Last week at CES Unveiled New York, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced CES 2022 Innovation Awards honorees including those for Best of Innovation. The announcement was made ahead of CES (Consumer Electronics Show), the influential technology event held in Las Vegas, NV every January.

The CES 2022 Innovation Awards program received a record-high number of over 1800 submissions. The annual competition honors outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products across 27 product categories.

An independent panel of industry expert judges reviewed submissions based on innovation, engineering and functionality, aesthetics, and design. Those rating the highest across the product categories receive the Best of Innovation designation.

The full list of Best of Innovation and honorees will be revealed during CES 2022 on January 3rd, but to kick off Futurride’s CES 2022 coverage we focus here on the Best of Innovation revealed last week related to future mobility and robotics. Look for more news on CES innovators in the coming weeks.

 

Magna ICON digital radar

Magna International is celebrating its CES 2022 Best of Innovation Award win for ICON digital radar in the Vehicle Intelligence and Transportation category ahead of the technology debuting on the Fisker Ocean next year. The technology helps address key industry challenges now and paves the road toward higher levels of autonomy in the future.

In addition to vehicle and pedestrian detection, the digital radar can identify low-lying objects and open pathways on crowded, multi-lane roads. It enhances a vehicle’s ability to “see” its surroundings and detect potential dangers, from a stalled car in a dark tunnel to a pedestrian up to 150 m (492 ft) away.

“ICON Digital Radar dramatically improves performance over today’s analog radar, bringing it to levels which have not yet been experienced in automotive applications,” said Boris Shulkin, Executive Vice President, Technology and Investment at Magna International. “Similar to other digital breakthroughs in the consumer electronics and mobile phone industries, we expect digital radar to transform the way we think about radar’s role in road safety—today and in the future.”

Magna and Austin, TX-based Uhnder partnered to develop the technology, which continuously scans its environment in four dimensions, resulting in higher resolution and better contrast than analog radar. The radar can sense moving or standing objects, whether large or small, at both short and long distances.

In addition, it eliminates interference concerns experienced by today’s analog radar by using unique codes embedded into the signal it transmits. Effectively, no two radars in the world would have the same code.

“We believe the time is right to make a paradigm shift toward digital radar systems enabling our customers like Magna to have more accurate information from their radar sensor so they can develop sophisticated algorithms to help save more lives,” said Manju Hegde, CEO and Co-founder of Uhnder.

 

John Deere See & Spray robot technology

John Deere received a Best of Innovation award in the Robotics category, and an honoree in the Vehicle Intelligence & Transportation category, for its See & Spray. The advanced robotic technology for the agriculture industry can detect the difference between plants and weeds and enable the targeted application of herbicide on weeds. This plant-level management technology benefits the farmer, the surrounding community, and the environment.

“The opportunity for technology in agriculture continues to inspire us to develop cutting-edge smart machines, systems, and solutions to treat each plant individually and support our customers,” said Jahmy Hindman, Chief Technology Officer for John Deere. “With technology like See & Spray, we’re helping our customers maximize sustainability, profitability, productivity, and visibility so they can focus on the important work of feeding a growing world population.”

The technology uses deep learning, cameras, and robotics to distinguish plants from weeds. The future of this technology is key to treating each plant individually, providing only and exactly what every single plant needs at any given time, making chemical usage more efficient, protecting the surrounding soil and plants, and producing healthier, more productive crops.

In March, See & Spray Select was introduced on the first John Deere machines factory-equipped with this advanced spraying system. The 400 and 600 Series sprayers use the camera technology to detect color differentiation in the field, ideal for small-grains farmers who manage weed pressure on fallow acres. As the sprayer moves through the field, its cameras rapidly detect only green plants within fallow ground and trigger an application to those plants. It has a similar hit rate to broadcast spraying while applying 77% less herbicide on average.

 

Leica Geosystems BLK ARC autonomous laser scanning module

The BLK ARC from Hexagon’s Leica Geosystems is an autonomous laser scanning module for robotics applications, providing a safe and autonomous way to capture, in 3D, the images and data of areas that are difficult or dangerous for humans to reach. Professionals in AEC (architecture/engineering/construction), manufacturing, plant, public safety, and media and entertainment can attach the BLK ARC to a robotic carrier to capture data that is used to build 3D models and recreate situations—for example, man-made or natural disasters, automotive plants, bridges, and movie location sets. The product’s speed, accuracy, flexibility, and modular design provide fully autonomous mobile LiDAR scanning and navigation.

Leica Geosystems’ first robotic carrier is the Boston Dynamics Spot robot. BLK ARC and Spot deliver fully autonomous and repeatable scan missions to capture 3D point clouds and panoramic imagery while Spot carries BLK ARC through an environment.

The BLK ARC autonomous laser scanning module integrates with Spot’s sensors to improve robotic navigation while capturing 3D point clouds to create 3D digital twins. The module captures both static and mobile scans during the same mission and can repeat scan missions autonomously for up-to-date project progress and site changes. It uses GrandSLAM technology: LiDAR SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), Visual SLAM, and an IMU for reality capture and autonomous navigation through complex environments.

With the BLK ARC browser-based UI (user interface), users can plan scan paths remotely using existing drawings or models of a building including large and complex spaces. This enables the user to save time and allows BLK ARC to scan complex or hazardous environments while remaining in a safe location.

 

WHILL Model F foldable personal EV

WHILL, Inc. won a Best of Innovation award for its new Model F. The foldable personal EV (electric vehicle) is designed to be used by anyone including active seniors and people who have difficulty walking. Unlike wheelchairs that are typically built for patients in a medical environment, the Model F is designed to fit an active lifestyle for everyday use.

It is lightweight, which makes it easy to load into cars and convenient when traveling by air. When folded, the product can be stored upright or flat depending on its environment. The WHILL smartphone app allows a user to drive and lock the Model F remotely, as well as check device information such as total mileage and battery level.

“Our product and services are created through the concept of smart and inclusive mobility development,” said Satoshi Sugie, CEO of WHILL. “We want to provide innovative technology to allow individuals the ability to independently reach their destination, no matter how far.”

The Model F is 555 × 465 × 855 mm (21.9 x 18.3 x 33.7 in) folded, 555 x 935 x 802 mm (21.9 x 36.8 x 31.6 in) when opened. It weighs 26.7 kg (58.9 lb), including its 2.7-kg (6.0-lb) battery, with a total load capacity of 115 kg (254 lb). Its 25.3-V, 10.6-Ah battery gives a 20-km (12.4-mi) range, 6-km/h (3.7-mph) top speed, and a 10-degree climbing ability.