IoT Today: Maryland Bridge Collapse Raises Automobile Supply Chain Concerns, Boston Dynamics Robot Dog Shot in Police Standoff
The latest edition of IoT Today is here with the latest news in emerging technologies! Read about the impact of the Maryland bridge collapse on the automotive industry, as well as Boston Dynamics ’ robot dog that was shot in a police standoff in Cape Cod.
Plus, find out about Tesla s move to roll out 5G tech on its humanoid robot Optimus, and 亚马逊 expanding its self-driving taxi testing zone.
Maryland Bridge Collapse Raises Automobile Supply Chain Concerns
Late Monday night a cargo ship hit a support beam on the Francis Scott Key Bridge plunging it and everyone on it into the waters below. An investigation into the crash is currently underway, and officials are still searching for victims.?
IoT World Today spoke to industry experts to get their opinions on the impact of the incident, and what businesses can learn.
Baltimore is the No. 1 automobile port in the U.S., and the automobile supply chain is already seeing particular hits, with Ford and GM already diverting shipments.
“Indications are that the most immediate and direct impact of this incident will be in the automotive sector," said Josh Builta, Omdia's senior research director of AI and IoT. "However, it also highlights how quickly such unanticipated incidents can put sudden constraints on supply chains.”
Tesla to Roll Out 5G on Optimus Robot, EVs
Tesla plans to roll out 5G capabilities in its humanoid robot Optimus and its electric vehicles.?
In a job listing the company posted on LinkedIn, Tesla said it is looking for a “highly motivated” cellular systems integration engineer “to deliver a best-in-class connectivity experience for all Tesla Vehicles and Optimus on Tesla premises.”?
The posting also highlights "Tesla's private 5G protocol stack" to ensure "ultra-reliability and high data rates ... with any private cellular infrastructure vendor and deployment model globally."
The listing comes as Tesla steadily prepares its Optimus robot for commercialization, with several updates already shared with the public this year, including a demonstration of its walking capabilities, and a video of it performing tasks such as folding laundry.
Boston Dynamics Robot Dog Shot in Police Standoff
Massachusetts State Police robot dog Roscoe was shot multiple times during a police standoff earlier this month.
It marks the first time one of the robot dogs has been shot, and it happened as it was protecting its human partners during an incident on Cape Cod.?
Massachusetts State Police said the incident is a strong example of the benefits of using mobile robots as assistive tools for human officers, particularly during tactical missions involving armed suspects.?
“The insertion of Roscoe into the suspect residence prevented the need, at that stage of response, from inserting human operators or a real dog, and may have prevented a police officer or K9 partner from being involved in an exchange of gunfire.”
Boston Dynamics plans to replace Roscoe but will keep the original for research.
Musk Orders Full Self-Driving Demos for All New Teslas
Elon Musk has confirmed that all new compatible Teslas bought in the U.S. will now come with free access to Full Self Driving (FSD).
Tesla’s current FSD-capable vehicles are the Model S, Model X and Model Y. The Cybertruck and revised Model 3 cannot run the software.?
FSD provides Level 2-rated automation, as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers, meaning that steering, braking and acceleration can all be automated, but driver attention is still required.?
The move is part of Tesla’s push to give the technology more exposure and was referenced in a leaked internal email, in which Musk instructed employees: “Going forward, it is mandatory in North America to install and activate FSD V12.3.1 and take customers on a short test ride before handing over the car.”
Amazon Expands Zoox Self-Driving Taxi Testing
Amazon is expanding operations of its self-driving arm, Zoox.
The company has been testing its purpose-built autonomous vehicle (AV) in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Foster City, California, since last year and is now upping the ante as it builds towards a commercial launch.
Zoox is expanding the test area in Las Vegas its AV can drive in, stretching to around five miles and incorporating a variety of routes from the company’s office in the city to the south end of the Strip.
Zoox is also increasing the speed of its vehicles and testing them in more challenging circumstances, including in poor weather and at night-time.
A blog post on its website read: “We’ll continue to be measured and thoughtful in our approach to commercialization. These critical updates bring us closer to safely and confidently offering Zoox to the public. We can’t wait for you to experience the first ride later this year.”