Tesla has added a new standard wheel option for the Model S. The electric carmaker updated its configurator to include the 19-inch "Slipstream" wheels, replacing the standard five-spoke wheels. The Slipstream wheels look somewhat similar to the larger Turbine wheels Tesla also offers in the Model S. Recent deliveries may have included the new wheels, and one Redditor said he was surprised to find them on his new Model S. Customers can still opt for the 21-inch Turbine wheels or the 19-inch Cyclone wheels for additional cost. Read more from Teslarati.
A scam artist who pled guilty to fraud for selling credits for biodiesel he didn't produce has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. Philip Rivkin will spend 121 months in prison with three years of supervised release, and is required to forfeit $51 million and pay $87 million in restitution. Rivkin pled guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of making a false statement under the Clean Air Act. "Today we take another big step toward upholding the integrity of an important program that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and promotes energy independence," says EPA Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles. She adds, "This sentence deters would-be violators and helps protect responsible companies that follow the rules." Read more from the US Department of Justice.
BMW will launch its On-Street Parking Information service this year. By the end of 2016, the service will allow drivers in the US and Germany to find open parking spaces through their navigation system. It uses movement data of cars entering or leaving parking spaces to predict areas that are more likely to have vacant parking and direct drivers to those areas. Besides offering convenience, On-Street Parking Information could help save fuel that cars use while the driver searches for parking. BMW says trials in major cities have already delivered "reliable results." Read more at Green Car Congress.
BMW is developing autonomous robots that move parts around its factories. The Smart Transport Robots can make their way to rolling parts containers and deliver them to where they need to be on the factory floor. The robots use radio transmitters and a digital map to navigate around the factory, but BMW plans to eventually upgrade to a more accurate 3D camera system. Powered by retired BMW i3 batteries, the robots have enough charge to last an eight-hour shift. According to BMW Vice President of Foreign Supply Dr. Dirk Dreher, the system "enables the supply chain to adapt to changing external conditions quickly and flexibly." Read more from Green Car Congress, or in the press release below.
A scam artist who pled guilty to fraud for selling credits for biodiesel he didn't produce has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. Philip Rivkin will spend 121 months in prison with three years of supervised release, and is required to forfeit $51 million and pay $87 million in restitution. Rivkin pled guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of making a false statement under the Clean Air Act. "Today we take another big step toward upholding the integrity of an important program that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and promotes energy independence," says EPA Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles. She adds, "This sentence deters would-be violators and helps protect responsible companies that follow the rules." Read more from the US Department of Justice.
BMW will launch its On-Street Parking Information service this year. By the end of 2016, the service will allow drivers in the US and Germany to find open parking spaces through their navigation system. It uses movement data of cars entering or leaving parking spaces to predict areas that are more likely to have vacant parking and direct drivers to those areas. Besides offering convenience, On-Street Parking Information could help save fuel that cars use while the driver searches for parking. BMW says trials in major cities have already delivered "reliable results." Read more at Green Car Congress.
BMW is developing autonomous robots that move parts around its factories. The Smart Transport Robots can make their way to rolling parts containers and deliver them to where they need to be on the factory floor. The robots use radio transmitters and a digital map to navigate around the factory, but BMW plans to eventually upgrade to a more accurate 3D camera system. Powered by retired BMW i3 batteries, the robots have enough charge to last an eight-hour shift. According to BMW Vice President of Foreign Supply Dr. Dirk Dreher, the system "enables the supply chain to adapt to changing external conditions quickly and flexibly." Read more from Green Car Congress, or in the press release below.
BMW Group introduces self-driving robots in Supply Logistics
- Autonomous robots transport car parts in Logistics
- Innovation assists staff in Materials Procurement
- Recycled BMW i3 batteries to power future robots
Munich/Wackersdorf. Plant Wackersdorf supplies the BMW Group's international assembly and production sites with car parts. In the hall of Supply Logistics, a self-driving robot maneuvers itself underneath a roller container with parts. Silently and with flashing lights, it picks up the container and begins to move through the logistics hall. The system is complicated and extensive; nobody can find their way around without a good sense of direction. But this is no problem for the transport robot, which is about the size of a suitcase. Flanked by radio transmitters and equipped with a digital map, it drives independently to the destination of the goods. When tugger train cross its path, a fitted sensor identifies the obstacle and stops the self-driving robot with car parts loaded weighing up to half a ton.
Digitization is essential for production
In terms of smart logistics, the BMW Group is promoting innovative and trend-setting logistics systems: "The development of the Smart Transport Robot is an important milestone for the BMW Group when it comes to digitization and autonomization in production logistics. This innovation project makes an important contribution to the agility of the supply chain in Logistics and Production. It enables the supply chain to adapt to changing external conditions quickly and flexibly," comments Dr. Dirk Dreher, Vice President of Foreign Supply at the BMW Group.
Autonomous navigation in Supply Logistics
Measuring its distance to three radio transmitters allows the robot to calculate its exact position and route. With the help of sensors, it identifies critical situations and can respond accordingly, sharing the route with people and other vehicles. At a later point when the innovation is being implemented in series operation, a 3D camera system will make navigation even more accurate.
The transport robot will be able to function without the floor-mounted induction loops for navigation and will move freely within the space. The battery-powered radio transmitters mounted to the walls of the hall can be expanded to further areas in logistics flexibly without major effort and at low costs.
Utilization of recycled BMW i3 batteries
For the BMW Group, a self-driving robot tailored to meet the demands of the company's supply logistics and production supply is a top priority. Besides custom-fit measurements for the containers to be transported, the vehicle also has sufficient battery capacity as the developers have drawn on the experience gained with BMW i: batteries previously fitted in BMW i3 vehicles are being sustainably reused. This BMW i3 battery module will provide eight hours' worth of energy, covering a full shift.
Pilot project is being transferred to series operations this year
The BMW Group has partnered with the Fraunhofer Institute for this project. The collaboration under the label of the BMW Enterprise Lab for Flexible Logistics was established in September 2015. It aims to explore future solutions for logistics areas. Initial findings will be presented at the trade fair LogiMAT 2016 in Stuttgart from March 8 to 10, 2016, at the stand of the Fraunhofer IML as well as in the forum "New transport robots – agile, strong, versatile". In the future, the Smart Transport Robot can be deployed in both packing areas and in assembly logistics. This step in the automation simplifies the materials procurement process for workers in packing departments and reduces the supply space in the supermarket. The self-driving robot is being developed and tested at the BMW Group's Innovation Park in Wackersdorf. This center is the logistics hub for material management and just-in-sequence supply to BMW Group sites in ten different countries. Wackersdorf is also home to the cockpit production for several plants.
Additional information
The presentation of the Smart Transport Robot takes place at the LogiMAT Fair in Stuttgart, Germany, in the forum "New transport robots – agile, strong, versatile":
Tuesday, March 9, 2016, between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m. in Forum A, Hall 1. The fair stand of the Fraunhofer IML is located in Hall 1, Stand 1K61.
- Autonomous robots transport car parts in Logistics
- Innovation assists staff in Materials Procurement
- Recycled BMW i3 batteries to power future robots
Munich/Wackersdorf. Plant Wackersdorf supplies the BMW Group's international assembly and production sites with car parts. In the hall of Supply Logistics, a self-driving robot maneuvers itself underneath a roller container with parts. Silently and with flashing lights, it picks up the container and begins to move through the logistics hall. The system is complicated and extensive; nobody can find their way around without a good sense of direction. But this is no problem for the transport robot, which is about the size of a suitcase. Flanked by radio transmitters and equipped with a digital map, it drives independently to the destination of the goods. When tugger train cross its path, a fitted sensor identifies the obstacle and stops the self-driving robot with car parts loaded weighing up to half a ton.
Digitization is essential for production
In terms of smart logistics, the BMW Group is promoting innovative and trend-setting logistics systems: "The development of the Smart Transport Robot is an important milestone for the BMW Group when it comes to digitization and autonomization in production logistics. This innovation project makes an important contribution to the agility of the supply chain in Logistics and Production. It enables the supply chain to adapt to changing external conditions quickly and flexibly," comments Dr. Dirk Dreher, Vice President of Foreign Supply at the BMW Group.
Autonomous navigation in Supply Logistics
Measuring its distance to three radio transmitters allows the robot to calculate its exact position and route. With the help of sensors, it identifies critical situations and can respond accordingly, sharing the route with people and other vehicles. At a later point when the innovation is being implemented in series operation, a 3D camera system will make navigation even more accurate.
The transport robot will be able to function without the floor-mounted induction loops for navigation and will move freely within the space. The battery-powered radio transmitters mounted to the walls of the hall can be expanded to further areas in logistics flexibly without major effort and at low costs.
Utilization of recycled BMW i3 batteries
For the BMW Group, a self-driving robot tailored to meet the demands of the company's supply logistics and production supply is a top priority. Besides custom-fit measurements for the containers to be transported, the vehicle also has sufficient battery capacity as the developers have drawn on the experience gained with BMW i: batteries previously fitted in BMW i3 vehicles are being sustainably reused. This BMW i3 battery module will provide eight hours' worth of energy, covering a full shift.
Pilot project is being transferred to series operations this year
The BMW Group has partnered with the Fraunhofer Institute for this project. The collaboration under the label of the BMW Enterprise Lab for Flexible Logistics was established in September 2015. It aims to explore future solutions for logistics areas. Initial findings will be presented at the trade fair LogiMAT 2016 in Stuttgart from March 8 to 10, 2016, at the stand of the Fraunhofer IML as well as in the forum "New transport robots – agile, strong, versatile". In the future, the Smart Transport Robot can be deployed in both packing areas and in assembly logistics. This step in the automation simplifies the materials procurement process for workers in packing departments and reduces the supply space in the supermarket. The self-driving robot is being developed and tested at the BMW Group's Innovation Park in Wackersdorf. This center is the logistics hub for material management and just-in-sequence supply to BMW Group sites in ten different countries. Wackersdorf is also home to the cockpit production for several plants.
Additional information
The presentation of the Smart Transport Robot takes place at the LogiMAT Fair in Stuttgart, Germany, in the forum "New transport robots – agile, strong, versatile":
Tuesday, March 9, 2016, between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m. in Forum A, Hall 1. The fair stand of the Fraunhofer IML is located in Hall 1, Stand 1K61.
Featured Gallery BMW Smart Transport Robot
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