TL;DR:
- Outrider unveils advanced AI-driven perception technology for yard automation.
- The technology is informed by extensive data from Fortune 500 customer distribution yards.
- Outrider’s system can seamlessly operate alongside various yard actors, enhancing safety and efficiency.
- The perception technology identifies and responds to yard actors’ characteristics and actions.
- Deep-learning models and a vast dataset empower the autonomous system for intelligent yard tasks.
- Enhanced multi-modal sensor platforms with 3x range and 10x data support safety and performance.
- Outrider’s system learns from real-world experience and adapts to complex traffic scenarios.
- Safety mechanisms merge machine learning with traditional safety approaches.
- The release complements Outrider’s industry-first innovations in autonomous trailer movement.
- Outrider is the first-to-market with fully autonomous, zero-emission trailer moves.
- 2023 highlights include significant technological advancements and a successful Series C financing round.
Main AI News:
In a bold move poised to redefine the landscape of yard operations in logistics hubs, Outrider has unveiled its latest groundbreaking AI-driven perception technology. Leveraging insights derived from an extensive database sourced from Fortune 500 customer distribution yards, Outrider’s yard automation solution stands out as a visionary achievement, comprehending, anticipating, and seamlessly interacting with the dynamic spectrum of stationary and mobile entities within the yard. This forward-looking perception system not only propels Outrider towards pivotal safety milestones but also catapults it into the forefront of commercial driverless operations, poised to make a resounding impact in 2024.
The labyrinthine expanse of distribution yards, characterized by their intricate outdoor environments, necessitates an autonomous system that can seamlessly harmonize with an array of stakeholders. This includes, but is not limited to, fellow yard trucks, long-haul semi-trucks, trailers, delivery vehicles, golf carts, pallets, personnel, and more. Andrew Smith, the visionary Founder and CEO of Outrider, expounds on the game-changing potential of their latest perception technology: “Our cutting-edge perception technology empowers the Outrider system with the unprecedented capability to autonomously handle customer trailers and containers with a newfound level of efficiency and safety.”
At the heart of Outrider’s latest perception technology lies the ability to discern specific attributes of yard entities, such as their orientation, positioning, and velocity. Furthermore, it boasts the remarkable capacity to foresee their trajectories and respond to their actions through predictably human-like behaviors. Fueling this technological marvel is a vast reservoir of data, meticulously harvested from an eclectic array of distribution yards, which in turn feeds Outrider’s proprietary deep-learning models. These models give birth to neural networks that breathe life into the autonomous system, enabling it to execute yard-related tasks with escalating intelligence and precision.
Luciano Spinello, the astute Senior Director of Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence at Outrider, sheds light on the relentless learning process that underpins their system: “The Outrider System remains in a perpetual state of learning, continuously assimilating wisdom from real-world experiences and integrating it into its operational playbook within these environments.” This cutting-edge perception technology, bolstered by the industry’s most extensive dataset, empowers the system to navigate increasingly intricate traffic scenarios while orchestrating trailer movements with the utmost safety and speed throughout its relentless 24-hour operational cycles.
The latest perception capabilities, spearheaded by Outrider, were made possible through an extensive overhaul of their multi-modal sensor platform, boasting an impressive threefold increase in range and a tenfold surge in sensor data. These enhancements are pivotal in achieving the safety and performance benchmarks essential for scaling driverless operations. Since embarking on autonomous operations in 2019, Outrider has been on an expedition to accumulate a treasure trove of perception-based data points across a diverse range of distribution yards catering to package shipping, eCommerce and retail, consumer packaged goods, intermodal rail, and manufacturing sectors.
The multifaceted environments in which the Outrider system operates are instrumental in enhancing safety levels at each unique customer site. Crucially, all AI-driven perception capabilities come fortified with redundant safety mechanisms, effectively merging the power of machine learning with the time-tested functional safety strategies integral to industrial operations.
This milestone release of perception technology dovetails seamlessly with Outrider’s rich tapestry of industry-first achievements and patented innovations, which enable fully autonomous trailer operations. This includes everything from hitching and backing to trailer brake line connections and yard inventory tracking, all tightly integrated with warehouse, yard, and transportation management systems.
Outrider proudly stands as the pioneer in yard automation, delivering fully autonomous, zero-emission trailer movements to a world in need of sustainable logistics solutions. As 2023 unfurls, Outrider reflects upon a year marked by transformative milestones, including the introduction of cutting-edge trailer inventory tracking technology, a notable 20% expansion of their engineering workforce across Europe and Latin America, and the announcement of a remarkable $73 million Series C financing round, further bolstering their formidable financial war chest to an impressive $191 million.
Conclusion:
Outrider’s latest AI perception technology represents a significant leap forward in yard automation, offering enhanced safety and efficiency. With its continuous learning capabilities and industry-first innovations, Outrider is well-positioned to lead the market in autonomous logistics solutions, catering to various industries and contributing to sustainable transportation practices.
