Member Info for chris100

Only a couple of months ago it was being stated in the press that GM Cruise cars would perhaps come without steering wheel/pedals etc in 2019. Not so now it seems, according to this 6th June article. Could be good news for SM and bdms.

https://www.autonews.com/mobility-report/gms-initial-avs-likely-be-equipped-manual-controls-key-exec-says

It's difficult to know how things will pan out on the revenues front over the next 2-3 years. Cenkos, CG and before them Finncap have all looked foolish based on their previous forecasting. Were such broker forecasts arrived at independently with product cost etc provided by the company, or did it also include a (bum) steer on expectations provided by management? If it's the latter, you can't blame the brokers if - and I don't know for sure - they're providing more cautious forecasts going forwards.

I'm hoping those fleet revenues forecasts provided by cenkos are low ball and we get some nice surprises over the coming months. Also, bdms is potentially a wild card here. I'm quite excited by that RNS last Monday. Hopefully other autonomous vehicle companies will follow the lead that (wheyy mow?) has taken and also sign up. We don't know what the volumes of autonomous cars will be over the next 2-3 years, but I saw earlier a projection of 50,000 autonomous cars by 2022. There has also been mention in the press of Waymo starting mass production of autonomous vehicles by mid 2019, so their current 600 or so cars could be greatly increased. There are so many unknowns here.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/22/reuters-america-update-2-waymo-says-it-will-build-self-driving-cars-in-michigan.html

https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2019/04/23/waymo-picks-detroit-self-driving-factory/3542790002/

We've known for some time that OEMs are looking for at a fusion of DMS and outward looking cameras to identify hazards that the driver may have missed on the road. SM will surely be in the loop on this. Also, the adam execs comments on the driver looking away from the road for a couple of seconds and/or looking at a mobile phone are issues that our DMS already deals with.

The whole podcast was a waste of time.

Harman with FOVIO DMS Jan 2016. AT 1:09

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxHdLRxm7eg

I am confused. I dunno what that Pickering guy was smoking because much of the stuff he was talking about SM have already addressed. I know Jaguar demonstrated SEE DMS at CES in Jan 2015, but is he up to date with the current capabilities of the tech?

Harman were using FOVIO back in Jan 2016 and the tech was now monitoring driver cognitive levels. Whilst the DMS here doesn't have the FOVIO label on it, other vids from Jan 2016 did and the tech was boasting the same capabilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnQrZnCwoE4

I welcomed this RNS this morning.

Ken was probably leaving as of a couple of months ago. I say that as he didn't take part in the fundraise and also received a golden hand shake share award. Nowt to do with us winning contracts in auto or not.

Lats time we had an RNS-R, on 5th April, we had an auto RNS 5 days later. Here's hoping!

Hopefully they've got an auto RNS lined up. This one issued this morning was a REACH RNS.

Raqeeb from 2016

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/transport/88-drop-in-bus-drivers-exhaustion-cases-due-to-dubais-new-al-raqeeb-system

Wilson63 - I don't know when Gen 3 Guardian will be available. But going off the volvo buses announcement yesterday, delivery of those 373 buses starts in Q3 2019 and is completed in Q2 2020.

https://www.volvobuses.com/en-en/news/2019/jun/volvo-receives-order-for-373-city-buses-for-dubai.html

As to whether the Guardian units will be factory installed or not is unclear. I think it's a possibility, though I don't know what role Du Famco Al Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co have in this project. A check on their website shows that among other things they're volvo construction equipment related.

I'm not aware of Volvo Buses supplying an in house DMS for buses, though they do have some form of fatigue monitoring system for long distance coaches. Iand others are pretty sure that the Raqeeb system referred to in the gulf news report is Guardian.

https://www.volvobuses.com/en-en/news/2018/may/volvo-launches-new-platforms.html

https://gulfnews.com/uae/transport/dubais-rta-signs-dh474-million-deal-for-over-370-buses-1.64531487

Previously, Technologica have been involved in Guardian installations in the ME. I assume they still are, though I can't see any recent updates on their website.

I'm suspecting these new DMS systems for Duabi have been factory fitted by Volvo Bus. The source of this communication below is after all Volvo:-

https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/volvo-receives-order-for-373-city-buses-for-dubai-largest-ever-purchase-of-euro-vi-city-buses-in-the-middle-east-region-833840778.html

Yes I agree See20. Hopefully they're new Guardian units and not units that have been transferred across from ageing buses lol! I'm sure they'll be new.

I think Raqeeb is SM so that's another 370 buses.

Raqeeb (Driver Behaviour Monitoring) System to track drivers’ exhaustion

Is this SM in Dubai?

https://gulfnews.com/uae/transport/dubais-rta-signs-dh474-million-deal-for-over-370-buses-1.64531487

It's great that an II is increasing it's stake. But, as to whether it's of any great significance is only speculation at this point. Let's hope that it heralds a change of fortune for shareholders. What was the Hugh Hefner aka Hunter Hall holding here as of a year or two ago (my memory is fading!)? It was around 16 or 17% as I recall and they must have sold at an almighty loss.

It never ceases to amaze me how someone can just instantly find the cash to wade in here with a 2 million buy or similar. Either there's a breed of psychic investor out there or alternatively someone knows something most of us don't.

The recent photo of Mike with the NCAP exec gives me a bit of confidence. Also, the recent interview Mike did.

With hindsight, perhaps Ken not taking part in the recent fundraise was a sign that he was on his way.

They look late to the party anyway. I think smarteye might have their work cut out gaining traction in China. Eyesight already targeting China and now this lot with all their money. Good luck to them though.

Chinese it looks like

https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/momenta-chinas-leading-autonomous-driving-company-receives-a-new-round-of-funding-at-a-valuation-over-1-697825621.html