Gogoro® Ignites Smart City Transformation with Launch of World’s First Smartscooter™ and Battery Swapping Infrastructure

January 6, 2015

 

Gogoro announces Smartscooter and Gogoro Energy Network at CES

Gogoro, a company transforming how energy is distributed and managed in megacities, today unveiled the world’s first high-performance, zero emissions, two-wheeled electric vehicle, the Gogoro Smartscooter™. The company also announced the Gogoro Energy Network, a battery swapping infrastructure that will enable a more efficient, cleaner and flexible energy future.

“With the world’s megacities at a tipping point in population density, pollution fallout and rapid expansion, it is essential that we reimagine the energy infrastructure and create a renewed mindset for change in tomorrow’s urban generation,” said Horace Luke, co-founder and CEO, Gogoro. “The Smartscooter and Gogoro Energy Network will capture the hearts of the next generation and become a catalyst for more efficient, cleaner, and smarter energy choices in our cities.”

The Gogoro Energy Network is a modular battery-swapping infrastructure that can be deployed across a city to provide broad consumer access to portable power through battery vending machines called GoStations. The Gogoro Battery is an engineering breakthrough with a variety of technologies including 25 sensors, near field communication (NFC) connectivity and 256-bit security encryption. It utilizes Panasonic’s industry-leading cylindrical 18650-size automotive-grade lithium-ion energy cells to deliver the ultimate in safety, performance, efficiency and portability. The Smartscooter is the first vehicle to be integrated into the Gogoro Energy Network, and both will begin initial rollout in 2015.

“Gogoro is more than a startup. This is the start of an industry,” said Luke. “Our products and business model will impact a variety of consumer areas to create a metropolitan ecosystem with better connectivity, easier access to energy, and a more enjoyable urban living experience.”

About the Gogoro Smartscooter™
From the drivetrain to the dashboard, the Smartscooter utilizes the precision, processes and materials used for supercars to offer top-level performance that is both user-friendly and accessible to the mass market. In order to deliver unprecedented power, agility, acceleration and handling, Gogoro reimagined the entire ride experience and then created a unique powertrain, chassis, suspension and electronics to deliver the best efficiency, handling, acceleration and riding range possible.

  • The Gogoro G1 Motor – Power-packed and ultra-compact, the G1 Motor redefines what’s possible in electric motor design. Every component is precision-engineered to ensure the entire system works smarter, stays cooler and goes further in the most efficient way possible.
  • Aeroframe™ – Ultra lightweight and incredibly strong, Gogoro’s Aeroframe monocoque chassis is stamped out of racing grade aluminum that makes it stiffer, stronger, lighter and more responsive.
  • Race Suspension – The Smartscooter delivers an amazingly smooth and responsive ride even in dynamic conditions at speed. This performance stability comes from Gogoro’s high-performance suspension that is inspired by jet-fighter landing gear in the front and multi-link suspension in the back.
  • Balance and Agility – Designed with the rider in mind, the Smartscooter reaches perfect 50/50 balance when the rider sits and becomes an integrated extension of the Smartscooter. This amazing balance and agility enable greater stability, a tight 48.5° lean angle and ultimately a more enjoyable riding experience.

Smartscooter is Smarter
The Smartscooter harnesses the power of 30 onboard sensors, cloud connectivity, and an integrated Gogoro mobile application that enables the scooter to get smarter and more efficient with every ride. The Gogoro iQ System™ puts the power of a personal computer in the Smartscooter, synchronizing wirelessly across the Smartscooter, Gogoro app, Gogoro Battery, GoStation™ and Gogoro Energy Network. The app utilizes the Gogoro iQ System to find the closest GoStation, deliver detailed scooter diagnostics, adaptive throttle control, customized regenerative braking, and the ability to track ride details like the top speed and range so the rider can analyze riding patterns to optimize power and energy consumption.

Smartscooter is Easier
Riders don’t need to wait to refuel or recharge the Smartscooter. When a depleted battery needs to be swapped with a charged one, riders can make a six-second swap at any GoStation. Batteries can be reserved in advance, and a subscription-based payment model offers unlimited access to as many charged batteries as needed. Also, with Smartscooter’s hyper-connectivity, if vehicle servicing is needed, the rider is immediately alerted via the Gogoro mobile app or at the GoStation when swapping batteries.

Smartscooter is Customizable
Designed from the outset to be individualized, Gogoro gives unique control to each rider to select the specific ride feel and throttle acceleration, the dashboard screen color spectrum and the lock-and-unlock audio and lighting themes. There is also a broad variety of practical and designed-oriented accessories to add enhanced functionality or customized body details.

Founded by technology veterans Luke and co-founder and CTO Matt Taylor, the Smartscooter and Gogoro Energy Network are Gogoro’s first products. In October 2014, Gogoro announced it had raised $50 million in Series A funding in 2011, and is currently closing its Series B round of $100 million to commercialize and go-to-market in 2015.

The Gogoro Smartscooter and GoStation will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 5-9, 2015, at select locations, including:

  • Pepcom Experience (Jan. 5; The Mirage)
  • Wynn Las Vegas Fairway Villa (Jan. 6-8)
  • Panasonic booth, Green Mobility area (Jan. 6-9; LVCC, Central Hall, Booth #9808)

 

SOURCE: Gogoro

The new “Super green man” in traffic lights

October 1, 2014

LONDON — In the one-sided battle between pedestrians and the automobile, the first shot was fired in London in 1896 when 44-year-old Bridget Driscoll became what is believed to be the first pedestrian victim of a petrol-driven car.

Struck down by an automobile doing just 4mph during a demonstration at Crystal Palace, the grim sequence of events was so unfamiliar that one witness riding in the car told the inquest she felt a “peculiar sensation” as the car swerved to avoid Mrs Driscoll.

At the time, the coroner at the inquest expressed the hope that an incident of this type “would never happen again.”

Fast forward 118 years and more than 270,000 pedestrians are killed on the world’s roads every year.

Striking a balance between the rights of the pedestrian and the car driver was once the preserve of the traffic cop — a human being that could judge traffic flows, calibrate changes and react to circumstances as they occur.

But as traffic volumes increased and the task became automated with traffic lights, the frustrations all too familiar to pedestrians — lights that seem never to show the “green man” — are now tolerated as a normal part of urban life.

London, however, is set to trial a new system that aims to use the latest technology to regain the fluid responses of the traffic cop.

 

Source:Fox31

Called Pedestrian SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimization Technique), it is the first of its kind in the world and uses state-of-the-art video cameras to detect how many pedestrians are waiting at crossings.

When the cameras count a critical mass of pedestrians, the technology transmits data that keeps the “walk” sign lit for longer to allow more people to cross the road.

Similarly, when fewer people are waiting to cross the road, the traffic is given a longer set of green lights.

The SCOOT system already regulates London’s traffic flows and has been credited with cutting delays by 12% in the capital. It is in use at 3,000 junctions in the British capital, with a further 1,500 earmarked for SCOOT upgrades by 2018.

The Pedestrian SCOOT system, however, would be the first time the technology has been used as pedestrian pinch points in the capital.

“Our SCOOT system has been used around the world for many years use to optimize and coordinate the traffic signal junctions and we’ve done that currently and historically for vehicles,” explained Mark Cracknell, team leader of the Technology Delivery Group at Transport for London.

“We have inductive loops in the road that detect vehicles, do clever analysis of the traffic patterns and then coordinate the junctions to try to make the progress through the city as smooth as possible.”

Currently pedestrians at many crossings in London get a standard six seconds to get onto the road — known as the “green man” time — before countdown technology takes over telling pedestrians how long they have left to get across the street.

What SCOOT technology aims to do is dynamically change that “green man” time.

“If there’s only a few people waiting we’ll just go for the standard six seconds to cross, but if we’ve got 100 people waiting to cross we can increment that up to the appropriate time.

“What we’re avoiding is the scenario where we don’t have enough time to get everybody on the crossing and then pedestrians have to wait for another cycle of the traffic signals to get across.”

Cracknell said the system would have the most value where the pedestrian traffic is variable, for instance outside a school or a tube station.

“During the day there might be a low flow and you don’t want to be fixed with a high crossing time when there’s no one there,” he said. “There are technologies out there that can detect whether a pedestrian is waiting, but the technology we use actually quantifies and counts the number of people.

“We’re not aware that this is in use anywhere else in the world.”

At the heart of the technology is a stereoscopic camera that allows the sensors to detect and count crowds of people in three dimensions.

“They’re vision-based systems, the idea being traditional vision systems just have a single camera and there are a number of inherent flaws with that — things like shadows, puddles and changing light conditions can cause problems.

“The stereoscopic camera allows us to get a sense of depth — discount the puddles and the shadows — and just get a picture of the people standing there.”

Despite this it’s not all one-way traffic. Pedestrians that press the button on a set of lights and then change their minds and walk away are another challenge to the free flow of traffic.

Transport for London is trialing new technology that would detect when a pedestrian has changed their mind and strolled off or crossed the road before the “green man” signal.

“This is what we call ‘call cancel’ technology and we’re trialing it at different locations in London — it’s the combination of both SCOOT and ‘call cancel’ which we are looking at,” said Cracknell.

Ultimately, however, developing technology that brings back the function of the human traffic cop is the Holy Grail for Transport for London.

“We’re trying to be more intelligent with what we’re doing. Rather than just tweaking the splits of the vehicles, we will be catering for everybody,” Cracknell said.

New Motor Vehicle Act Proposes Intelligent Driving Solutions

September 15, 2014

New Motor Vehicle Act Proposes Intelligent Driving Solutions

 

Intelligent speed adaptation, driver alert control and eye drowsiness detectors are some of the features proposed in new Motor Bill that seeks to prevent at least 2 lakh road accident deaths in next five years through hefty penalties and jail-terms.

The Narendra Modi government has unveiled an ambitious ‘vision’ for reducing road fatalities by 20 per cent annually as part of the draft Road Transport & Safety Bill 2014, concerned over an alarming 1.38 lakh road accident deaths, the highest in the globe.

Motor Vehicles regulation provides for “technologies such as intelligent speed adaptation, driver alert control, eye drowsiness detectors, distance closure rate detection and green box monitoring,” as per the draft unveiled yesterday.

Driver drowsiness detection is a car safety device which prevents accidents when the driver is getting drowsy.

The Bill is aimed at bringing down fatalities in road accidents by two lakh in the first five years in a scenario where India reports around 5 lakh road accidents annually.

The Bill provides for simplified single-window automated driving licence systems including unified biometric systems to avoid licence duplication.

Among various measures to ensure road safety, the draft provides for wearing of belt by driver and passenger.

“A person is guilty of an offence if such person does not wear a seat belt, as a driver or passenger, when driving or riding in a motor vehicle on a road,” it said.

Also, the draft makes it mandatory for bus and other passengers to wear seat belts.

In case of children below 8 years it says, “except as provided by regulations, a parent or guardian of the child, or in the absence of such parent or guardian, the driver of the motor vehicle must not without reasonable excuse allow a child below the age of eight years to occupy the front seat of a motor vehicle when the vehicle is in motion.”

The Bill provides for up to Rs. 5,000 penalty for violation of provisions related to wearing seat belts while in case of head gears it is Rs. 2,500.

Seeking to come down heavily on traffic offenders, it proposes penalty of up to Rs. 3 lakh along with a minimum 7-year imprisonment for death of a child in certain circumstances, besides huge fines for driving violations.

It also proposes a fine of Rs. 5 lakh per vehicle as well as imprisonment for faulty manufacturing design, besides cancellation of licences for rash and negligent driving.

The Bill, unveiled by Road Transport and Highways Ministry for seeking suggestion from stakeholders, proposes penalty of up to Rs. 1 lakh or imprisonment for six months which may extend to one year or both in case of using vehicle in unsafe conditions.

First offence for drunk driving will attract “Rs. 25,000 fine, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or with both, and a six-month license suspension.” .

“Second offence within three years will result in Rs. 50,000 penalty or imprisonment for up to one year or both and a one year licence suspension.

“Any subsequent offence shall result in the cancellation of the licence, and impounding of the vehicle which may extend for 30 days,” draft Road Transport & Safety Bill 2014 said.

If school bus drivers are caught driving drunk, Rs. 50,000 fine will be imposed with imprisonment for three years while “immediate cancellation” of licence will take place in case of drivers in the age-group of 18 to 25 years involved in such incidences.

Causing death of a child in certain circumstances will result in “Rs. 3 lakh fine, and imprisonment for a term not less than 7 years” while violating traffic signal three times will result in Rs. 15,000 fine, licence cancellation for a month and a compulsory refresher training, it said.

It also provides for graded point system for imposing fines.

The ministry has sought comments from public and stakeholders on the Bill and will thereafter finalise it for presentation to Parliament and passage during the ensuing winter session.

Commenting on the Bill, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said: “Providing safe, efficient, cost effective and faster transport across the country is our mission…Our new Bill gives emphasis on E-governance to bring in transparency in the transport sector. Our new ‘golden hour’ policy will provide immediate relief to accident victims and will help save lakhs of lives.

The Golden Hour policy provides for treatment to road accident victims within one hour.

Other features include unified vehicle registration system, single National Road Transport & Multinational Coordination Authority and Goods Transport and National Freight Policy.

It encompasses provisions for safety of vehicles, including implementation of safety equipment of motor vehicles.

The Bill has been drafted in sync with the best practises of six advanced nations — US, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Germany and the UK.

It aims to ensure electronic detection and centralised offences information to identify repeat-offenders.

The Bill proposes constitution of Highway Traffic Regulation and Protection Force constituted and maintained by the state governments, for the purpose of effective policing and enforcement of traffic regulations on highways.

The Bill proposes a Motor Accident Fund for the purpose of providing compulsory insurance cover to all road users in the territory of India.

Several provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, especially those related to penalties for violations, have not been found to be effective in checking road accidents. The Act was last amended in 2001.

 

Source:NDTV

Super cyber intelligence body soon, announces IT Minister

September 15, 2014

It will analyse Internet traffic data, real-time threat assessment

India will soon get an overarching body for cyber intelligence and security, IT and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Saturday.

The concept note for the Rs. 800-crore project has been sent to various Ministries for inputs. “Once we receive their comments, we will make a note for the Cabinet’s consideration,” Mr. Prasad said.

A year in the works, the National Cyber Security and Coordination Centre (NCSC) will analyse Internet traffic data scanned and integrated from various gateway routers at a centralised location. It will facilitate real-time assessment of cyber-security threats and generate actionable reports for various agencies.

As a multi-agency body under the Department of Electronics and IT, the NCSC will include the National Security Council Secretariat, the Intelligence Bureau, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), the three armed forces and the Department of Telecommunications.

It is expected to subsume the work done by CERT-In as well as issue alerts in the event of a cyber-attack.

Digital IndiaMr. Prasad also mentioned a “game-changer” move to connect 2.5 lakh panchayats to the national optic fibre network over the next three years at a cost of Rs. 21,100 crore. As many as 50,000 panchayats will be linked this year, he said.

Mr. Prasad said the Union government had set up a dedicated cell to process 2.5 lakh “concrete proposals” received under the “MyGov” initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in late July. The initiative aims to enable citizen contribution in governance and invites opinions and views on important issues.

 

Source:The Hindu

MVD radar surveillance system in 4 more districts

September 15, 2014

The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) will soon introduce in four more districts radar surveillance system to detect speeding by motor vehicles and violation of road rules, as part of Automation of Enforcement.

Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Kannur will get radar surveillance system in a phased manner. The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 7.99 crore.

The government gave administrative sanction for the project after the proposal put up by the State Transport Commissioner was cleared by the Special Working Group, Official sources told The Hindu.

The MVD has been asked to implement the project within a year.

The decision to extend the system comes close on the heels of setting up an automated enforcement control room in the Ernakulam Collectorate to monitor violation of traffic rules between Cherthala and Manjeswaram.

Of the Rs. 7.99 crore sanctioned, Rs. 7.76 crore will go towards procuring camera surveillance system and Rs. 23.68 lakh for the control room equipment. The funds had been made available from the Rs. 25 crore set aside for Road Safety Measures in the 2014-15 budget.

Cameras installed in these four districts will capture the pictures and transfer them to the control rooms. The automated detection system, developed by Keltron, would automatically search and print addresses from the MVD database.

Reflective and non-reflective number plates can be detected by the system, that includes a video camera that can record and store visuals.

The registered owner of the vehicle will get a chalan bearing the picture of the violation committed along with the offence and the penalty to be paid by post.

Assistance of Keltron

The Transport Commissioner has been asked to utilise the service of Keltron personnel if additional manpower is required for effective implementation of the project.

For the MVD that does not have adequate enforcement officials compared to the mounting vehicle population, the enforcement system has come as a blessing to ensure road discipline and check road accidents.

Moreover, complaints of harassment and delays had been reduced.

A sum of Rs.17.49 crore was levied as fine for traffic offences by the Motor Vehicles Department in the first four months of the calendar year.

Source:The Hindu

Non-linear ropeway prototype debuts in Kolkata

September 12, 2014

Commuters in Kolkata may soon travel on a non-linear ropeway – that has the potential to swing its way through the city’s skyline dotted with high-rises – the makers, who tout it is the world’s first of its kind, said after launching a prototype.

 

The private firm which has developed and patented this new pollution-free aerial transit – christened Curvo ropeway – is in talks with the West Bengal government to launch the service in two sectors as a second-tier urban transportation option.

 

Test-run of the prototype, with two cabins, was conducted within a stretch of 500 metres at a spot in Kolkata’s Joka area recently.

The inventors are also applying for certification to open the prototype for the public.

 

“It is the world’s first non-linear ropeway for alternative urban transportation. This will be a new-age transport system and add to the concept of smart cities. There are two proposals which we are discussing with the state government, regarding launching the service in Sealdah-B.B.D. Bag area and the other from Nabanna, the state secretariat,” said Rachana Mukherjee, director, Conveyor and Ropeway Services Pvt. Ltd.

 

“In addition, we are applying for certification to open the prototype for the public,” she said Saturday.

 

The ropeway service, to be run on electricity, will breeze over existing arterial and other roads on steel portal frames spaced at 90-100 metres supporting the ropes, avoiding the congestion on the streets below.

 

On any designated route, there will be elevated stops for deboarding and boarding of the passengers every 750 metres.

 

Proposed to run at 12.5 km per hour, the carrying capacity of the ropeway on a single track is pegged at 2,000 people per hour.

 

“On a double track, the capacity will be double. Cabins, with a capacity of eight to 10 seats, will be spaced at 22 to 25 seconds interval. The tariffs will be competitive keeping in mind the bus fares.”

 

“It is definitely safe and will offer greater flexibility (with regard to destinations) than the metro,” Mukherjee said, adding it is a completely indigenous technology.IANS

 

This will be a new-age transport system and add to the concept of smart cities

Source:The Hindu

An engine that will help vehicles, humans breathe easy

September 9, 2014

The new engine developed by K.U. Varunny.—Photo: By special arrangement

The new engine developed by K.U. Varunny.—Photo: By special arrangement

: Thrissur-based septuagenarian inventor K.U. Varunny, who has nine patents in his name, including two U.S. patents, has made it again. This time with a vehicle engine that always runs at a constant speed.

He claims the engine will reduce air pollution caused by vehicles by 75 per cent.

“Pollution by vehicles is a serious problem today. The maximum pollution is caused when the engine runs in slow speed range, and also during high speed range beyond the maximum torque level. The situation gets worse when the engine is accelerated or decelerated, during which period it is practically impossible for the engine to inhale the correct quantity of air in spite of the modern computer controls,” says the 79-year-old engineer.

The new concept developed by Mr. Varunny is an engine, which keeps running at constant speed, at its maximum torque level, normally at about 60 per cent of the highest speed, where in the combustion efficiency is at the maximum.

The required output speed is achieved by adjusting the output speed of a ‘Planetary gear train’ connected to the engine.

The accelerator pedal at present connected to the carburetor/fuel pump will be replaced, and connected to the fluid delivery valve of a hydraulic pump driven by the sun gear.

The system enables the engine to always operate at its best performance level, maintaining the exact air fuel ratio and cut down the pollution by about 75 per cent.

Mr. Varunny, who had developed anti-glare system for heavy vehicles and Automobile Power Transmission system, has entered twice into the Limca Book of Records.

 

 Source:The Hindu

Now, see your tweet traffic in real time

September 1, 2014

Now, you can see how your tweet traffic is doing in real time as the microblogging site Twitter has opened up its analytics dashboard for all users.

The feature was previously available only for advertisers and verified users. It is an analytics dashboard that lets users see how much mileage their tweets are receiving, Techcrunch reported. The idea is for users to get an idea of how many people are viewing their tweets. “Absolutely thrilled to open up access to http://analytics.twitter.com to everyone,” read the tweet by Twitter engineer, Ian Chan

 

Source:The Hindu

Traffic penalties in mobile app

August 27, 2014

The Gurgaon Police on Monday added the traffic penalties feature to its Mobile App in a bid to increase public transparency. It is the third feature added to the App.

Speaking on the occasion, Police Commissioner Alok Mittal said it was aimed at helping the masses know about various traffic offences, fines associated with them and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Mr. Mittal said offenders could now know the penalty for a violation within a few seconds with the help of this feature. This meant that police personnel could not fool or seek bribe from motorists. The aim is to empower the motorists, said Mr. Mittal.

“For example, if someone is caught not using a seat belt or wearing a helmet, one can now know the fine amount. If a cop is demanding a higher fine, the commuter cannot be fooled,” said Mr. Mittal.

The App was launched by the Gurgaon Police three months ago in a bid to bridge the gap between citizens and the police. Launched across major platforms like Android, iOS and Windows Phone, it is simple and many features do not need Internet access.

Source:The HIndu

Speed hunters to track over-speeding in Managlore

August 4, 2014

The Mangalore Traffic police will soon put in operation ‘Speed Hunter’, a new tripod mounted device, which will identify over-speeding on the city roads.

The Mangalore Traffic police will soon put in operation ‘Speed Hunter’, a new tripod mounted device, which will identify over-speeding on the city roads. These devices will be in addition to the traffic interceptors that Mangalore police have had for nearly three years.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Uday Nayak said the ‘Speed Hunter’ was an improvement over the camera used in a traffic interceptor. Unlike the interceptor, the ‘Speed Hunter’ detects speeding vehicles based on the speed limits set by the police. “It identifies on its own the number of vehicles that are over-speeding.” In interceptors, Mr. Nayak said, police had to manually ascertain the speed.

Mr. Nayak said the new device works on the Windows system. It also has the Global Positioning System facility. Like in the interceptor, the ‘Speed Hunter’ provides wireless connection to the printer used to print challans along with images of the speeding vehicle.

The Mangalore traffic police have been given two devices — one for the city and another for the newly opened Mangalore Traffic (North) police station in Surathkal. The police were being trained in the use of them. “These new devices will be in action in the next few days,” Mr. Nayak said.

Interceptors

The city traffic police have two traffic interceptors – one in the city and another in Panambur.

These interceptors have not been of much use for traffic enforcement. “There have been problems with the device and hence it has not been of much use,” Mr. Nayak said.

 

Source: The Hindu

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