Mike Horton, CTO of Aceinna, explains why it is necessary to integrate inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor technology with CAN communications and how to do so in a variety of vehicle types and classes. He also explains what an IMU is, what CANbus is, and dives into a discussion of how to create a custom CANbus application using an open source IMU sensor.

Furthermore, the video compares various debugging tools including Cooperhill Technologies,  Komodo and Vector equipment. It also discusses the differences between CAN 2.0A and CAN 2.0B, as well the J1939 standard including the Address Claim feature.

Finally, Horton demonstrates how to build and code custom CANbus 2.0A and CANbus 2.0B IMU autonomous vehicle guidance applications.

O2 will enable 5G connectivity at Millbrook’s testing facilities from June 2019, using its 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz spectrum, ahead of the first phase of its 5G roll-out in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London later this year.

The on-site network consists of 59 sites and 89 small cells and is operated by British wireless solution provider Dense Air. Under a 12-month agreement with the AutoAir project, O2 will integrate the sites and small cells into its public infrastructure.

The AutoAir 5G project aims to accelerate the adoption of connected and self-driving technology in the UK, via trials supported by members including Dense Air, Airspan Networks, Millbrook, Blu Wireless, Real Wireless, the University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Centre, and the R&D arm of motorsport racing team McLaren.

Engineering firm Atkins recently joined the consortium, having signed an agreement to lend its design and engineering expertise to the project, alongside O2.

“The AutoAir consortium is pleased to welcome O2 and Atkins to the second phase of the project”, said Paul Senior, CEO of Dense Air and chief strategy officer of Airspan Networks.

“O2’s integration and commercialization of the 5G network at Millbrook to support both public and private mobile use cases is a world first and will be a reference deployment for the UK mobile industry as it moves to support 5G applications for Industry 4.0, large enterprise and government.

The move enables efficient test setups with a variety of practical benefits, such as automatic sensor detection. For car makers with limited resources for the necessary testing, DTI offers an efficient option of speeding up their processes without compromising on precision, reliability and safety, according to Kistler.

Kistler provides users with an end-to-end measuring chain from sensors and the DTI logger to the user interface with KiCenter software – to perform, for instance, the vehicle dynamics straight-line braking test to DIN 70028 standards. The complex setup for configuring the sensors, transferring and synchronizing measurement data and supplying the power requires just a single cable, ensuring efficient, time-saving routines and letting the user focus on their measuring tasks.

The new DTI logger comes with eight DTI ports with 12 channels, so that a total of 96 sensors can be connected per logger. It offers sampling rates of 500 to 20,000Hz and a power supply up to 240W. It is also now possible to link up three DTI loggers to a network with the new SyncSwitch, raising the connection capacity to a total of 288 sensors. All transducers connected to the DTI network are also automatically synchronized.

Kistler’s update of the DTI logger and the advanced network capability provide customers with an integrated system for efficient test setups and a variety of sensors that are easy to integrate, configure and put into operation. The measurement technology can be further optimized in close cooperation with the customer and provided as an all-in-one solution package for specific applications.

The smaller selection of DTI-enabled sensors, which frequently resulted in the use of a CAN-to-DTI converters, is now past history thanks to Kistler’s updating of its entire vehicle dynamics sensor portfolio for direct DTI integration. Third-party products can also already be equipped with a DTI interface and thus included in the synchronized digital network.

V-RES represents a significant investment in Horiba MIRA’s engineering and testing capabilities, consisting of £1.5m (US$1.95m) of capital expenditure complemented by significant investment into capability development.

The V-RES offering has been specifically developed in response to the emergence of increasingly electrified, connected and automated vehicles. Horiba MIRA will provide a unique turnkey offering with a unified and holistic approach to automotive cybersecurity, functional safety and electromagnetic resilience, augmented with new connectivity test capabilities that include ‘real world’ performance metrics for wired and wireless communications.

Modeling and simulation capabilities are also featured at the new center, which is supported by more than 14 test facilities for physical testing. These range from workshops and screened laboratories for static and dynamic vehicle testing, and newly developed system analysis and attack laboratories, through to Horiba MIRA’s City Circuit, enabling the safe assessment of resilience for vehicle electronic systems.

The development of V-RES has created a number of new high-value engineering jobs at Horiba MIRA. The facility will continue to expand through 2019 and into 2020.

Graeme Stewart, chief technical officer at Horiba MIRA, said, “By combining automotive cybersecurity, electromagnetic resilience and functional safety for the first time, Horiba MIRA will deliver advanced engineering solutions in line with the increasing complexity of electrified, connected and automated vehicles, to address the growing and evolving risks to vehicle safety, security and functionality.”

Groupe PSA’s participation in the project is strengthening its expertise in the development of autonomous vehicles thanks to a global ecosystem of partners, including European car makers, research centers and highway authorities. The group is sharing project feedback with the other partners to help with the adoption of necessary systems and the establishment of a code of good practices.

The aim of the L3Pilot project is to test and validate autonomous driving as an efficient and safe means of transportation. Tests will all be conducted on open roads in several European countries. They will assess technical aspects, driving behavior, user acceptance, and impact on traffic and safety in various driving conditions (urban environments, major roads and freeways).

The four-year European project, launched in 2017, has an overall budget of €68m (US$76m), half of which is funded by the European Commission.

With a remit that includes research, development and engineering operations for Nissan in Europe, Moss will play a vital role in leading the journey to zero emissions in the region, with a suite of electrified options set to make up almost half of Nissan models sold within the next three years.

In his new position, Moss will prepare the business for the next generation of Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies for future models. As part of Nissan’s integrated global R&D network, his team will work to provide localized vehicles to meet the specific demands and desires of European customers.

Moss said, “I’m delighted to be taking the helm of Nissan’s R&D operation in Europe, to further the industry-leading work that’s been going on in this region for many years. As we continue to electrify our line-up and bring new technologies to market, the work being done by our engineering facilities across the region has never been more important and I’m excited to be leading this transformational team at a crucial time.”

Joining Nissan in 1990 as a body design graduate engineer, Moss gained extensive experience in all aspects of vehicle engineering and project management through various roles in Europe and Japan. Prior to his new appointment, he was chief vehicle engineer. Based in Japan, he was globally responsible for Qashqai, spending the last two years leading the development of the third-generation model.

Moss will be based at Nissan’s Technical Centre Europe in Cranfield, UK, and will report to Gianluca de Ficchy, chairman for Nissan Europe. He succeeds Nobusuke Tokura, who was recently appointed to the role of senior chief powertrain engineer for Nissan, based in Japan.

The results of the test drives, which will be continuously evaluated taking full account of all data protection rules, will be incorporated in the Group’s research into automated driving, and will test customer-centric services.

Axel Heinrich, head of Volkswagen Group research, said, “The tests center on technical possibilities as well as urban infrastructure requirements. To make driving even safer and more comfortable in future, vehicles not only have to become autonomous and more intelligent – cities must also provide a digital ecosystem that enables vehicles to communicate with traffic lights and traffic management systems as well as with one another.”

A 9km (5.6 miles) digital testbed for automated and connected driving is currently being constructed in the city of Hamburg, with completion scheduled for 2020. To that end, the city is upgrading traffic lights with components for infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. Volkswagen and the city of Hamburg are thus working to further optimize traffic flows through digitization toward full-size implementation of automated driving in the city area.

Michael Westhagemann, Hamburg’s senator for economics, transport and innovation, said, “Two and a half years from now, Hamburg will be hosting the World Congress for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). Automated driving will play a key role. I am delighted that our strategic partner has already become the first user for our digital testbed. We will establish Hamburg as a model city for intelligent mobility and be presenting numerous innovative mobility projects to a global audience in 2021.”

The e-Golf vehicles configured by Volkswagen Group Research have 11 laser scanners, seven radars and 14 cameras. Up to 5GB of data is communicated per minute during the regular test drives, each of which lasts several hours. Computing power equivalent to some 15 laptops is tucked away in the trunk of the e-Golf. This computing capacity, combined with state-of-the-art sensor technology, ensures that data on pedestrians, cyclists, other cars, intersections, rights of way, parked vehicles and lane changes in moving traffic is captured over the shortest distances and in milliseconds.

Despite the diversity and complexity of the information, the artificial intelligence used in the vehicle software must register all relevant objects and respond to them without triggering any false alarms. Several different artificial intelligence approaches are used: these include deep learning, neural networks and pattern recognition.

For safety reasons, specially trained test drivers will be seated behind the steering wheel during all test drives in Hamburg, to constantly monitor all driving functions and intervene in an emergency.

Volkswagen Group Research is collaborating with all brands and relevant Group departments to enable the functionality of automated driving on public roads – right through to Level 5. The findings of this project will be incorporated into further research and development initiatives.

The goal is to be in a position to offer customers concrete products for the automated transportation of goods and passengers on public roads a few years from now. This will contribute to lasting improvements in traffic flows and road safety. However, automated driving without a safety driver in public traffic requires changes in the legislative framework and the availability of the necessary infrastructure.

During its 350,000km (217,500 miles) of road testing, the prototype low-voltage EV, which features a nanoFlowcell drive, required the regular replacement of consumable parts such as brakes and tires, as well as a wide assortment of minor repairs. However, its powertrain ran without problems for the entire duration of the test.

The flowcell installed in the vehicle did not cause a single error alert. Despite the more than 10,000 running hours, neither the membrane nor the two electric pumps showed signs of wear.

The nanoFlowcell system ran virtually maintenance free. Occasional updates to the intelligent control software for the energy management in the Quantino 48Volt were uploaded, but only to improve system efficiency.

One result of this, for example, is more efficient consumption regulation of the bi-Ion electrolyte. Over the test period so far, the Quantino 48Volt has returned an average consumption of just 8-10kW/100km (62 miles).

The endurance test demonstrated that the nanoFlowcell technology is particularly well-suited to electric vehicles – for instance, the entire nanoFlowcell system operates at low voltages, thus dispensing with expensive and heavy high-voltage components of the kind used in conventional electric vehicles.

“Endurance testing of the Quantino 48Volt has confirmed our assumptions. The real-life operation of the nanoFlowcell was almost entirely in line with our calculations,” said Nunzio La Vecchia, developer of the nanoFlowcell technology and CEO of nanoFlowcell Holdings.

nanoFlowcell Holdings is currently working on solutions for series-production of the nanoFlowcell membrane as well as mass production of the bi-Ion electrolyte liquids. The company will issue a status update on the projects in the course of 2019.

The car’s design can now be discerned, although the lightweight body remains covered by a shrink-wrapped livery. The company has promised that it will begin to peel off this disguise in May 2019.

The application of the shrink-wrap will also enable the development team to enter the closing stages of the car’s extensive evaluation program, which has already encompassed thousands of miles in hot and cold climates across the globe.

The Grand Tourer has demonstrated its ability to cover long distances in supreme comfort, but always with extra shape-changing and noise-inducing panels applied.

Now that these have been removed, the development team will run further validation tests, including a 1,000-mile (1,600km) drive from McLaren’s development base near Barcelona, Spain, back to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, UK.

To be completed in one stint with two occupants and a full complement of luggage, this is one of many long-distance drives that will help the team to confirm the new model is both comfortable and refined over the long distances a grand tourer is expected to face … one rule that McLaren won’t be breaking.

The McLaren of Grand Tourers was announced by McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt, during a press presentation at the 89th Geneva International Motor Show. Flewitt promised that the fourth car to be launched under the company’s Track25 Business Plan will combine competition levels of performance from a twin-turbo V8 engine with continent-crossing capability and a level of agility never experienced before in the luxury Grand Tourer segment. Flewitt also claimed that the McLaren of Grand Tourers will be the most usable mid-engined car yet. It won’t be part of any of the company’s existing model series, but will instead be a unique, tailored model.

It is the largest brake caliper in the automotive industry, made on an SLM 500 3D printer and takes on average 45 hours to complete. This equates to 2,213 layers and 2.9kg of titanium.

The new caliper is the result of cooperation between the Bugatti Development Department and Laser Zentrum Nord in Hamburg, Germany.