Twitter
The robot dog makes a delivery at Continental's booth.
The robot dog makes a delivery at Continental's booth.
The robot dog makes a delivery at Continental's booth.
The robot dog makes a delivery at Continental's booth.
The robot dog makes a delivery at Continental's booth.

CES Notebook: Autonomous demos; a focus on last mile

Jan. 16, 2019
A walk around CES included seeing a robot dog e-commerce delivery and mapping company focused on last mile logistics.

Autonomous demos come in all shapes and sizes during CES.

For Continental, the demo didn’t involve a car – or even a human. Instead, a robot dog was the star of its show.

In partnership with ANYbotics, Continental ran several demos during CES of the robot dog exiting a delivery truck and stepping over a scooter in its path, before climbing several steps and ringing the front door bell to deliver a package.

Meanwhile, among the demos out on the Las Vegas roads, AutoX garnered headlines for using its test car to pick up food from a local Applebee’s and autonomously delivering it near the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Inside CES, dozens of companies displayed concept vehicles, such as Valeo. It built an autonomous car using only its own sensors, scanners and LiDAR. It also featured Drive4U Remote, enabling operators to control a vehicle from a remote location.

Speaking of LiDAR, there were once again countless companies from across the globe at CES. As these companies compete for attention, they commonly touted increased fields of view, smaller sensor sizes, higher resolution and the ability to operate in all weather. 

Other companies showed how they were using artificial intelligence to uncover cybersecurity threats on the systems needed for advanced safety systems. Elsewhere, consumer-focused companies were using part of its CES messaging to attract fleet customers.

One example is HERE Technologies, a provider of mapping and location services in 200 countries. It was promoting its growing services for commercial fleets.

Jussi Koski, director of enterprise telematics, said the company is focused on the “underserved” last mile segment. 

E-commerce requires greater visibility and routing accuracy, Koski said. HERE’s data helps create the most efficient route and delivery order sequences for drivers, he said.

Nearby, Visteon was showing its in-car cockpit domain controller, known as SmartCore. The technology is in use some Mercedes-Benz cars, and pieces of it will likely makes its way in trucks in the near future.

About the Author

Neil Abt

Neil Abt, editorial director at Fleet Owner, is a veteran journalist with over 20 years of reporting experience, including 15 years spent covering the trucking industry. A graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., he began his career covering sports for The Washington Post newspaper, followed by a position in the newsroom of America Online (AOL) and then both reporting and leadership roles at Transport Topics. Abt is based out of Portland, Oregon.

Sponsored Recommendations

Stop Sweating Temperature Excursions

Advanced chemical indicators give you the peace of mind that comes from reliable insights into your supply chains. Compromised shipments can be identified the moment they arrive...

How Electric Vehicles Help You Prolong the Life of Your Fleet

Before adopting electric vehicles for commercial/government fleets, prioritize cost inquiries. Maintenance is essential; understand the upkeep of EV fleets. Here’s what you need...

How to Choose the Right Route Planning Solution

This free buyer's guide will help equip you with the knowledge and insights needed to analyze route planning software and vendors in the market and, ultimately, make an informed...

How to Put Your Trucking Data to Work

How fleets can overcome data overload to optimize operations and get ahead.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!