IoT Today: Biden Awards Intel $20B to Advance Chip Manufacturing, Waymo Launches Self-Driving Taxi Service in LA
The latest edition of IoT Today is here with the latest news in emerging technologies! Read about President Biden’s decision to invest $20 billion in 英特尔 ’s semiconductor manufacturing projects, as well as Waymo rolling out its self-driving taxi service to the public in Los Angeles.
Plus, find out about 英伟达 ’s new humanoid robotics platform, the flying vehicles coming to an Air Force base in Tampa for transport and security applications, and the humanoid robot that can fold laundry.
Biden Awards Intel $20B to Advance Chip Manufacturing
President Biden has awarded a $20 billion investment into chipmaker Intel, in an agreement with the Department of Commerce to provide $8.5 billion in direct funding and $11 billion in loans to fund commercial semiconductor manufacturing projects.
The funding comes via the CHIPS and Science Act, which provides subsidies to support domestic semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S.
Intel said it will use the funds to build and expand its facilities in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico and Oregon.
The company will also use the funding to support its previously announced plans to invest more than $100 billion over the next five years to expand chipmaking capacity and capabilities.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said the agreement helps incentivize more than $100 billion in investments from Intel, “marking one of the largest investments ever in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.”
Waymo Launches Self-Driving Taxi Service in LA
Waymo has launched its self-driving taxi service to the public in Los Angeles.
The company confirmed the news in a blog post, where it stated that operations would officially begin on March 14.
The announcement comes after the California Public Utilities Commission gave the green light to an application from the company to expand its operating areas in the city earlier this month.
The fully autonomous ride-hailing service is launching across a 63-square mile area of the city stretching from Santa Monica to Downtown, including areas such as Century City, Westwood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Koreatown.
Initially, rides will be free, but Waymo says it intends to transition to a paid model soon.?
Nvidia Launches Humanoid Robot Platform, Deployed in Disney Robots
Nvidia has launched Project GR00T, a general-purpose foundation model for humanoid robots, at its GTC AI conference in San Jose, California.?
GR00T, (Generalist Robot 00 Technology), will be used to power robots, allowing them to understand natural language and mimic human movements.?
Nvidia said the model will further its work in robotics and embodied AI. The company demonstrated its efficacy in Disney’s BDX robots.
The bipedal robots also use Nvidia’s Jetson and Isaac Sim platforms for locomotion and navigation capabilities.
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Nvidia also announced significant upgrades to its Isaac robotics platform and unveiled a new computer, Jetson Thor, for humanoid robots, based on the Nvidia Thor system-on-a-chip (SoC).?
Flying Taxis Going to Air Force Base in Tampa
Flying taxi company Joby Aviation will deliver two of its flying vehicles to the U.S. Force’s MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
The announcement is part of a $163 million contract Joby signed with the Department of Defense AFWERX Agility Prime program.?
The Air Force said it will begin training with the electric aerial vehicles at MacDill and in the surrounding area starting in 2025, with the flying vehicles expected to be used for testing for personnel transport, casualty evacuation and security force support.
“The early investment and vision by the U.S. government in this critical technology is proving foundational as we continue our path toward commercial passenger service,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby.?
Eve Humanoid Robot Folds Laundry
Robotics startup 1X has released a new video of its humanoid robot Eve, shown folding laundry and packing boxes as a demonstration of its dexterity and task-handling capabilities.
The video is the latest in a series of updates from the company as it gears up for a wide-scale commercial launch.
1X previously released a video showcasing Eve’s neural network capabilities as it performed various tasks including picking and packing items, cleaning toys from the floor and opening doors.
The Norwegian robotics company, backed by OpenAI, said its humanoid robots are primarily intended to step in for a dwindling labor force, adding that the robots are designed to assist rather than replace human workers.?
Volkswagen, Mobileye Strike New Self-Driving Car Deal
The Volkswagen Group has expanded its partnership with Israeli self-driving tech company Mobileye, with a new deal to bring automated functionality to production vehicles.
The companies said they are working on three different levels of technology: hands-free, eyes-on driving; eyes-off systems; and fully autonomous vehicles.
Unusually, the advances will be deployed across several different brands.
According to the companies, the aim is to develop the fully self-driving Volkswagen ID. Buzz for widespread use in mobility and transport services by 2026.?
According to Christian Senger, a member of the board of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, this would make it “the world’s first fully autonomous large-scale production vehicle.”?
Thrilled to see tech shaping our future ??! Like Elon Musk says, pushing the boundaries of what's possible fuels progress. The focus on #semiconductor and #selfdriving taxis mirrors our need to innovate sustainably and intelligently. Exciting times ahead! #Innovation #TechTrends ????