To: Sam  who wrote (519 ) 10/20/2022 8:07:25 AM From: Sam     Respond to    of 567  Ikea Partners With Kodiak Robotics to Bring Self-Driving Technology to Delivery Trucks           Joseph Henry , Tech Times                                      19 October 2022, 06:10 am                                                         Swedish home furniture firm Ikea wants to bring driverless truck deliveries to Texas soon. The company has partnered with  Kodiak Robotics  which excels in self-driving shipping service. Ikea has been running some tests on Kodiak's driverless truck since  August. It has been operating autonomous delivery vehicles from its  Houston warehouse to a Dallas retail store daily, per  Engadget.  The traditional delivery truck has a driver who's maneuvering the  vehicle until it reaches its location. However, Kodiak aims to  incorporate self-driving technology into the delivery truck which could  allow it to travel for 300 miles in just a single trip. With this, Ikea says that the collaboration will aim to improve the  working conditions of the workers behind the wheels. It's also suited  for long-haul shipping journeys because that's how autonomous driving is  designed.  Kodiak's driverless trucks are not all-electric, and it's not their  selling point. In fact, the company proves that its self-driving  vehicles are more efficient than the usual trucks that we see on the  highways.  UC San Diego has published a previous study that Kodiak's trucks are  10% more efficient than non-autonomous trucks. It uses less fuel and  energy, as well.  In another story by  Forbes,   Ikea has locked in on a pilot program with Kodiak which will last for  three months. If it goes according to plan, the former could finally  agree to a contract that could extend for many years.  The driverless delivery trucks will be serving more Ikea retail stores and warehouses nationwide.  The furniture giant is not only aiming to launch self-driving trucks  in the US soon. For the past months, it invested in an AI app which  makes use of LIDAR. This technology is useful in molding 3D models of  furniture.  Another thing is that it also penned a deal with Electrify America to  bring "fast EV chargers" across more than 25 stores in the United  States. For EV owners, this would provide more convenience especially if  they need to charge their electric cars in a shop.  Gatik to Deliver Goods to Dallas-Fort Worth Locations With No Driver; Einride Boasts Navigation on Fragile Obstacle    Related Article:  Gatik to Deliver Goods to Dallas-Fort Worth Locations With No Driver; Einride Boasts Navigation on Fragile Obstacle   Autonomous Delivery Setup in Other Companies   Last year, Tech Times reported that  FedEx rolled out self-driving trucks   as part of Aurora's driverless technology venture. At that time, the  company said that it would ship products from Dallas to Houston and  vice-versa. Aurora added that there would be dedicated software for the driverless trucks which is slated to be released in late 2023.  In May,  Uber introduced robotic autonomous delivery  in Los Angeles. The project was made possible with Motional and Server Robotics, two startups focused on self-driving robotics.  The partnership with the two firms won't involve Aurora this time.  According to an Uber spokesperson, the trial will initially involve some  merchants who will autonomously deliver the food to the customers.  Read Also:  Cruise, Walmart Expands on Self-Driving Delivery Service in Arizona; Soon Available to Scottsdale  techtimes.com