<h1 id="isPasted">2023 Autonomous Vehicle Report</h1>In 2020, Wevolver launched its first <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2020.autonomous.vehicle.technology.report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Autonomous Vehicle Report</a> that provided a comprehensive knowledge foundation about the technologies enabling autonomous cars. We are now pleased to launch a new report that surveys the advances in this arena over the last three years. Further, we provide a snapshot comparison of four leading AV companies, their tech stacks, and approaches to understand how these technologies are applied in actual use cases. The report is augmented with interviews with the report sponsors, who provide deeper insights into the current state of autonomous vehicles, highlighting their priorities, challenges, and leadership objectives.&nbsp;The report examines autonomy from the perspective of passenger vehicles, following the approach of the previous report. However, many of the technologies mentioned are also relevant for other autonomous vehicle types that are making a significant impact in industries and applications such as last-mile delivery, warehouse and logistics, agriculture, mining, search and rescue, and healthcare.&nbsp;To create this report, we interviewed dozens of industry experts and collaborated with technical researchers and writers from around the world. We have attempted to cover all relevant technologies; however, due to space constraints, we had to limit some areas.&nbsp;This report was made possible by the generous support of its sponsors, the tireless effort of the Wevolver team, the expertise and generosity of our consulting experts, and the attention to detail of our writers, researchers, and designers.We hope you find value in this report, and we look forward to continuing to make this critical knowledge available for all.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwODIwOTIwMDE1LU1pdHN1YmlzaGkgQ2hlbWljYWwgR3JvdXAgIEdyb3d0aCBHYXJhZ2UgIE9wZW4gSW5ub3ZhdGlvbiBQcm9ncmFtICg2OTQgeCA0MzIgcHgpICg5MDEgeCA1NjEgcHgpLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><iframe width="540" height="450" src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAMBWtqlAziu5EwFUIjLCWmRdzCiwOJRx3R3LyYkfG1dfYIvOKLn1dfBY8M58jYUZY8sQm7DnIOmrBjZ93ycsAv4ICzMbRD95I3S4FIWFM6EU4i3C7yzFNYn-Kfm0vJN96NgNO2_w4BQcrnOEwEVShkElbpBLjOT3ARKFBFADGHd-PDjMwJZI5avI3TUfr-xTC_fVunqO5MKo" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;max-width: 100%;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe><h2>Report Contributors</h2>Cassiano Ferro MoraesFlorianópolis, BrazilTechnical writer with an electrical engineering background and over five years of experience writing articles about electronics, renewable energy, and electric vehicles. Published multiple articles in IEEE explore, including publications in some of the most recognized conferences and journals of the power electronics industry. Vast experience writing articles in the field of electronics, renewable energy, power converters, hardware-in-the-loop, and electric vehicles at Write Choice.&nbsp;Dr. Miroslav MilovanovicNiš, SerbiaAssistant professor at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering, holding a PhD in Computer Science and Electrotechnics. Leader of the Laboratory for Intelligent Control within the Control Systems Department. Author of over 45 scientific publications, centered on Data Science and Deep Learning applications.Gustavo BruismaPato Branco, BrazilElectrical Engineer graduated at the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR) with MSc. degree in the same field with a deep focus on control systems for electric vehicles. Vast experience writing articles in the field of electronics, renewable energy, power converters, hardware-in-the-loop, and electric vehicles at Write Choice.&nbsp;Ana Carla SorgatoFlorianópolis, BrazilEnvironmental and Sanitary Engineer graduated at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) with a MSc. in Environmental Engineering from UFSC. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and writing articles about renewable energy, electric vehicles, and engineering at Write Choice.Ian DicksonLondon, United KingdomFreelance automotive journalist and editor with more than two decades’ experience in consumer media and branded content. Cutting his teeth as a road tester on What Car? – where he learnt the art of turning the complex into the simple – he quickly moved through the ranks and ended up editor of MSN Cars, at the time the UK’s largest motoring website. For the past 10 years, he’s been creating and developing content and strategies for brands like Porsche, Ferrari, Volvo Cars and HERE Technologies.Samir JaberLeipzig, GermanyContent Specialist with a background in engineering, nanotechnology, and scientific research. Samir has comprehensive experience working with major engineering and technology companies as a writer, editor, and digital marketing consultant. Featured author in 30+ industrial magazines with a focus on IoT, nanotechnology, materials science, engineering, and sustainability. Samir is also an award-winning engineering researcher in the fields of nanofabrication and microfluidics. Editor-in-Chief of the Wevovler 2023 Edge AI Report.Danny ShapiroRedwood City, United StatesDanny Shapiro is NVIDIA’s Vice President of Automotive, focusing on solutions that enable faster and better design of automobiles, as well as in-vehicle solutions for infotainment, navigation and driver assistance. He's a 25-year veteran of the computer graphics and semiconductor industries, and has been with NVIDIA since 2009. Prior to NVIDIA, Danny served in marketing, business development and engineering roles at ATI, 3Dlabs, Silicon Graphics and Digital Equipment. He holds a BSE in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University and an MBA from the Hass School of Business at UC Berkeley. He lives in Northern California, where his home solar panel system charges his electric car.Alexander WischnewskiMunich, GermanyManaging Director and Co-Founder of, driveblocks, a modular, scalable, robust and safe platform for autonomous driving with a focus on commercial vehicle applications. Former PhD lead for the TUM Autonomous Motorsport team.&nbsp;Matteo BaraleMilan, ItalyCo-CEO of autonomous mobility startup, PIX MOVING. Design strategy expert with experience in robotics, industrial design, transportation, architecture, titled Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum.&nbsp;David WebbLondon, United KingdomHead of Innovation at Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. David Webb is Head of Innovation for the UK Government’s Centre for Connected &amp; Autonomous Vehicles. CCAV works across government to support the UK’s developing connected and automated vehicle market. CCAV believes that CAVS could change the way we travel, making road transport safer, smoother and more accessible to all. David has a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from Queen Mary, University of London and has spent the last 10 years working for the Ministry of Defence in a variety of technical, analytical and engagement roles.&nbsp;John SoldatosAthens, GreeceHonorary Research Fellow at the University of GlasgowJohn Soldatos holds a Ph.D. in Electrical &amp; Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (2000) and is currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, UK (2014-present). He was Associate Professor and Head of the Internet of Things (IoT) Group at the Athens Information Technology (AIT), Greece (2006–2019), and Adjunct Professor at the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA (2007–2010).&nbsp;He has significant experience working closely with large multi-national industries (e.g., IBM, INTRACOM, INTRASOFT International) as an R&amp;D consultant and delivery specialist while being a scientific advisor to various high-tech startup enterprises. Dr. Soldatos is an expert in Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and applications, including IoT/AI applications in smart cities, finance (Finance 4.0), and industry (Industry 4.0).&nbsp;Jess MileyBerlin, Germany&nbsp;Content Director at WevolverContent specialist with a background in architecture and design. Jess has experience working with neuro-tech startups, animated video studios, and news sites as a writer, editor, and business innovation consultant.&nbsp;The text was further contributed to by our report sponsors and partner.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxMTE4ODczNjgzLXNwb25zb3JzIGxvZ29zLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Click through to read each of the report's chapters.</h3>2023 Autonomous Vehicle ReportAutonomous Vehicle Introduction<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-sensing-technologies/draft" target="_blank">Chapter 1: Sensing Technologies</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-thinking-and-learning/draft" target="_blank">Chapter 2: Thinking and Learning</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-edge-computing-and-real-time-operating-systems-for-autonomous-vehicles/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chapter 3: Edge Computing and Real-time Operating Systems for Autonomous Vehicles</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-communication-and-connectivity/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chapter 4: Communication and Connectivity</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-security/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chapter 5: Security</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-tech-stack-review/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chapter 6: Autonomous Vehicle Tech Stack Review</a>Leadership Interviews<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-accelerating-av-development-through-customer-collaboration/draft" target="_blank">Interview with Mouser&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-building-trust-in-autonomous-driving-navigating-future-reliability-and-milestone-achievements/draft" target="_blank">Interview with Murata&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-the-role-of-pcb-in-shaping-autonomous-vehicle-development/draft" target="_blank">Interview with MacroFab</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-exploring-the-future-of-high-performance-computing-in-autonomous-vehicles/draft" target="_blank">Interview with Nexperia</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-driving-global-standards/draft" target="_blank">Interview with SAE International</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-advancing-open-source-development-in-the-automotive-industry/draft" target="_blank">Interview with Autoware Foundation</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-insights-from-nvidia-about-artifical-intelligence-in-avs/draft" target="_blank">Interview with NVIDIA</a>

<h1 id="isPasted">Autonomous Vehicle Report</h1>In 2020, Wevolver launched its first <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2020.autonomous.vehicle.technology.report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Autonomous Vehicle Report</a> that provided a comprehensive knowledge foundation about the technologies enabling autonomous cars. We are now pleased to launch a new report that surveys the advances in this arena over the last three years. Further, we provide a snapshot comparison of four leading AV companies, their tech stacks, and approaches to understand how these technologies are applied in actual use cases. The report is augmented with interviews with the report sponsors, who provide deeper insights into the current state of autonomous vehicles, highlighting their priorities, challenges, and leadership objectives.&nbsp;The report examines autonomy from the perspective of passenger vehicles, following the approach of the previous report. However, many of the technologies mentioned are also relevant for other autonomous vehicle types that are making a significant impact in industries and applications such as last-mile delivery, warehouse and logistics, agriculture, mining, search and rescue, and healthcare.&nbsp;To create this report, we interviewed dozens of industry experts and collaborated with technical researchers and writers from around the world. We have attempted to cover all relevant technologies; however, due to space constraints, we had to limit some areas.&nbsp;This report was made possible by the generous support of its sponsors, the tireless effort of the Wevolver team, the expertise and generosity of our consulting experts, and the attention to detail of our writers, researchers, and designers.We hope you find value in this report, and we look forward to continuing to make this critical knowledge available for all.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwODIwOTIwMDE1LU1pdHN1YmlzaGkgQ2hlbWljYWwgR3JvdXAgIEdyb3d0aCBHYXJhZ2UgIE9wZW4gSW5ub3ZhdGlvbiBQcm9ncmFtICg2OTQgeCA0MzIgcHgpICg5MDEgeCA1NjEgcHgpLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><iframe width="540" height="450" src="https://c8056756.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAMBWtqlAziu5EwFUIjLCWmRdzCiwOJRx3R3LyYkfG1dfYIvOKLn1dfBY8M58jYUZY8sQm7DnIOmrBjZ93ycsAv4ICzMbRD95I3S4FIWFM6EU4i3C7yzFNYn-Kfm0vJN96NgNO2_w4BQcrnOEwEVShkElbpBLjOT3ARKFBFADGHd-PDjMwJZI5avI3TUfr-xTC_fVunqO5MKo" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" allowfullscreen="" style="display: block;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;max-width: 100%;" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe><h2>Report Contributors</h2>Cassiano Ferro MoraesFlorianópolis, BrazilTechnical writer with an electrical engineering background and over five years of experience writing articles about electronics, renewable energy, and electric vehicles. Published multiple articles in IEEE explore, including publications in some of the most recognized conferences and journals of the power electronics industry. Vast experience writing articles in the field of electronics, renewable energy, power converters, hardware-in-the-loop, and electric vehicles at Write Choice.&nbsp;Dr. Miroslav MilovanovicNiš, SerbiaAssistant professor at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering, holding a PhD in Computer Science and Electrotechnics. Leader of the Laboratory for Intelligent Control within the Control Systems Department. Author of over 45 scientific publications, centered on Data Science and Deep Learning applications.Gustavo BruismaPato Branco, BrazilElectrical Engineer graduated at the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR) with MSc. degree in the same field with a deep focus on control systems for electric vehicles. Vast experience writing articles in the field of electronics, renewable energy, power converters, hardware-in-the-loop, and electric vehicles at Write Choice.&nbsp;Ana Carla SorgatoFlorianópolis, BrazilEnvironmental and Sanitary Engineer graduated at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) with a MSc. in Environmental Engineering from UFSC. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and writing articles about renewable energy, electric vehicles, and engineering at Write Choice.Ian DicksonLondon, United KingdomFreelance automotive journalist and editor with more than two decades’ experience in consumer media and branded content. Cutting his teeth as a road tester on What Car? – where he learnt the art of turning the complex into the simple – he quickly moved through the ranks and ended up editor of MSN Cars, at the time the UK’s largest motoring website. For the past 10 years, he’s been creating and developing content and strategies for brands like Porsche, Ferrari, Volvo Cars and HERE Technologies.Samir JaberLeipzig, GermanyContent Specialist with a background in engineering, nanotechnology, and scientific research. Samir has comprehensive experience working with major engineering and technology companies as a writer, editor, and digital marketing consultant. Featured author in 30+ industrial magazines with a focus on IoT, nanotechnology, materials science, engineering, and sustainability. Samir is also an award-winning engineering researcher in the fields of nanofabrication and microfluidics. Editor-in-Chief of the Wevovler 2023 Edge AI Report.Danny ShapiroRedwood City, United StatesDanny Shapiro is NVIDIA’s Vice President of Automotive, focusing on solutions that enable faster and better design of automobiles, as well as in-vehicle solutions for infotainment, navigation and driver assistance. He's a 25-year veteran of the computer graphics and semiconductor industries, and has been with NVIDIA since 2009. Prior to NVIDIA, Danny served in marketing, business development and engineering roles at ATI, 3Dlabs, Silicon Graphics and Digital Equipment. He holds a BSE in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University and an MBA from the Hass School of Business at UC Berkeley. He lives in Northern California, where his home solar panel system charges his electric car.Alexander WischnewskiMunich, GermanyManaging Director and Co-Founder of, driveblocks, a modular, scalable, robust and safe platform for autonomous driving with a focus on commercial vehicle applications. Former PhD lead for the TUM Autonomous Motorsport team.&nbsp;Matteo BaraleMilan, ItalyCo-CEO of autonomous mobility startup, PIX MOVING. Design strategy expert with experience in robotics, industrial design, transportation, architecture, titled Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum.&nbsp;David WebbLondon, United KingdomHead of Innovation at Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. David Webb is Head of Innovation for the UK Government’s Centre for Connected &amp; Autonomous Vehicles. CCAV works across government to support the UK’s developing connected and automated vehicle market. CCAV believes that CAVS could change the way we travel, making road transport safer, smoother and more accessible to all. David has a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from Queen Mary, University of London and has spent the last 10 years working for the Ministry of Defence in a variety of technical, analytical and engagement roles.&nbsp;John SoldatosAthens, GreeceHonorary Research Fellow at the University of GlasgowJohn Soldatos holds a Ph.D. in Electrical &amp; Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (2000) and is currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, UK (2014-present). He was Associate Professor and Head of the Internet of Things (IoT) Group at the Athens Information Technology (AIT), Greece (2006–2019), and Adjunct Professor at the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA (2007–2010).&nbsp;He has significant experience working closely with large multi-national industries (e.g., IBM, INTRACOM, INTRASOFT International) as an R&amp;D consultant and delivery specialist while being a scientific advisor to various high-tech startup enterprises. Dr. Soldatos is an expert in Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and applications, including IoT/AI applications in smart cities, finance (Finance 4.0), and industry (Industry 4.0).&nbsp;Jess MileyBerlin, Germany&nbsp;Content Director at WevolverContent specialist with a background in architecture and design. Jess has experience working with neuro-tech startups, animated video studios, and news sites as a writer, editor, and business innovation consultant.&nbsp;The text was further contributed to by our report sponsors and partner.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1701276054993-Untitled+%28600+x+200+px%29+%281%29.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 id="isPasted">Leadership Interviews</h2><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-accelerating-av-development-through-customer-collaboration" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Interview with Mouser</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-building-trust-in-autonomous-driving-navigating-future-reliability-and-milestone-achievements" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Interview with Murata</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-the-role-of-pcb-in-shaping-autonomous-vehicle-development" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Interview with MacroFab</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-exploring-the-future-of-high-performance-computing-in-autonomous-vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Interview with Nexperia</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-driving-global-standards" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Interview with SAE International</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-advancing-open-source-development-in-the-automotive-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Interview with Autoware Foundation</a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/2023-autonomous-vehicle-report-interview-insights-from-nvidia-about-artifical-intelligence-in-avs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Interview with NVIDIA</a>

Introduction

Sensing Technologies

Thinking and Learning

EDGE and RTOS

Communication and Connectivity

Security

Tech Stack

Examining the latest developments in self-driving vehicles.

Autonomous Vehicle Technology Report

Chinese food delivery commercial Meituan testing an autonomous vehicle

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are poised to revolutionize human transportation by making it more safe, comfortable, and reliable. From passenger travel to cargo transportation, AVs equipped with AI and sensors offer tremendous potential. 

What is an Autonomous Vehicle: A Comprehensive Guide to its Engineering Principles and Applications

<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Fast track into the cloud with CGConnect</h2>&quot;Enterprises who rely on drones and robotics for business operation often own a diverse range of uncrewed vehicles that may not be compatible with one another. <a href="https://youtu.be/lumuuYy2fHU" target="_blank">CGConnect</a> is designed to solve this pain point by linking them to the Cloud Ground Control platform, regardless of manufacturer or model, turning them into a holistic, connected fleet,&quot; said Michal Weiss, Head of Product at Cloud Ground Control.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fogtQQ3N4rQ?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> <h2 dir="ltr">Plug-and-play connectivity</h2>Using CGConnect, remote users gain instant access to Cloud Ground Control&#39;s features, including real-time telemetry, cloud storage, video and payload data, all from a web browser simultaneously. Weighing only 55 grams with similar sizing to a credit card, CGConnect can be integrated into any product design, offering the following benefits:<ul id="isPasted"><li dir="ltr">Open platform: The customisable open platform operates on the MAVLink standard. This multiplies potential product applications and enables diverse autonomous vehicles and payloads to operate as a coordinated fleet.</li><li dir="ltr">Robotic agnostic: Works flexibly with open-sourced libraries and is agnostic to the type of technology and vehicle enterprises may wish to use.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li dir="ltr">White labelled:&nbsp;Available as a white label product, allowing users to rebrand the user interface to complement business branding and coding requirements.</li><li dir="ltr">High-grade security:&nbsp;Utilises military-grade encryption and authentication to safeguard data and IP from vulnerabilities and security breaches, helping users meet compliance obligations.</li><li dir="ltr">Simple and accessible: Revolutionises multi-drone operation by making it simple, cost-effective and accessible to users of every skill grade.</li><li dir="ltr">AI modelling:&nbsp;The platform runs AI algorithms in the cloud, relaying real-time camera feed data to the end user to support versatile missions, such as object detection, tracking and thermal imaging.</li><li dir="ltr">Edge AI: CGConnect supports edge AI to perform intensive object identification and classification directly on the vehicle for dynamic missions.</li></ul><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lumuuYy2fHU?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> <h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Unlock new markets</h2>Integrating CGConnect into a vehicle&#39;s design expands the product&#39;s functionality and applications while saving development time. This allows manufacturers to fine-tune the product&#39;s competitive advantage, expanding the robot&#39;s potential and ultimately unlocking access to new markets.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-jVsC77f5bo?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> Cloud Ground Control helped Clean Earth Rovers transform its Rover AVPros into an autonomous, connected fleet. By integrating CGConnect, Clean Earth Rovers were able to provide customers with real-time situational awareness and greatly accelerate recovery efforts in ocean health.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jVsC77f5bo&t=22s" target="_blank">Discover the integration here</a>.For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cloudgroundcontrol.com/manufacturers" target="_blank">www.cloudgroundcontrol.com/manufacturers</a>.&nbsp;

CGConnect, its cellular micro-modem that uses 4G/5G networks to link any drone or robotic vehicle to Cloud Ground Control’s cloud-based drone fleet management platform, enabling live-streaming, command and control from a web browser.

Transform multiple unmanned vehicles into connected fleet with new  micro-cellular modem

When Angela Loh &rsquo;23 was 10 years old, she and her family moved to Shanghai from Michigan. She was immediately struck by how much more pollution she saw in Shanghai.&ldquo;When I stepped outside my home, the skies were grey and I could smell the stench of <a href="https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/air/pmq_a.htm" target="_blank">PM2.5 particles</a> hanging in the air. I would walk on certain local streets and see litter everywhere,&rdquo; she says. She noticed that most residents seemed complacent. &ldquo;Nobody seemed to care.&rdquo;But Loh did care, deeply, about environmental sustainability.As a freshman, Loh and Alan Hsiao &rsquo;21 founded <a href="https://cornellnexus.teleporthq.app/" target="_blank">Cornell Nexus</a>, a group of students from diverse colleges and majors who are designing and building an autonomous robot that will remove microplastics from the sand on beaches. The team hopes to have a working land-based prototype built by spring 2023, when they will turn their attention to creating a submersible robot that will remove microplastics from sea water.&ldquo;We are a team of individuals who want to step outside the boundaries of university competitions to make a difference on our planet,&rdquo; Loh says.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1670761221613-1206_micro1_0.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Angela Loh &rsquo;23 wires a component of the autonomous robot prototype.&nbsp;Microplastics, tiny bits of plastic the size of a sesame seed or smaller, are proliferating and pose a significant risk to ecosystems and to human and animal health. &ldquo;There are 50 trillion pieces of microplastics embedded in our sand, our marine life, our oceans and even in our drinking water,&rdquo; Loh says. A <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/microplastics-in-virtually-every-crevice-on-earth" target="_blank">recent survey</a> of the sea floor in the Mediterranean west of Italy found 1.9 million microplastics in one square meter. &ldquo;This is just one layer of sand in a single square meter of the Mediterranean,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Imagine how much microplastic has accumulated in all of our bodies, our water and our land.&rdquo;Beach cleaning operations focus on removing the waste we can see, such as plastic water bottles and trash, often using gas-powered tractors that bury microplastics beneath the top layer of sand. In contrast, the Cornell Nexus robot will use renewable solar energy to collect and remove microplastic waste. &ldquo;We believe that Nexus&rsquo; focus on autonomy and microplastics will revolutionize the technology for waste removal from beaches and bodies of water,&rdquo; Loh says.<h2>Planting the seed</h2>Loh recalls making hand-drawn posters promoting recycling and distributing them to her neighbors when she was in elementary school. Moving to Shanghai &ndash; a city she loves &ndash; was a wake-up call. &ldquo;I realized what big issues plastics, and pollution and waste in general, are on our planet,&rdquo; she says, &ldquo;and I really wanted to do something about them.&rdquo;In the summer after graduating from high school, Loh read a biography of Elon Musk and the founding of Tesla. &ldquo;Reading this allowed me to realize the boundless possibilities there are in the field of engineering,&rdquo; she says. Loh spent the next few months binge-reading biographies about inventors, entrepreneurs and engineers, from Steve Jobs to Leonardo da Vinci and Nike founder Phil Knight. She realized that engineering would be her springboard for creating change.After perusing the College of Engineering website, Loh switched her major from environmental science to electrical and computer engineering and computer science. &ldquo;Reading about the <a href="https://www.engineering.cornell.edu/students/undergraduate-students/special-programs/project-teams" target="_blank">engineering project teams</a> before I arrived at Cornell planted a seed in my brain that maybe one day it wouldn&rsquo;t be impossible to start my own,&rdquo; Loh says.Alan Hsiao was a junior and one of the first people Loh met as a freshman at Cornell. &ldquo;When we first started Nexus, I didn&rsquo;t know anything &ndash; not even basic knowledge about programming or wiring circuit boards &ndash; let alone building an entire vehicle that was going to traverse beaches and charge itself,&rdquo; Loh says. &ldquo;Alan would spend hours and hours mentoring me and teaching me concepts that I hadn&rsquo;t even heard of. &hellip; Through his kindness, wisdom and compassion, he has definitely left his impact on me, our Nexus team, the Cornell campus and our planet.&rdquo;<h2>Unleashing creativity, with help from alumni</h2>Nexus team members are now building a prototype with a multilayered filtering system to catch a range of different sizes of microplastics. When full, the robot will return to its docking station to offload the collected plastics and recharge.&ldquo;Creating our robot requires knowledge about concepts and implementation mechanisms that are usually taught in graduate-level courses,&rdquo; Loh says. Team members conduct their own in-depth research and seek out faculty who can guide their work. <a href="https://www.engineering.cornell.edu/about/branding-microsite/independent-thinkers/faculty-stories/joe-skovira" target="_blank">Joseph Skovira</a>, Ph.D. &rsquo;90, senior lecturer in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the group&rsquo;s faculty adviser, is helping them refine their product.<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/whelangreg/" target="_blank">Greg Whelan &rsquo;83</a> of <a href="http://greywale.com/" target="_blank">Greywale Advisors</a> and part of the <a href="https://www.northeastern.edu/vmn/" target="_blank">McCarthy&rsquo;s Venture Mentoring Network</a> has been helping them navigate business outreach and fundraising.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1670761265270-1206_micro2_0.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Alan Hsiao &rsquo;21 solders a component of the autonomous robot prototype.&nbsp;To ensure they have funding to purchase specialized hardware and software components, Nexus members have been developing relationships with companies that might sponsor the project once they have a prototype. In spring 2021, Nexus won first prize in the <a href="https://www.engineering.cornell.edu/students/undergraduate-students/entrepreneurial-options-undergrad-students/innovation-competition" target="_blank">Cornell Engineering Innovation Competition</a>. The <a href="https://www.engineering.cornell.edu/news/celebrating-new-product-concepts-and-prototypes-2020-engineering-innovation-competition" target="_blank">Yunni and Maxine Pao Social Innovation Award</a>, funded by Carolyn Wang &rsquo;00 and Jeff Pao &rsquo;00, allowed them to buy better wheels, a more robust material for the robot&rsquo;s frame, filtration nets and more accurate sensors.<h2>Doing the greatest good</h2>Nexus is testing and refining their prototype in the 2022-2023 academic year, using a sand bed to test the robot&rsquo;s moving, digging and filtering mechanisms. Then they will place their robot at several beaches, including some recommended by alumni from the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1670761294974-1206_micro3_0.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">This rendering illustrates what the Cornell Nexus robot will look like when completed.&nbsp;Once the land-based robot is completed, the team hopes to launch their robot into the water, where the vast majority of microplastics are. &ldquo;Our vision is to expand our technology to address the heart of the microplastics problem, which is underwater,&rdquo; Loh says. &ldquo;Very few commercial robots are tackling this issue, on a macro and micro scale.&rdquo;There are multiple design possibilities for a seafaring robot, including a water-based recharging and waste removal station, which could be more efficient than returning the robot to land.The Nexus team plans to make their design freely available to the public. &ldquo;This includes all of our software code, mechanical CAD files, electrical circuit board designs, and so forth,&rdquo; Loh says. &ldquo;Our goal is to make an impact and do our part to save our planet.&rdquo;

Cornell Nexus, a group of students from several colleges and majors, are designing and building an autonomous robot that will remove microplastics from the sand on beaches. Jason Koski/Cornell University

Beach cleaning operations focus on removing the waste we can see, such as plastic water bottles and trash, often using gas-powered tractors that bury microplastics beneath the top layer of sand. In contrast, the Cornell Nexus robot will use renewable solar energy to collect and remove microplastic waste.

Students design robot to collect microplastics from beaches

More than 20 years ago, a team set out to solve a problem: How do we reduce power loss and help reduce MOSFET size at the same time? LFPAK was the answer - and it changed everything.  

A story of innovation: How LFPAK revolutionized an industry.

This article was discussed in our <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte&source=gmail&ust=1640817319915000&usg=AOvVaw2nPRdRwJrXSYYeM9RCFu5x" href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/b5add957-dddc-4c76-afd3-be64df45c069?dark=false" class="fr-draggable"></iframe>The full article will continue below.<hr><h2>Boots On The Moon (Again)</h2>NASA’s Artemis mission plans to put humans back on the moon to conduct scientific research and build infrastructure that will support future space initiatives. Mobility on the lunar surface is critical; therefore, creating a new iteration of the lunar rover used during the Apollo missions became the obvious choice given the project’s success.Lockheed Martin and General Motors were quick to respond once NASA put out the bat signal that they were looking for a lunar rover successor. The duo was ultimately given the contract and they subsequently recently released a teaser of what is to come.<h2 dir="ltr"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5869l2cKLZw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </h2><h2> </h2><h2>Quick History of Lunar Rovers</h2>The Apollo program gave birth to the original Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) program with Boeing and General Motors’ collaboration. General Motors focused their energy on the chassis, suspension, powertrain, and wheel development whereas Boeing’s expertise with aviation technology made them a perfect candidate for the electrical and navigation subsystems. <div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjIyNDgwMTkyMjQ2LUFwb2xsb0x1bmFyQnVnZ3kuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 384px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Image 1. The lunar rover in action during an Apollo mission (Source: NASA)This battery-powered feat of engineering was quite capable, boasting a 57-mile range, a 1080-pound load capacity and a maximum speed of 8 miles per hour with two astronauts on board. Although, it is cited that Astronaut Eugene Cernana hit 11.2 miles per hour while operating the rover during the Apollo 17 mission making him the unofficial record holder for the maximum lunar land speed.</div>All of this becomes even more impressive when you take into account that the project went from conception to completion in a matter of 17 months. Four lunar rovers were manufactured in total: one for each of the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions and one for testing.<h2 dir="ltr">NASA's Requirements</h2>The Artemis missions have a much different purpose than the Apollo missions –– they aim to create a sustainable presence on the moon rather than just doing short exploratory stints. Therefore, the required specifications of the equipment being developed, such as the rover, are different.Apollo’s lunar rovers allowed astronauts to search the surroundings of the lunar landing module more efficiently but the maximum distance to travel from the landing zone was operationally restricted in case the rover broke down and the astronauts had to walk back. Moreover, the rover was powered by a non-rechargeable silver-zinc battery rendering it nearly useless once the charge required for the 57-mile range was depleted. &nbsp;With the shortcomings of the Apollo LRV as well as the objectives of the Artemis missions in mind, NASA has established the following requirements for the next generation rover:- Fully electric- Internally and externally rechargeable- Ability to transport 2 fully-kitted astronauts- Haul 1,102 pounds on a single charge for 1.2 miles- Autonomously navigate the lunar surface- Withstand an environment with temperatures ranging from -280°F to 260°F&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Next Generation Lunar Rovers</h2>Safety, sustainability, and durability are the key areas of improvement that NASA is requesting for this latest iteration. Here’s how the team hopes to address these:<h3>Safety</h3>leveraging General Motors’ self-driving subsidiary - Cruise - to develop a system capable of autonomously navigating through the hazardous, cater cluttered lunar terrain. Many self-driving systems are heavily dependent on visual cues so it would be challenging to recreate the lunar environment to train and validate a self-driving model; however, assistance from LiDAR technology could help map uncharted territories for navigation.<h3>Sustainability</h3>Artemis plans to develop infrastructure on the moon meaning repeated transportation between stations, in addition to exploration, is expected. As such, the rover should be able to recharge via an on-board system (e.g. solar panels) in addition to external charging (similar to plug-in electric vehicles).<h3>Durability</h3>The previous generation lunar rovers were used only during each mission timeframe and then left useless on the moon. That is no longer the case as Artemis requires dependable rovers that can be used constantly in the harsh lunar environment. Lockheed Martin is spearheading the material development/selection of this project which is fitting given their expertise in composites in the aerospace industry.<h3>What We Know So Far</h3>Lockheed Martin and General Motors haven’t revealed much about the project besides the high level specifications that we’ve covered so far. However, Given that Artemis plans to get boots on the moon by 2024, we should start seeing more updates and possibly a proof of concept sometime in the near future.

Lockheed Martin and General Motors are developing the next generation of lunar rovers for NASA's Artemis mission.

The Electric Lunar Buggy

In the late 1950s, New Zealand marine technology company <a href="https://www.hamiltonjet.com/" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">HamiltonJet</a> pioneered the application of waterjet propulsion for small and medium-sized craft. Waterjet propulsion was the ideal alternative to a conventional propeller drive for boats operating in shallow water, and quickly found favor among skippers of boats plying New Zealand's many shallow, rocky rivers.Since then, HamiltonJet has grown to become the world's biggest supplier of waterjet propulsion and control systems, with over 40% market share worldwide – some 97% of its sales are to export markets. Its sophisticated AVX platform provides the basis for a growing range of skipper assistance and auto-pilot functions, all of which depend on accurate and robust technology for tracking a vessel's position and its movement in the water.A crucial role in this platform is played by an MTi-2 motion tracker from <a href="https://www.xsens.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Xsens</a>, providing real-time measurements of roll and pitch to enable the HamiltonJet system to fix the position of a vessel on the water. This is the story of the HamiltonJet technology, and the MTi motion tracker's role in it.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-LjpsVKTNrs?&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 789px; height: 537px;"></iframe>Innovative propulsion system enables accurate station keepingToday, waterjets propel a wide range of service boats which require very high maneuverability, benefit from high efficiency at high speed, or operate in shallow waters. Typical users of HamiltonJet propulsion systems include police patrol boats, service vessels supporting wind farms, rescue and fire service boats, recreational and tourist boats, and military vessels.One of the most apparent differences between a waterjet propulsion system and propeller systems is the quick and easy control of the direction and power of the thrust. A HamiltonJet propulsion system can completely reverse the direction of thrust in less than two seconds.This property of waterjet propulsion enabled HamiltonJet to develop a sophisticated system for automatically performing 'station keeping' – the mariner's term for staying motionless on the surface of the water while maintaining a constant heading.Its JETanchor product for station keeping, or providing a 'virtual anchor', is an optional feature of the AVX propulsion control system. Playing a vital role in the JETanchor's position sensing system is an <a href="https://www.xsens.com/products/mti-1-series" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">MTi-2 Vertical Reference Unit (VRU)</a> from Xsens.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1592382231911-Photo+1.jpg" style="width: 610px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Compensation for satellite positioning signal errorThe JETanchor product enables the skipper to hold the vessel steady at the push of a button. The system has to know the absolute position of the vessel. Of course, technology for monitoring the position of an object is readily available: Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning signals are capable of high accuracy and precision.The JETanchor system uses dual satellite receivers. Each is mounted on a mast to maintain a clear line of sight to the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation. The satellite receivers provide position data accurate to a few tens of centimeters, as well as reliable measurements of heading and, when the vessel is in motion, velocity.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1592382347040-Photo+2.jpg" style="width: 610px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">As accurate as the dual GPS signals are, however, they are not sufficient for the JETanchor system to meet the high performance standards that HamiltonJet sets for its propulsion control products, chiefly because of the nature of operation on water. At sea, boats are rocked almost constantly by the motion of the wind and waves. An unmoored boat is never completely still.The effect of roll and pitch is amplified by the GPS receivers' mounted position high up on masts. In heavy seas, the action of roll and pitch can cause receivers mounted on tall masts to detect movement of several meters from one side of the mast's arc of motion to the other, while the dead center of the hull remains motionless.In other words, this swinging of the mast introduces error into the GPS signal. The role of the MTi-2 VRU is to measure the hull's roll and pitch. Once the mounting positions of the GPS receivers and of the VRU are programmed into the AVX control system, sophisticated JETanchor algorithms apply calculations in real time to cancel out the error in the GPS signals induced by movement of the water, resulting in a clean position signal. This then enables the waterjet propulsion system to minutely adjust the position of the hull on the water at a rate of ten times per second.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1592382411764-photo+4.jpg" style="width: 610px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">According to CJ Johansson, Senior Systems Engineer at HamiltonJet, a crucial feature of the Xsens VRU is its measurement stability even when subject to vibration – an ever-present phenomenon affecting the operation of motion trackers mounted on a vessel. He says, ‘Xsens implements very effective Kalman filtering technology in its sensor modules which automatically cancels out the effect of random vibrations induced by phenomena such as the impact of waves on the hull, or the operation of the boat's engine. This vibration filtering means that we can use the roll and pitch signal outputs from the MTi-2 motion tracker with great confidence. It also leaves the main AVX control system free to implement its principal control functions, without having to perform error compensation of the roll/pitch signal.’The accuracy and stability of the MTi-2 VRU play a crucial role in enabling the JETanchor product to achieve high performance. It can typically maintain a vessel's position to within 1m at sea. System tests have demonstrated the system's ability to maintain a cargo vessel's station 1m from a wharf while a 1 tonne load of bricks was lifted by crane to shore.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1592382447914-photo+3.jpg" style="width: 610px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Ben Reed, CEO of HamiltonJet, says: ‘Our goal in developing the JETanchor product was to bring station keeping to mainstream vessels. In large commercial vessels and ferries, station keeping is a feature which can cost as much as $0.5m to install. JETanchor is typically priced at less than 10% of this, yet its performance in a waterjet propulsion system rivals that of much more expensive systems. JETanchor's outstanding performance is a tribute to the skill and ingenuity of our engineering team, and to the quality of the technology inside it – including the affordable yet high-performance MTi motion tracker supplied by Xsens.’&nbsp;To find out more about HamiltonJet and its JETanchor station keeping product, go to <a href="http://www.hamiltonjet.com/global/jetanchor" target="_blank">www.hamiltonjet.com/global/jetanchor</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;MTi-2 VRULearn more about the Xsens MTi-2 VRU and <a href="https://www.xsens.com/cs/c/?cta_guid=82326a14-937a-4ae2-b0ed-5e9218e038af&placement_guid=7b7bf30f-9345-4b11-811b-37c05a6fd348&portal_id=3446270&canon=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xsens.com%2Fcases%2Fkeeping-a-boat-still-on-moving-water-advanced-hamiltonjet-propulsion-control-system-uses-mti-sensor-for-roll-and-pitch-compensation&redirect_url=APefjpGBss3ScaRm8zqyqTYtSgyEbIWlrKs9qJQlOiyMaAdQSc41Vp1V2kr6Qv0pANPHXkhRXX45cT13IB4GTrHqe-M6_wgH-2UuJaS3HeAx_MupKn0MAQ8BeIfBd7FRVToekLnJ9IZY-sY6svl4EzdqRjWiF9KNbnbWY3fC59A2vbbaHsXMYcYJI7BNbaG93rS41FvG6sy0BNGOtR6cxWRPs2cUyV9XDq9MxDBHFp5NDTGv9QTwssipv5N6xSSSZBrpD8Znmv7D4VXHxFeJSpz52XiPnxIhDg&click=bffc5e0e-c679-4e9c-ae45-cb14d30cd2fa&hsutk=465d693af42ae05f614571b3e65e8679&signature=AAH58kEMA0ksQiY3ruTj6_wf16Fv5Vd07Q&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xsens.com%2Fexplore%3Ffilter%3Dcases&pageId=30700473825&__hstc=81749512.465d693af42ae05f614571b3e65e8679.1589191131131.1592310119548.1592381053130.73&__hssc=81749512.2.1592381053130&__hsfp=4231159045&contentType=blog-post" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Go to the product page">go to the product page</a>.

Keeping A Boat Still On Moving Water

Advanced HamiltonJet Propulsion Control System Uses MTi Sensor For Roll And Pitch Compensation

What sensors do we need for building a fully autonomous robot?Autonomous Robots are equipped with numerous sensors to perceive its surroundings as well as be aware of its own movements. The first step for achieving autonomy of robots i.e., robots moving from point A to point B on its own without colliding with anything, is awareness of the surrounding environment. Autonomous robots have a stack of sensors, among them, Wheel Odometers, IMU, GPS, Lidar, and Multiple Cameras being the most common. The current developments in the autonomous vehicles space also make use of sensors like Radar, Stereo Cameras in combination with the above stack.&nbsp;What is localization?<a href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rasc/Download/AMRobots5.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Localization</a> means to determine the current position and orientation of a body with respect to some coordinate system.How humans localize, is it a difficult task?Humans very naturally tend to determine their &nbsp;current position with respect to the different environmental landmarks/features around them. So, when we localize ourselves we tend to understand we are at some given distance and at certain angle from some house/tree/lamp post or any other landmarks. Given an empty featureless space even humans cannot localize. Thus, features are important for this localization task and thus we need a map filled with features/landmark to localize ourselves in that map, else it is an impossible task to perform.Then how do robots do it?The SLAM algorithm has two parts; the first is mapping and the second is localization. Autonomous ground robots have visual sensors like Lidar and Camera which can pretty well map its environment around. Then with 3D reconstruction from their data, robots generate something called a HD map. HD maps differ from normal maps, the former has a lot more features than the later. Once this map is ready, the robot starts localizing itself in this map. <a href="http://robots.stanford.edu/papers/thrun.pf-in-robotics-uai02.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Particle Filter</a>, <a href="https://www-users.cs.umn.edu/~isler/pub/tase10.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Triangulation</a>, <a href="http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~urtasun/courses/CSC2541/03_odometry.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Visual Odometry</a> are some methods used for this purpose.&nbsp;Another widely used method for localization is <a href="https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~motionplanning/lecture/Chap8-Kalman-Mapping_howie.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Extended Kalman Filter</a>. An EKF is a non-linear version of the linear Kalman Filter. It's a state-space estimator, what that means is that it can help in estimating the current state given input of the previous state. It's is used as a data fusion filter for localization tasks in robotics. It takes inputs from the IMU, Wheel Odometers and GPS and performs its computation based on a CTRV (Constant Turn Rate Velocity) model for a wheeled ground vehicle, to estimate the current position and orientation of the vehicle. Often this localization information is fused with visual odometry to achieve an accuracy of 100mm in the localization task.Once the robots know where they are in a map they can now start planning their path for the destination point B. Thus, invoking another interesting field of research called Path Planning. &nbsp; More resources on SLAM :1. <a href="https://blog.cometlabs.io/teaching-robots-presence-what-you-need-to-know-about-slam-9bf0ca037553" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Teaching robots presense</a>2. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simultaneous_localization_and_mapping" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SLAM</a>3. <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1638022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Simultaneous Localization and Mapping</a>&nbsp;

Image: Highway image using LIDAR - Oregon State University (CC BY-SA 2.0)

A brief introduction to localization and mapping, and how these two functions are performed simultaneously during SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping).

How autonomous robots know where they are

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Replique

SmartZavod

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autonomous surface vehicles (asvs)

autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs)

Profiles