Inside the Plan for Self-Driving Deliveries
Welcome back to The Stack, a monthly newsletter from Argo AI featuring the best content about the field we’re all so passionate about: self-driving cars.
This month’s edition covers a vast array of news, from our exciting announcement with Walmart and Ford to begin self-driving grocery delivery services in three cities; to the latest progress on our work with Volkswagen in Germany; to the return of the No Parking Podcast for season three.
Here are the goods:
Argo AI, Ford and Walmart
Same-day delivery and next-day delivery have been a godsend for many in the U.S. during the pandemic. Here at Argo AI, we’re looking to take the capability further into the future by collaborating with Ford and Walmart to offer self-driving deliveries of Walmart goods to customers in three markets: Austin, Texas; Miami; and Washington, D.C.
Learn all about this program, and watch our video here.
Also read up on how the pandemic has changed the retail industry and how autonomous vehicles could provide benefits to retailers large and small over at Ground Truth.
In Motion In Munich, With An Eye On Hamburg
Our news wasn’t limited to stateside: in Germany at the IAA Mobility conference, together with our partner Volkswagen, we unveiled our first VW self-driving test vehicle, the ID. BUZZ AD (Autonomous Driving). Shortly after, we began test driving it on public roads in Munich. Read about how we prepared for that milestone here.
Meanwhile, we joined VW and our partners at MOIA to announce the roadmap toward our launch of an autonomous ride-pooling service in Hamburg in 2025. That begins by creating high-definition, 3D maps of the city, which you can read all about at Ground Truth.
Cloud Covered
At Argo AI, we’re committed to providing autonomous vehicle services for both ride-hail passengers and goods delivery.
There are some similarities in transporting people and packages, but there are also some critical distinctions to account for. How did we design our self-driving system and cloud infrastructure to address and account for each of these distinct use cases? Find out at Ground Truth.
One major advantage we have: Argo AI’s engineers built ArgoWatch, a flexible cloud-based system that monitors and manages all aspects of Argo’s autonomous vehicle fleet and makes it easy for us to plug in with partners. Ground Truth has those details as well.
Vac Man
Did you know we have a podcast? It’s called No Parking, and it’s co-hosted by Ground Truth columnist Alex Roy and Argo AI CEO Bryan Salesky.
Whether you’re a loyal listener or new to the pod, you’re in luck: No Parking has just returned for its third season of conversations that cut through the hype around artificial intelligence and self-driving cars.
The first episode is now live and features a fascinating conversation with Colin Angle, founder and CEO of iRobot, the company whose Roomba robotic vacuum is among the most popular robots in the U.S. — and which recently enjoyed a major breakthrough in dog poop avoidance.
Listen now and subscribe on the podcast service of your choice for more new weekly episodes and guests.
Planes, Bikes & Automobiles
No, it’s not the title of the 1980s hit comedy starring Steve Martin and John Candy.
Louis Anslow, a writer and amateur historian who runs the popular Twitter account Pessimists Archive and its accompanying newsletter, describes in his inaugural Ground Truth column how all of these popular modes of transportation were at first doubted, ridiculed, and even feared, before becoming widely embraced by people around the world.
The takeaway? New transportation technology doesn’t tend to catch on instantly or with universal approval — but, initial skepticism and fears fade as more people begin to understand its benefits.
On Our Radar (and Lidar)
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Watch Argo AI CEO Bryan Salesky in conversation with Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess at IAA Mobility in Munich
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Read about the all-women Afghanistan Robotics Team and their plans to participate in the FIRST Robotics Challenge after some members evacuated the country
- Electric vehicle startup Rivian’s first all-electric pickup truck has completed the production of its first vehicle for shipment to a customer
See some other cool/important/strange/noteworthy autonomy links you want to share? We’ll take them at Stack@argo.ai! We may just include your recommendations in a future edition of this newsletter.
Open Seats
Check out some of our many openings across the U.S. and Germany — plus remote offerings, too.
…and many, many more in various locations. The full list is here.
Follow That Car!
If you want more stories like these, plus info on what we’re up to, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and the web!
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