Cities including Rochester, Detroit and Grand Rapids, will soon see the deployment of these mobility-related programs – everything from contactless automated delivery within the state’s retail supply chain, disinfecting technologies and barriers to protect transit workers – with three of the five pilots servicing West Michigan.

The statewide initiative through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation leveraged the state’s robust mobility ecosystem and manufacturing roots to encourage innovative solutions to the challenges presented by the spread of this virus, which proves that Michigan continues to lead the way in the automotive industry and beyond.

Learn more about each of our PlanetM Mobility Grant recipients and their mobility pilots at PlanetM.com.

You’re Invited! Virtual PlanetM Mobility Meetup Thursday, June 4

Join the PlanetM Landing Zone for its next virtual mobility meetup Thursday, June 4 from 4-5 p.m. ET to hear from leaders in the industry and connect with peers.

A panel of PlanetM Pilot Grant recipients from Gatik, GHSP, Penske Vehicle Services, Pratt Miller and RCO Engineering will also discuss mobility solutions they’ve developed in response to COVID-19.

Joining the Meetup
A confirmation email with the link to join the meeting will be sent upon registration. Following the opening remarks and presentation, the event will open up for facilitated networking. Virtual Mobility Meetup Connect is an ongoing connection platform through Connect Space. Separate but complementary from the virtual mobility meetup webinar, mobility meetup attendees can register in the platform at any time, and connect with others via the PlanetM app. Users can set up meetings within the app or take things offline. View instructions and register to start connecting here.

For more information, please contact Devon O’Reilly by phone at 313-402-0371, or reach out to the PlanetM team at PlanetM@michigan.org. Miss the last meetup? Tune in here for the conversation with guest speaker Mark de la Vergne, chief of mobility innovation for the City of Detroit.

Updates from the Michigan Mobility Institute and Detroit Mobility Lab

DETROIT MOBILITY LAB PARTNERS WITH WINDSOR ESSEX ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Earlier this month, the two organizations created a bi-national mobility partnership aimed at supporting mobility-focused start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises within the Detroit/Windsor-Essex region to expand into new markets and create the most powerful mobility node in North America. Specifically, this agreement will allow Detroit Mobility Lab members exclusive access to information on conducting business in Windsor-Essex, Ontario, Canada and provide an opportunity for Windsor-Essex mobility start-ups to leverage networks in Detroit, Mich.

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES NEW MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ROBOTICS PROGRAM
Developed in partnership with the Michigan Mobility Institute, Wayne State University’s College of Engineering is offering a new degree program for a master of science in robotics, effective fall 2021. Concentration tracks include industrial automation, intelligent control and smart mobility, and equips graduates to excel in developing technologies, as it’s estimated that the industrial robotics market will expand nearly 12% annually.

Mobility Spotlight: Pratt Miller

Pratt Miller has continued to step up in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic with its development of the industry’s first-of-its-kind Large area autonomous Disinfecting robotic vehicle (LaaD) in the U.S., which will be roaming the Gerald R. Ford International Airport as early as this month.

The connected, electric and autonomous disinfecting robot will dispense FDA-approved disinfecting materials through a multi-head electrostatic sprayer array.

In addition to rebuilding confidence when traveling with its new innovative technology, Pratt Miller has also donated nearly 300 facemasks and 30 Tyvek coverall/suites – their entire emergency stock – to frontline workers at Beaumont Hospital. Congratulations to Pratt Miller on its recent accomplishments, we’re honored to join forces in the battle against COVID-19.

Reminder: Currently Accepting Applications for PlanetM Testing Grant

Accelerate your company’s mobility innovation by accessing Michigan advanced testing facilities including:
• Mcity at the University of Michigan
• ACM
• GM Mobility Research Center at Kettering University
• Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium
• Keweenaw Research Center at Michigan Technological University

Testing grant applications are evaluated on a rolling basis. To learn more or to apply, visit https://www.planetm.com/test-and-pilot/.

Mobility Resources

READ THE LATEST FROM TREVOR PAWL, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MEDC
A Few Thoughts on Mobility’s New Normal

READ THE LATEST HANDBOOK FROM LAMBERT
Post-COVID Shutdown Communications Handbook

LOOKING FOR HIGH-CALIBER MOBILITY TALENT?
Learn more about how to leverage Uber’s Talent Database launched to help former employees find their next opportunity. Explore past roles, skills and remote-openness from talent looking for a new opportunity here.

VOICE YOUR FEEDBACK IN THE MICHIGAN AUTOMOTIVE CAUCUS
As the voice for Michigan’s automotive and mobility industry, MICHauto continues to provide real-time feedback about the industry’s restart economic outlook to the Michigan Automotive Caucus. This ongoing dialogue led by MICHauto with its automotive suppliers led the Caucus to promote a timely restart of the industry. Automotive and mobility companies are invited to submit feedback to MICHauto – submit your input.

RESOURCES FOR BUSINESSES
For a list of resources and information for Michigan businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak – including resources for reopening and relief programs – visit michiganbusiness.org/covid19.

Upcoming Virtual Events

• June 3: Quesnay: Female Founders in Mobility 2020 Final Pitch Event
• June 3: Traverse Connect: Economic Strategy Sessions: Attracting a Remote Workforce for the Future Economy
• June 16-18: SAE International: WCX™ Digital Summit
• June 18: Ann Arbor SPARK: Blue Ocean Recovery: Growth in Times of Crisis
• June 18: SBD Automotive: Mobility at a Crossroads

In The News

Amazon in Advanced Talks to Buy Self-Driving-Car Tech Company Zoox
Amazon. com Inc. is in advanced talks to buy Zoox Inc. in a move that would expand the e-commerce giant’s reach in autonomous-vehicle technology. The companies are discussing a deal that would value Zoox at less than the $3.2 billion it achieved in a funding round in 2018, according to people familiar with the matter.

Zipline’s drones are delivering medical supplies and PPE in North Carolina
Zipline’s drones are delivering medical supplies and personal protective equipment to a Novant Health Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Importantly, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the deliveries are entirely contactless. Zipline says this is the first emergency drone logistics operation to help hospitals respond to the pandemic, and it’s also the longest-range drone delivery service that’s been approved in the U.S.

Nuro will test autonomous prescription delivery for CVS
Nearly half of the U.S. is on at least one prescription, but the coronavirus pandemic has thrown people for a loop and made picking up medications another in a long list of daily hurdles. Nuro is hoping to make getting prescriptions easier by teaming up with CVS. The company will use its fleet of autonomous vehicles to deliver meds to the curbs of customers who place orders via CVS.com or the CVS pharmacy app. The pilot program will start in June and will serve areas in Houston, Texas.

GM is working on a hands-off advanced driving system for city streets
GM has a “big team” working on an advanced version of its hands-free driving assistance system, Super Cruise, that will expand its capability beyond highways and apply it to city streets. GM is also continuing to improve its existing Super Cruise product, Parks said during a webcasted interview at Citi’s 2020 Car of the Future Symposium.

Americans still don’t trust self-driving cars
Self-driving cars are having a really rough time gaining our trust. This is not a total shock considering autonomous vehicles remain theoretical and elusive for most people. The limited number of self-driving cars on the road today are mostly test vehicles that aren’t available to the riding public. Combine that with Americans’ very, shall we say, complicated feelings toward concepts like “freedom” and “control,” and you can see where this is going. The latest poll to affirm this deep distrust comes from Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE).

Scared to ride? These e-scooters drive themselves to be cleaned.
Bike and scooter-sharing isn’t as compelling as it used to be, so companies are stepping up cleaning procedures. One scooter rental company is launching an extensive sanitization program in an Atlanta suburb with remote-controlled autonomous scooters.

Stay connected to the resources dedicated to the evolution of transportation mobility by visiting PlanetM.com. If you’re a company with autonomous, connected, electric or shared transportation technologies interested in tapping into PlanetM’s collaborative work space, visit PlanetMLandingZone.com.