NEWS

Darwin Innovation Group, a UK startup that specialises in communications technology and autonomous vehicles, has opened an office in the Green Ray building by PTA-UMA at Málaga TechPark. The University of Málaga’s research and talent, and Darwin’s European partners, including Dekra, Hispasat and Telefónica, have been key to Darwin’s decision to establish itself in the Málaga innovation ecosystem. Darwin Innovation Group, a startup based in the United Kingdom, has opened a Spanish office in the Green Ray at Málaga TechPark. The company intends to employ four people at its Málaga office during the first quarter of 2022, to reach ten jobs at the end of said year. Darwin’s work focuses on communications and connectivity for current and future technologies, such as drones and autonomous vehicles. Through its research and development, Darwin aspires to bring new opportunities to rural areas and introduce connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) to public roads. Its partners include Dekra, Hispasat and Telefónica. Darwin’s ubiquitous communications technology enables CAVs to switch seamlessly between satellite and 5G networks, allowing them to operate without losing their connection if they move out of range of mobile towers. ‘We are delighted to announce the opening of the Darwin office in Málaga, in the Green Ray by PTA-UMA. Our goal is to bring seamless connectivity to the world, combining 5G and satellite communications, with Hispasat as an industrial partner. Our main use case is connected and autonomous vehicles, and we are looking forward to bringing our solutions to Málaga and continuing to improve them with the Málaga team,’ Darwin commented. ‘Opening a Darwin office in Málaga was a very easy decision. The University of Málaga has the potential to enrich Darwin’s team with exceptional graduates in the fields of urban planning, engineering and computer science. We are looking forward to collaborating with the university on our technology for connected and autonomous vehicles. ‘We love Málaga’s enthusiasm for innovation and new technologies, and we appreciate the warm welcome from the Málaga TechPark team at the Green Ray. The campus has great potential, as it brings together highly innovative companies of different sizes,’ said the company. Alongside Hicron and RedZinc, Darwin is one of three companies joining Málaga TechPark from other countries this week. This demonstrates the park’s aim of attracting companies that are committed to the ecosystem of the technopolis and to the development of their projects in Europe. Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

On 18 November, Harwell NextGen held a poster event to show off some of the exciting work being done at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. Soheyl Soodmand and Ram Kurakula went to the event to present a poster about Darwin’s projects. Below, you can see some photographs from the event and take a close look at the poster in PDF form.   We were pleased to find that many of the attendees had seen the Darwin Autonomous Shuttle around the campus and were interested to know more about it! You can access Darwin’s poster as a PDF over here. Soheyl created the design of this poster, with Harriet Evans writing the copy. Harwell NextGen is a Harwell Science and Innovation Campus programme to help students and early-career professionals find their feet. If you’re interested in starting your career with us, take a look at our Join Darwin page! Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

How far can you go in an electric car? Although electricity is cleaner than petrol power, some drivers are still skittish about buying an electric vehicle because they’re concerned about how the battery will handle long distances. At Darwin, we decided to demonstrate that EVs are a viable choice for a long journey. To get to COP26, our co-founder Daniela Petrovic and our chief drone pilot David Owens drove from Oxfordshire to Glasgow in an electric car. The car itself was David’s Tesla Model 3, which he named after Westworld’s self-aware AI character Dolores. Tesla owners often name their cars, David explains, as Tesla’s driver assist features can make the car feel more like a person than like a machine. The journey was about 400 miles and took six or seven hours in total. Both David and Daniela had positive things to say about the driver assist features. Daniela, as a passenger, felt that these features made for a smoother ride, and David was enthusiastic about the experience of driving: ‘I had my hands on the wheel, but it was accelerating, braking and steering as it needed to. Driving it is quite a refreshing experience. When I get it wrong, the driver assist system is there for me, and when it gets it wrong, I’m there for it, and together we’re better than either one of us on our own.’ The car had a 200-mile range on a full charge, so, in theory, they could have made the journey with only one recharging stop in the middle. David preferred not to let the battery drop below 20%, so they stopped twice, travelling about 150 miles between charges. David and Daniela both felt taking a long journey in an electric vehicle was quite a pleasant way to travel, as it enforced occasional stops. No matter how much you enjoy driving, you probably don’t want to be in a car for hours on end. Every couple of hours, they had an excuse to pause, stretch their legs and enjoy coffee, cake and a chat. The car only took ten or fifteen minutes to charge from 30% to 80% at a Tesla Supercharger station, so they’d be charged up and ready to go by the time they’d finished their coffee. They didn’t have trouble finding Supercharger stations when they needed one; according to David, they passed three times as many as they needed. Of course, comfort isn’t the only reason it’s important to take occasional driving breaks. Driving while tired can be dangerous, so Rule 91 of the Highway Code recommends taking a break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving. If you follow this advice, you’ll have regular charging stops built into any long journey in an electric car. In other words, even if you’re driving a petrol-powered car, you should stop a couple of times in a six-hour journey. Because of that, the occasional need to stop and charge an electric car isn’t really a disadvantage. David and Daniela’s experience was with a Tesla, of course, so they were able to use the Tesla Supercharger network. If you’re driving a different type of electric vehicle, you may need to take longer charging breaks to top up. However, Tesla launched a non-Tesla Supercharger pilot scheme in the Netherlands in early November, so we may see Supercharger stations open to other EVs before long. In the meantime, David and Daniela have demonstrated that it’s absolutely possible to travel long distances comfortably in an electric vehicle. They’re looking forward to the next road trip! Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

An autonomous shuttle will transport passengers around Harwell Science and Innovation Campus during a one-year trial funded by the UK Space Agency and European Space Agency (ESA). Darwin Innovation Group will run the shuttle service and gather information about its operation. The shuttle is made by Navya and insured by Aviva. The service will help to demonstrate how self-driving vehicles operate in a real-world setting, with data transmitted via O2’s 4G and 5G networks and Hispasat’s satellites. The electric shuttle emits zero CO2, showing how the future of public transportation can be both autonomous and green. A fully autonomous passenger shuttle service begins trials on UK roads today, Science Minister George Freeman has announced. The new service is being trialled by Darwin Innovation Group, with support from ESA and the UK Space Agency. An autonomous shuttle will transport passengers around Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, which is home to some of the UK’s most innovative companies and research organisations. The shuttle, created by Navya, uses LiDAR sensors, cameras and ultrasound sensors to navigate safely around any obstacles. It also features a satellite (GNSS) antenna for positioning. There is no steering wheel, but it does have safety controls, which will be managed by an on-board operator throughout the trial. Darwin will maintain and monitor the service, tracking the shuttle’s location and gathering information about its operation as it travels. Telematics data will be transmitted from the shuttle in real time using Hispasat’s satellite communication channels and O2’s 4G and 5G networks. The use of satellite communications in this trial is significant. In previous trials, autonomous vehicles have relied on terrestrial Wi-Fi to stay connected. By making use of satellites in addition to 4G and 5G, autonomous vehicles can operate even in rural or remote areas that may not yet have complete terrestrial coverage. This shuttle service will help demonstrate the potential of self-driving vehicles to operate in a real-world setting, serving as a step towards the wider use of this technology in the UK. Similar Navya shuttles have been used in an urban setting in Switzerland and have safely transported tens of thousands of passengers. The shuttle, which is battery powered, shows that the future of public transportation can be green as well as autonomous. The potential to transport passengers while emitting zero carbon, if put in place more widely, could help the UK towards its emission targets. Science Minister George Freeman said: “Until now autonomous vehicles have relied on terrestrial Wi-Fi, which means they can struggle to operate in remote and rural areas. By unlocking the power of space and satellite technology, these shuttles can stay connected all the time. “Our National Space Strategy promises to put space technology at the heart of our efforts to make the UK a science and innovation superpower. Autonomous vehicle technology has huge applications in key industries, and the UK is committed to lead in adoption as well as technological innovation.” The shuttle service has already created new jobs at the campus: shuttle safety operators and shuttle mechanics. The people working with the shuttle will be able to share their experience with technology colleges and help improve the available courses. In addition to Darwin, Navya, ESA and UK Space Agency, a range of organisations have supported the new shuttle service. Mobile operator O2 and satellite operator Hispasat have aided Darwin in its research into connectivity, and the shuttle will make use of their networks as it travels around the campus. O2 also provides added investment to Darwin, as well as supporting with patent development. Harwell Science Campus and STFC are hosting the service, and AWS is providing storage for the data produced by the shuttle. The shuttle is insured by Aviva, who will use the trial and resulting data to better understand the evolving mobility market. With this information, Aviva will be able to create innovative insurance products to cater for this fast-changing market, including autonomous vehicles and associated technologies. The autonomous shuttle service operates at Harwell Science Campus during weekdays, morning to evening. It travels two routes, one along Fermi Avenue and one along Eighth Street, with the ESA building being the central stop for both routes. There is no cost to ride the shuttle, which is currently available to campus pass-holders and registered guests of pass-holders. Daniela Petrovic, Delivery Director at Darwin, said: “We’re thrilled to play a part in demonstrating the real-world potential of autonomous vehicles. Self-driving cars are no longer theoretical, and we believe that CAV trials can help move the UK towards greener, more efficient and more accessible modes of transport.” Sergio Budkin, Director of Market Development at Virgin Media O2, said: “This is another exciting milestone in making connected autonomous vehicles a reality, from concept to deployment on our roads. We’re proud to not only be utilising our award-winning network, but also creating the app for real-time tracking, providing another innovative 4G & 5G use case that’s making a difference to society and the way we live.” José Luis Serrano, Head of Innovation at Hispasat, said: “We believe this trial will be a major step forward in combining satellite technology with 4G and 5G environments to ensure that autonomous driving can be performed reliably and resiliently regardless of geographic location.” Elodie Viau, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, said: “5G is set to transform society. For this to happen, communications networks in space have to be integrated with terrestrial ones. ESA is excited to champion the Harwell shuttle service, a project that will both showcase the reliable, instant connectivity delivered by converged space and ground telecommunications networks and bring low-emissions, autonomous vehicles to the roads.” Stuart Grant, Chief Executive at Harwell Science Campus, said: “At Harwell we’ve created a scale-up ecosystem that promotes collaboration, multidisciplinary innovation and the creation of smart technology. We’re delighted to be able to support campus-based Darwin with the launch and operation of this next-generation autonomous shuttle. The Harwell shuttle will transport over 6,000 employees around the campus, showcasing the future of travel and urban mobility.” Nick Amin, Chief Operating Officer at Aviva, said, “This real-world trial is an important development that will help advance the potential and use of autonomous vehicles on UK roads. Aviva was one of the first insurers of motor vehicles more than 100 years ago, and we are proud to continue our role as an enabler of innovation by insuring one of the first purpose-built autonomous passenger shuttles operating on UK roads. The data from this trial will help us understand and shape the mobility insurance policies of the future.” Pierre Lahutte, CEO of Navya, said: “We are very pleased to be part of this trial at the renowned Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. This new deployment allows Navya to strengthen its technology with an additional use case in a complex environment and to contribute to the development of insurance practices for autonomous vehicles.” Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Satellites are fantastically useful tools, and there are thousands of them in orbit around the Earth right now. We’ve already talked about satellite orbit types and what satellites are used for. Before the current age of satellites could come into being, though, someone had to take the first step. In today’s post, we’re taking a look at the early history of satellites, and in particular at Sputnik 1: the first artificial satellite in space. What was Sputnik 1? On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world’s first manmade satellite, Sputnik 1, into low Earth orbit. Sputnik 1’s orbit was elliptical; it was approximately 230 km from Earth at its closest point (perigee) and 940 km away at its furthest point (apogee). It took just under an hour and a half to circle the entire planet. Sputnik 1 was an extremely simple satellite. It was a metal sphere with four long antennas protruding from it. It contained a thermometer, a fan, a radio transmitter, batteries and little else. The sphere was only 58 cm in diameter and weighed 83 kg, making it very small and light in comparison to many of today’s satellites. Modern-day geostationary communications satellites can weigh as much as 7,000 kg: over eighty times as much as Sputnik 1. The largest artificial satellite currently in orbit, the International Space Station, weighs more than 5,000 times as much as Sputnik 1 at 440,000 kg. Why was the first satellite called Sputnik? ‘Sputnik’, or спутник, literally meaning ‘fellow traveller’, is simply the Russian word for a satellite. Although Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite, the word ‘sputnik’ was already in use to describe natural satellites such as moons. ‘Sputnik 1’ was therefore more a description than a name. It would be similar to an English-speaking country launching a satellite called ‘Satellite 1’. What was the international response to Sputnik? Sputnik 1’s successful launch created huge international interest. The launch took place in the midst of the Cold War, and it was seen as a display of great technological ability from the Soviet Union. This created a sense of anxiety and competition in the USA, which considered the Soviet Union a rival. The USA hurried to catch up and, on 6 December 1957, just two months after Sputnik 1’s launch, attempted to launch the satellite Vanguard TV-3. Unfortunately, the launch was unsuccessful. The unmanned rocket carrying the satellite lost thrust almost immediately, fell back to the landing pad and exploded in a fireball. Although there was no live broadcast, the failed launch was filmed, rushed to broadcasters and shown on television within two hours: a discouraging experience for the American public. (For details of the broadcast, see the 16 December 1957 edition of Broadcasting magazine, p.76.) Vanguard TV-3 was thrown clear of the explosion and recovered, damaged but still transmitting a signal. It can be seen at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. On 31 January 1958, the USA successfully launched its first satellite, Explorer 1, making the USA the second country to launch a satellite into space. However, Explorer 1 was not the second artificial Earth satellite; the Soviet Union had already launched another, Sputnik 2, on 3 November 1957. What was Sputnik 1 used for? Sputnik 1 didn’t remain in orbit for very long. Its batteries ran out after three weeks, so it could no longer transmit radio signals. Its orbit decayed over time, and on 4 January 1958, three months after launch, it burned up from air friction after re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. Despite this, it was still an incredible achievement. Sputnik 1’s short life in space gave scientists basic but essential information about how satellites could operate. By observing how quickly the satellite’s orbit decayed, scientists could draw conclusions about atmospheric drag and density at high altitudes. Sputnik 1’s radio transmissions also showed how radio waves could travel through Earth’s atmosphere from orbit. The signal Sputnik sent out was a simple one; it transmitted a steady beeping. However, it had a very simple, very clever way of communicating major changes in pressure or temperature. If the pressure inside the satellite dropped dramatically due to a puncture (Sputnik was filled with nitrogen gas), or if the temperature went above or below a certain threshold, a switch would be triggered and the beeping would become slightly different. Because of this, Sputnik could convey specific information without needing to transmit anything more complicated than a beep. These beeps weren’t solely received by researchers. Any interested member of the public with a shortwave radio could tune in and hear Sputnik beeping as it travelled overhead. Sputnik 1’s most significant function was simply being the first artificial Earth satellite. It told the world that artificial satellites weren’t simply theoretical; it was possible to put an object into orbit around the Earth. With this knowledge, researchers were able to build on Sputnik’s success and launch more ambitious satellites. In the present day, we make use of satellites on a daily basis. We use them for navigation, communications, weather forecasting and much more. None of that would have been possible without somebody taking that first step. In that sense, both modern society and Darwin owe a lot to Sputnik. Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.