Innovation in action - March 2021

1. Sparks
Innovation In Action
March 2021
Copyright © 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved.

2. Know more about the latest
announcements impacting
industry, from investments in
fruit-picking flying robots to
immersive in-car gaming
technology.
Copyright © 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved.
2

3. Industrial is a front
runner in combining
human ingenuity with
technology and
innovation.
Thomas Rinn,
Managing Director,
Global Industrial Sector Lead,
Accenture
Copyright © 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved.

4. Alfa Laval’s mobile
maintenance
A new connected equipment monitor from Alfa Laval will help the
food, beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical industries maintain
uptime, improve worker safety and reduce maintenance costs.
The Alfa Laval CM comprises easy-to-install sensors that are fitted to
rotating equipment (pumps, mixers and agitators). The sensors collect
data on vibration, temperature and run time, which is continuously
uploaded to a mobile device or app. Operators can then easily check
on equipment performance and status. The data can also be used to
predict faults and reveal trends in equipment performance, enabling
operators to plan maintenance and shutdowns. The result is a far
more efficient and safer plant, with lower total run costs.
Read full article
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4

5. 5
Fetch and Honeywell
automate warehouses
Read full article
Fetch Robotics has launched a new autonomous mobile robot
for warehouse pallet transportation, powered by Honeywell
Intelligrated’s Momentum WES software. The PalletTransport1500
has an integrated lift and a pick-up and delivery station and,
combined with WES, can carry out cross-docking and returns of
pallet loads up to 1136kg. The result is a safer, more efficient
environment that will help fulfilment and distribution centers
keep up with increasing demand for same and next-day delivery.
Honeywell Robotics CTO Thomas Evans describes it as a “turnkey
solution” that will give companies a competitive edge.
Copyright © 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved.

6. 6
Kubota invests in fruit-
picking flying robots
Read full article
Kubota has invested in a $20 million Series B funding round for an
Israeli start-up that makes autonomous, flying, fruit-picking robots.
Tevel’s harvest helpers use a combination of AI and computer vision
to pick a wide variety of fruit at a low cost. The device is due to go
on sale in 2021. The $1 trillion fruit market is dependent on 10 million
seasonal workers that must all be housed and trained. The pressure
on farmers to employ the right number of workers at the right time
each year was amplified in 2020 when Covid-19 reduced border
crossing. Tevel’s technology will help the industry overcome those
limitations and reduce the risk of losing crops.
Copyright © 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved.

7. 7
Komatsu developing
electric excavator
Construction equipment builder Komatsu has partnered with
Proterra to develop an electric excavator, ready for production
by 2024. Proterra batteries are designed to be durable and safe,
and can survive in the toughest conditions. The company says the
flexibility of its battery platform makes it ideal for off-road vehicles
and will remove the need for a counterweight to balance the
Komatsu excavator’s hydraulic arm movements. “Proterra’s best-
in-class battery technology has been proven in 16 million miles
driven by our fleet of transit vehicles,” said CEO Jack Allen. “What’s
working in our battery-electric transit vehicles on roads across
North America can work off-road, too.”
Read full article
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8. 8
Veoneer + Qualcomm
partner on scalable
automotive tech
Read full article
Automotive technology company, Veoneer, and Qualcomm
Technologies have partnered to develop scalable software
and solutions for autonomous driving and assistance systems.
Veoneer’s Arriver software combines its own perception and
driving policy software with Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride. The
collaboration plans to address the automotive market’s need for
integrated software. "Veoneer will now be able to take the next
steps as a next generation Tier-1 supplier offering the latest active
safety and restraint controls electronics products to the market,"
said Jan Carlson, Veoneer’s Chairman, President and CEO.
Arriver is already compatible with the Snapdragon Ride Platform,
and the two companies have developed a roadmap for feature
implementations.
Copyright © 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved.

9. HARMAN launches
in-car entertainment
Read full article
HARMAN, a Samsung Electronics subsidiary, has unveiled three new
in-car immersive customer experiences. The experiences - Gaming
Intense Max, Creator Studio and Drive-Live Concert – are based on
the company’s deep market insights and point to an untapped
future of automotive technologies. Gaming Intense Max combines
integrated headrest speakers with advanced haptics and OLED and
QLED displays; Creator Studio turns the car into a recording studio,
deploying fully immersive sound, multiple cameras, and a virtual
assistant to help prepare footage for publishing; and Drive-Live
Concert brings live performances to the car with synchronized
music and lighting, and the ability to communicate with artists.
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10. Geely and Foxconn
launch joint venture
Read full article
Chinese automaker Geely Holding Group and technology
company Foxconn have launched a joint venture that will
provide goods and consulting services to the automotive
industry. The venture will cover vehicles, vehicle parts,
intelligent driving systems, automotive ecosystem platforms
and the electric vehicle industry value chain.
The partnership is designed to help automakers accelerate
their uptake of innovative manufacturing processes and
connected vehicle technologies and will see Geely share
its first EV-focused platform.
10 Copyright © 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved.

11. 11
Ferrovial launches 5G
smart road initiative
Read full article
Spanish transport infrastructure company Ferrovial has launched
the Aivia initiative in partnership with Microsoft, 3M and Kapsch.
The initiative will design and develop digital and physical smart road
solutions that use 5G technology, along with monitoring, sensor, and
simulation technologies. The initial focus will be on new vertical and
road signaling systems. In the long term, the initiative stands to help
improve the traveler experience, safety, travel times, and in-car
infotainment. Additional manufacturers and technology companies
will join the initiative in the future.
Copyright © 2021 Accenture. All rights reserved.

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Copyright © 2021 Accenture all rights reserved.
1. Alfa Laval’s mobile maintenance
https://www.alfalaval.com/media/news/2020/new-alfa-laval-cm-wireless-condition-monitor-boosts-process-uptime-while-protecting-plant-equipment/
2. Fetch and Honeywell automate warehouses
https://fetchrobotics.com/fetch-robotics-blog/fetch-robotics-and-honeywell-deliver-new-integrated-pallet-conveyance-solution-for-distribution-centers/
3. Kubota invests in fruit-picking flying robots
https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9288636/kubota-invests-in-tevel-flying-autonomous-fruit-picking-robots/
4. Komatsu developing electric excavator
https://www.proterra.com/press-release/komatsu-electric-construction-equipment/
5. Veoneer + Qualcomm partner on scalable automotive tech
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veoneer-signs-agreement-with-qualcomm-and-creates-new-software-brand-arrivertm-301214706.html
6. HARMAN launches in-car entertainment
https://news.harman.com/releases/harman-reimagines-the-in-vehicle-experience-through-expanded-harman-exp-technology-suite
7. Geely and Foxconn launch joint venture
https://www.foxconn.com/en-us/press-center/press-releases/latest-news/524
8. Ferrovial launches 5G smart road initiative
https://newsroom.ferrovial.com/en/press_releases/ferrovial-launches-aivia/
References