that don't need an external lock.
Harvard researchers make better, smarter walking aids
Humans don't all look, talk, or walk the same, with us shifting our weight and style in order to save much energy as possible. This adaptability is a problem for researchers who want to build assistive devices for folks with mobility issues, however. It's what has prompted a team out of Harvard to craft an algorithm that can determine the wearer's individual needs after just twenty minutes of analysis.
Renault-Nissan and Didi plan self-driving ride service in China
Didi, the company that purchased the rights to Uber in China, plans to build an electric, autonomous ride-sharing service with Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and other automakers. The two companies are currently in the exploration stages, but Renault said it will launch "robo-vehicle ride-hailing services" with Didi as part of its Alliance 2022 strategic plan.
Honda reveals more details about its companion mobility robots
They're really (mostly) real! At CES in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Honda officially debuted its four newest mobility and companionship robots, part of the company's 3E (Empower, Experience, Empathy) program. Though they are currently only in the conceptual stage, Honda plans to develop the platforms with a variety of like-minded partners as part of the company's "open innovation" approach.
Kia unveils its electric and autonomous future
Kia's showed off a new Niro EV along with its plans for an electrified and autonomous future (aka mobility). The electric concept shows that the company is thinking beyond gas and hybrid crossovers, but also showcases a new HMI (Human Machine Interface). It'll show up in showrooms in the later half of 2018.
Toyota introduces e-Palette, its mobile retail space
One of the big themes of this year's CES is mobility and Japanese automaker Toyota isn't about to be left out. Today at the annual consumer electronics conference, the company that brought us the Prius announced its mobile retail space, e-Palette meant to open up opportunities for businesses to create on-demand services and to "blur the lines between brick and mortar and online commerce."
These new Honda concept mobility robots are adorable
At CES 2018, Honda is set to unveil its 3E Robotics Concept robots. These are aimed at making people's lives easier through the use of robots, with a focus on helping those with mobility issues navigate their homes and the outside world. There are four robots in total: 3E-A18 is a companion robot designed to show compassion, while 3E-B18 is a mobility chair designed for indoor and outdoor use. The 3E-C18 appears to be a mobility concept vehicle with cargo space, while 3E-D18 is an autonomous off-road vehicle.
Autonomous wheelchairs arrive at Japanese airport
Passengers with limited mobility will soon be able to navigate airports more easily thanks to Panasonic's robotic electric wheelchair. Developed as part of a wider program to make Japan's Haneda Airport more accessible to all, the wheelchair utilizes autonomous mobility technology: after users input their destination via smartphone the wheelchair will identify its position and select the best route to get there. Multiple chairs can move in tandem which means families or groups can travel together, and after use, the chairs will 'regroup' automatically, reducing the workload for airport staff. The chairs also use sensors to stop automatically if they detect a potential collision.
Energy-recycling stairs could replace stairlifts
For most people stairs are a minor inconvenience, but for those with mobility issues they're a nightmare. However, the tedious ascent is set to get a lot easier thanks to new "energy-recycling stairs" that are currently in the works. The idea is that the steps will help folks reduce the effort they expend in their journey by cushioning or boosting their efforts. The design is the work of a group of mechanical engineers, biomedical engineers and computer scientists at Georgia Tech. The spring-loaded stairs compress when stepped on, absorbing impact and saving 26 percent of a person's energy. This energy is then stored to provide a boost of 37 percent when stepped on going upwards.
Tot Bot helps physically disabled toddlers explore
As any parent of a small child knows, toddlers want to explore. They want to look and touch (and sometimes even taste) everything. It's how they learn about the world. Unfortunately, kids with certain physical disabilities can't move about as easily. This difficulty can create a bit of a cognitive gap between them and other kids their age. The Tot Bot is a chair designed to give these children the increased mobility they need to investigate their surroundings thoroughly.
Wink to send a text with these experimental earbuds
We're always looking for new ways to control our mobile phones without using our hands, whether we're driving or at work. Voice control is fine but not always welcome in quiet spaces. The next frontier? Facial expressions. Imagine winking to pause your music while in the car, or smiling to text a smiley face. It could even help those with motor disabilities, too.
Audi's concierge-based car rental service is outstanding but pricey
Normally when I rent a car it involves a meandering line, a long counter and an associate who's almost always cordial and helpful but in a hurry. It feels impersonal. It's like going inside the bank to make a withdrawal. It's not a horrible experience, but there's an easier way to get to your money. For renting cars there's also a better way. And if you're an Audi fan and live in San Francisco, that way is actually quite superb -- if you can afford it.
Ford CEO Mark Fields looks to a future beyond car ownership
Ford CEO Mark Fields has been moving the automaker into ventures outside of its normal core business of selling cars for a few years now. His LA Auto Show keynote touched on the company's current undertakings and future plans. Engadget sat down to talk with Fields about the automaker's post-car-ownership road map, its partnerships with public transportation and the company's plan to bring autonomous taxis to the market in 2021.
'FriWalk' is a mobility walker and a personal trainer in one
If there is one area of personal transport that is ripe for innovation, it's probably the mobility walker. Typically reserved for older generations -- complete with the stereotypical tennis ball feet (like the one used by Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's Up) -- the walker has remained largely unchanged for decades. As part of the EU's ACANTO project, researchers from six European countries have developed the Friendly Robot Walker or FriWalk, a new four wheeled walker that is fitted with depth sensors and cameras that can detect health risks from a user's gait but also serve as a personal trainer.
Honda's latest mobility vehicle has space for two passengers
If you thought Honda's Unicub was all a little bit lonely, perhaps its Wanderstand is the conceptual mobility vehicle of your dreams. With space for two, passengers half-sit/half-stand in the frame which Honda plans to be autonomously driven. Most of the driving and navigation controls will be voice-based. Its's about half the weight of a small car, but the chances (and timeframe) of the vehicle becoming reality will be decided by both progress in autonomous driving technology and the legal status of vehicles not driven by humans. However, the most interesting part of this autonomous vehicle is its dimensions: it's taller than it is long -- and there's a few reasons for that.
Honda's latest robotic stool is fun to ride, still impossible to buy
One of the several reasons for why we love CEATEC is that we get to test ride human transporters there (as well as meeting robots of all sorts). Last year we came across Honda's stool-like UNI-CUB, and this year, the company is back with a new and improved model dubbed UNI-CUB Beta, and it even let attendees ride the vehicles -- while wearing Epson's smart glasses, no less -- around the show floor under staff supervision. It should be noted that the Beta was actually first unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last November, but that didn't kill our curiosity. Read on for our impression and hands-on video.
The Daily Grind: Do you like the increasing trend of active combat in MMOs?
Back in the day, combat in MMOs was nice and sedate. You had a weapon, the other guy had a weapon, and you both walked up and hit one another with weapons until one of you died. To ensure that you succeeded at that goal, you had huge bars of abilities filled with various tricks to make the other guy die a little more than you did. It was a bit passive, is what we're getting at. Recent MMOs have been swinging to the other extreme, with players having a handful of abilities and a mandate to dance around the screen like a hyperactive rabbit. Titles like WildStar and The Elder Scrolls Online are previewing themselves partly on the strength of active combat. Do you like the increasing trend of active combat in MMOs? Or do you wish that we could go back to more sedate combat systems, possibly with those darn kids getting off our lawns in the process? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Nexus Telegraph: Getting from place to place in WildStar
Nexus is a big place. We saw last week what it's going to be like getting from spot to spot in a smaller sense with last week's overview of movement, but there's more to movement in WildStar. After all, there are a lot of zones stretched out over big chunks of land, and even if you're sprinting as much as you can you'll eventually find that you can't traverse an entire continent by foot, much less the ocean. No, for this sort of transport you need something more robust. You'll need vehicles, both personal and otherwise. You'll need boats, you'll need ships, you'll need something that can move faster than you can move even if you can jump out of a dodge. But a lot of what you need will depend upon what the game's layout looks like, so it's time to fire up the speculation machine and ask some questions, starting with those of location.
