The Next Step: Hinduja Brothers Investment Shows Billionaire Appetite For Smart Cities View original post.Startups and smart cities: Perhaps the most obvious environment the innovation mantra can be applied—just because you can doesn’t mean you should. It’s difficult to think of a space where so many bad ideas have attracted such a disproportionately large amount of attention. Heart-rate monitor door locks at your office—useless if you’re (literally) running late; self-cleaning pavements—nice idea, …Read More
Argo AI will spend $15 million to form a self-driving car research center View original post.The founders of Argo AI, the self-driving startup backed by Ford, are giving back to their alma mater to the tune of a $15 million investment in Carnegie Mellon University to fund the creation of a new research center. The Carnegie Mellon University Argo AI Center for Autonomous Vehicle Research (phew) will use those funds to “pursue advanced …Read More
Humanising Autonomy pulls in $5M to help self-driving cars keep an eye on pedestrians View original post.Pretty much everything about making a self-driving car is difficult, but among the most difficult parts is making sure the vehicles know what pedestrians are doing — and what they’re about to do. Humanising Autonomy specializes in this, and hopes to become a ubiquitous part of people-focused computer vision systems worldwide. The company has raised a $5.3 million …Read More
Major Mobility-as-a-Service investment deals made in 2018 View original post.2018 has witnessed a huge set of leaps and developments within the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) industry, including the release of certain platforms and apps that allow users of all backgrounds to travel significantly easier within populated cities using more unorthodox and eco-friendly methods of travel. Yet, without the large amount of investments made into this sector …Read More
Scottish Government commits £2m to testing mobility as a service View original post. The Scottish Government has committed £2m to testing mobility as a service (MaaS), as part of its 2018-19 programme. “This concept has the potential to transform the way we use transport,” it said, “making public and shared transport options as desirable as owning our own car”. Models being developed include using personal smart devices, such as phones …Read More
ITS Australia to harness the benefits of Mobility as a Service View original post. Intelligent Transport Systems Australia (ITS Australia) undertakes to work with government and industry to shape opportunities in Australia that will promote the efficient movement of people and goods to improve safety, reduce congestion and environmental impacts. ITS Australia has published and released its research and report into Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in Australia. “MaaS is built …Read More
Mobility as a Service lifts off: Are drones the new taxis? View original post. Going by plane is probably the best way to travel long distances in a relatively short amount of time. But what if air travel was also an option for shorter distances? Let’s say to commute to work every day. Or to visit a friend that lives at the other end of the town. Wouldn’t it be great …Read More
Blockchain + Urban Mobility: Exploring the Potential of the Tech World’s Next Big Thing View original post. Blockchain. It’s vast, it’s complicated, and it’s having a moment right now. At its most basic, blockchain is a global distributed database capable of running on millions of devices. As the Harvard Business Review recently wrote, blockchain is “open to anyone, where not just information but anything of value – money, titles, deeds… intellectual property, and even …Read More
7 companies advancing the circular economy by selling products as a service View original post. The “performance economy,” as defined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, describes a business model in which manufacturers retain control over products throughout their life cycles and handle their maintenance and recovery, rather than saddling customers with those responsibilities. Offering products “as a service” is also a tenet of the circular economy because it transforms the concept of ownership …Read More
Announcing Coord: The integration platform for mobility providers, navigation tools, and urban infrastructure View original post. The curb has become the most contested part of city streets with the proliferation of bike lanes, e-commerce, and ride-hail. Real-time data on curb regulations makes it possible for cities to enforce existing parking rules or to create new rules around pick-ups and drop-offs. (Coord / Brian Dawson) By connecting app developers to services such as parking, tolls, and …Read More
Facial scanning at airports: convenient, but is it legal? View original post. Biometric facial recognition, now in use at nine US international airports, …