Posts

2016_06_10-D20-Weekly-Stock-Index

Mobileye Flip Flops, D20 Index Hovers

/0 Comments/in , ,

The Driverless Transportation (D20) Stock Index last week dropped nearly 2 percent as five gainers were overmatched by 15 losers.

The largest percentage price gainer was Renesas (TYO:6723), adding ¥19, or 3 percent, to close at ¥648. The financial uncertainty caused by April’s Kumamoto earthquakes to Renesas’s manufacturing operations has ended with the recording of a special loss of ¥8 Billion ($75.2 Million USD). Large one-time losses seem to be better news than financial uncertainty.

Two weeks ago it was huzzahs for Mobileye because it was the D20’s top percentage price leader. Last week that all turned around as the one-time investor’s darling was the D20’s percentage price loser. Mobileye (MBLY) has been on a roller coaster ride as the market tries to figure out how big and how soon the firm’s technology could become widely used for autonomous or semi-autonomous driving. What announcements will be forthcoming at its 2016 annual meeting in Amsterdam scheduled for June 29?

The D20 lost ground against the Dow, which gained 0.3 percent, and the S&P 500, which lost only 0.1 percent. The D20 has hovered since early March in the 145 to 150 range, the same level it was at a year ago at this time.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

SmartBus2

Connected Vehicle App Makes Bus Stops Smart

/1 Comment/in , , ,

Waiting for a bus just entered the “smart technology” era.

Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has teamed up with two high-tech leaders in the automotive ecosystem – Renesas Electronics America Inc. and eTrans Systems – to demonstrate a new application to improve the bus rider experience through technology innovation.

The Smart Stop application allows for communication between buses and waiting passengers. A waiting passenger can send a message to the driver telling him he wants to take the bus, and the bus can tell those at a stop it is on its way.

Smart Stop will be demonstrated at the annual conference of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), June 12-16 in San Jose, Calif. The demo is Wednesday, June 15, off Viola Ave. next to the San Jose Convention Center South Hall between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The demonstration highlights V2I (Vehicle-To-Infrastructure) and V2V (Vehicle-To-Vehicle) solutions using Dedicated Short Range Communications, or DSRC, for safety and mobility applications.

V2X technology connects the fleet systems with infrastructure, using 5.9 GHz WI-FI communications. The technology allows vehicles to reliably interact with infrastructure, enables collision avoidance, and promotes fuel efficiency.

“VTA is looking for new and inventive ways to improve the customer experience when taking transit,” said Gary Miskell, VTA’s chief information officer. “A Smart Stop provides customers a quick and simple way to keep them informed on their trip.”

“It’s an exciting time for the transportation industry, and Renesas Electronics America is pleased to partner with VTA and eTrans Systems to demonstrate the first eco-friendly solution for V2X,” said Vinay Thadani, senior staff product marketing manager, Automotive Unit, Renesas Electronics America, and ITS California committee member.

“Connecting the innovation of transit, vehicle, and infrastructure of the VTA, while using a Renesas On-Board Unit with eTransSystems technologies, Smart Stop will promote safety and greener ridership in overall transit.”

ETrans, a leading developer of software solutions for connected and automated vehicles, has designed communications software that allows the bus and the bus stop to communicate using DSRC technology.

“DSRC is an emerging technology that is going to greatly improve road safety and mobility and we are very excited to rollout this cutting-edge solution with VTA,” said John Estrada, eTrans CEO.

USING DSRC TECHNOLOGY

In the demonstration, a mock VTA bus stop will use DSRC to let a bus operator know if someone is waiting at a particular stop, and to let passengers know when the vehicle is nearby. This means drivers won’t have to stop when there are no passengers waiting, saving time and fuel.

When passengers arrive at a stop, they can use an app on their smartphone or the touch screen at the stop kiosk to indicate that they are waiting for a particular bus. This request is passed to a Road Side Unit that runs software developed by eTrans. The Road Side Unit then uses DSRC technology to transmit that request to the bus on-board unit which generates an audible and visual alert. As the bus approaches the stop, DSRC communication is used to notify the passenger, via their smartphone, that the vehicle is approaching.

A second demonstration of DSRC technology will feature Renesas advanced ADAS autonomous driving platform, which uses a combination of sensor fusion, 3D surround view, and V2X technologies to provide driver warnings for collisions, red lights and road construction.

Regulations expected to go into effect will mandate V2X technology be integrated with existing vehicle safety features to optimize driver safety and fuel efficiency. Many major auto manufacturers have begun to respond to the new mandate, which is proposed for vehicles manufactured for model year 2019.

The VTA is an independent special district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of its region.  VTA is responsible for bus, light rail and paratransit operations and also serves as the county’s congestion management agency.

etrans2

eTrans Systems To Demonstrate Connected Vehicle Solutions at ITS America [Sponsored Content]

/0 Comments/in ,

Live demonstrations of connected and automated vehicle apps will be conducted by rising software developer eTrans Systems at the ITS America Show in San Jose this month.

ETrans will demonstrate its solutions with Renesas, a global supplier of technology to the automotive industry, and with the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority (VTA).

The ITS America 2016 show runs at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center June 12-16 with the demos scheduled for June 13-15.

The eTrans, Renesas demo features a series of V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) and V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure) applications including:

  • V2V Collision Avoidance
  • V2I Traffic Light Interaction
  • V2V Automated Processing where a camera will detect vehicles and eTrans applications will generate Basic Safety Messages on their behalf.

With the VTA, eTrans will demonstrate the SmartStop application which allows customers to use their smartphones to request a bus and notifies the bus driver of the request. The VTA expects the system to substantially improve service to its customers and eliminate unnecessary stops, leading to reduced fuel consumption.

Visitors to eTrans in booth #436 will see a demonstration of:

  • The Omnisight system viewer showcasing all the demos near the convention center;
  • Insight, the eTrans application for monitoring individual DSRC systems;
  • The Pedestrian detection app that ‘sees’ pedestrians in crosswalks and other specified areas. The app can control nearby traffic lights and use DSRC to send messages to drivers, notifying them of the pedestrian.

The eTrans booth also features VSDP, the revolutionary V2x Software Development Platform that provides all the necessary tools for the rapid development, testing and maintenance of cutting-edge V2x and DSRC solutions. It features robust functionality for DSRC messaging, input data generation, simulation and resulting data analysis.

VSDP allows for applications to be coded once for a variety of hardware platforms including Renesas, Cohda and Arada/Lear. Additionally, VSDP includes an integrated test environment that easily permits testing in the lab, over the air and on the road. This allows for rapid turnaround of system changes. A variety of display options means quick insight into what is happening within your application.

“With VSDP, companies can cut down their development and test time by over 50 percent, thus enjoying faster time to market and lower costs,” said Robert Baily, eTrans CTO.

About eTrans Systems:

Driverless cars, connected vehicles and other technologies are revolutionizing transportation. The driving factor making this happen is secure connected software. eTrans Systems specializes in the development of secure connected vehicle systems. The founders of eTrans each have over twenty years of experience in software solutions, software development and testing.

 

[SPONSORED CONTENT]

SanJose2

Live Demos Key to ITS America’s San Jose Conference

/1 Comment/in , , , ,

Burney Simpson

Hands-on, close-up demos of connected and autonomous vehicle technology will be a key part of the upcoming ITS America 2016 San Jose conference June 12-16 in the city’s McEnery Convention Center.

The conference “Integrated Mobility. Transportation Redefined.” will offer the “#THISisITS Exhibits and Demonstrations,” June 13-15.

The demonstrations include:

Lear Corporation: Intelligent Transportation Navigating Traffic

Visitors can ride in a vehicle and experience vehicle to vehicle (V2V), vehicle to infrastructure (V2I), and cellular communications. There will be examples of warnings, situational awareness, and vehicle tracking information. Cellular communication will be used to demonstrate a variety of remote vehicle commands and tracking technologies. Sign up in Lear Corp. booth 423, event is on Viola Street.

Wave Mobile Solutions Cameras, Data, and Safety Using Light Rail

GRIDSMART and Wave Mobile Solutions will conduct an integrated demonstration of the Gridsmart Technologies’ bell shaped 360-degree camera along with a Wave Mobile Solutions FiberWire 8011 DSRC RSU. The camera and the RSU will be installed at the corner of San Carlos and Market in front of the Marriott. The San Jose VTA Lightrail will be used for a demonstration where the RSU will send out DSRC basic safety messages alerting the light rail and DSRC-equipped vehicles of vehicles, pedestrians or bicycles in the cross walk. Sign-Up at Wave Mobile’s booth 938, and the demo will be in the plaza in front of the McEnery Center.

Heavy Truck Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Demonstration Ride – PATH

Visitors can ride in a heavy truck on the SR-87 freeway in San Jose as part of a string of three trucks with the followers’ speed under cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC). Visitors will experience the use of DSRC vehicle-to-vehicle communication to coordinate the speeds of the trucks. They will also experience the responses of the following trucks when a car cuts in between the trucks.

The demonstration was developed by the University of California PATH Program and Volvo Group under the sponsorship of the FHWA Exploratory Advanced Research Program and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Sign-Up at USDOT booth 407; visitors will be picked up on S. Almaden Street.

Savari Vehicle Predictive Safety

This live in-vehicle demonstration will showcase Savari’s suite of V2V safety applications that include Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Change Assist, and Intersection Movement Assist. Sign-Up in Savari booth 916; the demo will be on Viola Street.

San Jose Valley Transit Authority (VTA) Transit Safety

The VTA will conduct three demonstrations – a Smart Bus Stop, a Transit Vehicle Collision Avoidance System, and an On-Board Passenger Information Monitor.

Smart Bus Stop – VTA, Renesas, and eTrans Systems are collaborating to demonstrate a system that uses DSRC technology to notify bus operators of passengers waiting at bus stops. With this system, when a passenger arrives at a bus stop, the passenger identifies what bus they want, and when the bus approaches, messages are exchanged and the bus knows if it has a valid passenger and must stop.

Collision Avoidance – VTA and Rosco Systems will demonstrate a multi-vision sensor system that provides visual and audible alerts to transit vehicle drivers if a pedestrian or bicyclist are in a danger zone when the bus is moving.

On Board Mobile PIM’s (Passenger Information Monitors) – VTA and Allied Telesis will demonstrate an advanced passenger information monitor that makes graphical geo-coded transit information available to passengers while on board buses and trains. The system will also be interactive with the customer smartphone.

Sign-Up for any of the demos at eTrans Systems’ booth 436; the demos will be conducted in the parking lot.

Renesas Riding Along With Advanced ADAS and Data

Visitors will take a ride in the Renesas Advanced ADAS vehicle to see a series of V2V and V2I applications, including collision warnings, red-light warnings, and road constructions warnings. Advanced camera analytics will generate additional information for passenger safety, and visitors will see the advanced ADAS capabilities built into the Renesas vehicle. Sign Up in eTrans Systems’ booth 436 for the demonstration on nearby Convention Center streets.

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) is an advocate for today’s leading industries marrying tech and transportation to advance safety, efficiency and sustainability and putting “transportation” at the center of the Internet of Things.

etrans2

eTrans Launches V2X Software for Automated, Connected Vehicle Apps

/0 Comments/in , , ,

eTrans Systems, a leading developer of software solutions for connected and automated vehicles, has launched VSDP, a revolutionary new V2X Software Development Platform.

VSDP provides tools for the rapid development, testing and maintenance of cutting-edge V-to-Everything (V2X) and Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) solutions. It features robust apps for DSRC messaging, input data generation, simulation, and resulting data analysis.

VSDP allows for applications to be coded once for a variety of hardware platforms including Renesas, Cohda Wireless, and Arada/Lear.

Users can apply VSDP’s integrated test environment for testing in the lab, over the air and on the road. This translates into a fast turnaround of system changes. In addition, a variety of display options means quick insight into what is happening within your application.

“With VSDP, companies can cut down their development and test time by over 50 percent,” says Robert Baily, eTrans Systems CTO. “That means faster time to market and lower costs.”

Fairfax, Virginia-based eTrans Systems specializes in the development of secure, connected vehicle systems for driverless cars, connected vehicles, and other technologies. Company founders each have over twenty years of experience in software solutions, software development and testing.

The VSDP consists of three main components:

  • The VSDP Driver is a set of tools for driving input data into applications. It works with both simulated data and captured, over-the-air data, and includes apps to generate over-the-air test data.
  • The VSDP Chassis is an application environment and middleware that handles core V2X functions. Its APIs include ASN.1 message handling and flow, unit conversion and management, and Bluetooth and Ethernet backend communication.
  • The VSDP Mirror offers Display, Analysis, and Data Capture tools for verification of applications.

eTrans’ VSDP is configurable and flexible, and can be installed locally or via the Cloud. Built-in tools allow for communication to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s warehouse and clearinghouse.

 

2016_03_28_D20_weekly_stock_index_previous_18_weeks

Mobileye’s Rollercoaster Ride Continues

/0 Comments/in , ,

The Driverless Transportation (D20) Stock Index last week lost 2.4 points, or 1.6 percent, with 15 stocks dropping and only five rising. It finished Friday at 146.09. The Dow lost 0.5 percent to finish at 17515.73 while the S&P 500 lost 0.7 percent to end the week at 2035.94

On the strength of several industry analysts’ recent upgrades, TomTom (TOM2) jumped 8 percent, adding €0.63 to finish the week at €8.44. Renesas Electronics (TYO:6723) clocked its sixth straight up week, gaining 2 percent and ending the week at ¥745. It has gone up 23 percent since February.

Although there wasn’t any notable news for Mobileye (MBLY), its stock price sank nearly 8 percent to end the week at $34.40, making it the D20’s largest loser. Mobileye is the D20’s leading laggard since the D20’s constituents and measurement formula was realigned last August. It peaked in September at $51.10, then bottomed out on February 12th this year at $25.18. Last week’s loss was the first after five consecutive weekly of gains.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

PolySync2

Harbrick Goes West, Harvests Funds

/0 Comments/in , , , , ,

Burney Simpson

Autonomous driving technology is growing fast, and startups like Harbrick Technologies are growing with it.

The developer of the popular middleware plug-in PolySync has raised money, hired top technology executives, and moved to the West Coast, all in the last quarter or so.

Harbrick’s PolySync provides the ‘back end infrastructure’ for auto OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers as they build, test, and deploy driverless applications. Developers use the platform to reuse code “in a modular and seamless way.”

PolySync reduces costs and shortens product time-to-market for its users, according to Harbrick founder and CEO Joshua Hartung, who says PolySync “provides the platform for the future of DT,” (driverless transportation).

Going into the second half of 2015 Harbrick had grown to where it was partnering with microcontroller chip firm Renesas (fiscal 2015 revenues of $6.9 billion) to develop autonomous products that drew clients from around the globe. This video from Renesas DevCon 15 shows some of the work the firms were conducting.

It was time for the next step.

SEED FUNDING

First, Harbrick successfully garnered funding last November. Hartung wouldn’t name the funder but says it is an early-stage investor that wanted to “invest in a firm like us that innovates and disrupts.”

The money gives us “the kick we need,” Hartung said.

The investment paid in part for a move to Portland, Ore., from rural Moscow, Idaho. The company moved in January and officially began operating in Portland this month.

Moscow was great for a start-up but it was remote, and that meant a lot of remote workers.

“That’s not productive. We needed to move up a step,” said Hartung. The firm has brought on board several executives with a deeper background in autonomous technology.

The new Director of Engineering is Peter Brink, an 18-year Intel veteran who has been working on embedded systems. Hartung says Brink is assuring all Harbrick products meet ASIL – ISO 26262 safety certification for embedded auto software and hardware.

The new Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sale is Stephen Mitchener, most recently with Oracle. Prior to that Mitchener was with Intel Wind River, another embedded software house.

Harbrick is a spinoff of AutonomouStuff, the Morton, Ill.-based provider of autonomous components. The name Harbrick comes from a combination of the last names of Hartung, and Bobby Hambrick, the founder and CEO of AutonmouStuff.

MCU_vendors_2015

D20 in a Rebound as Renesas Jumps

/0 Comments/in , , , ,

The Driverless Transportation (D20) Stock Index, the Dow Industrials and the S&P 500 Index all saw a rebound last week. With a 7.8 percent increase to ¥772, Renesas (TYO:6732) was this week’s largest gainer in the D20. Acquisition rumors continue to swirl around Renesas as the microcontroller industry consolidates, driving prices up.

The D20 outperformed the Dow and S&P by adding 3.07 points, or 2.24 percent, to close the week at 140.02. The Dow moved up 0.7 percent to finish at 16093.51 while the S&P added 1.4 percent to end the week at 1906.9 halting a three week plunge for all three indexes.

Last week the D20 had 16 gainers, three losers and Volvo AB (VOLVY) remained unchanged.  This week’s three losers were Delphi (DLPH), down 3.6 percent, Tesla (TSLA), shedding 1.2 percent, and General Motors (GM), dropping 1 percent.

Graphic by IHS Inc.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

D20-Stock-Index-week-ending 2016-01-08

D20 Index Drops Dramatically

/0 Comments/in , ,

Driverless Transportation

By losing 10.2 percent of its value last week, the Driverless Transportation (D20) Stock Index suffered its largest single week loss since its inception in August 2014. The D20 lost 16.49 points to end a disastrous week at 145.26. Neither the Dow Industrials nor the S&P 500 fared much better. The Dow lost 423.62 points, or 6.2 percent of its value, to close at 16346.45, and the S&P 500 lost 6 percent of its value to finish at 1922.03.

China halted trading in its stock market several times last week, causing set-backs in the world’s major stock markets. The markets are concerned that the recent weakness in China’s economy will drive the global economy down. The D20 was not immune as all twenty stocks lost value last week, 12 of them losing more than 10 percent of their value. The stock that lost the least value this week was Renesas Electronics of Japan (TSE: 6723) with its share price dipping from 770¥ to 744¥, a 3.3 percent loss.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

D20 Stock Index week ending December 25, 2015

Blackberry Leads D20 Up - Again

/0 Comments/in , , ,

Nineteen gainers powered the Driverless Transportation (D20) Stock Index as it surpassed the Dow Jones Industrials and the S&P 500 for the second consecutive week. The D20 broke the 160 point barrier, rising 2.9 percent to finish the short week at 163.03. The Dow added 2.5 percent to end the week at 17552.17 while the S&P 500 moved up 2.8 percent and closed at 2060.99.

Blackberry (BBRY) led the D20 for the second week in a row, gaining 5.7 percent and closing at $9.10. This has been a turbulent year for Blackberry as it attempted to shed its reliance on its shrinking smart phone hardware revenue and build its sales in enterprise security and vehicle automation software. Reports are that CEO John Chen will make news regarding Blackberry’s QNX embedded OS for connected cars during the CES 2016 in Las Vegas in January.

The D20’s loser this week was the same as last week’s, the Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Renesas Electronics (TSE: 6732). Renesas fell 2.4 percent to 762 Yen as rumors of an acquisition by Germany’s Infineon was squelched by top officials.  Then, on Christmas Day, Renesas CEO Takao Endo resigned.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.