Alibaba announces smart mobility initiatives with auto partners

Source: Alibaba Group. Smart cars are integrated with smart
homes through a partnership between Volvo and Tmall Genie
Auto. 

Alibaba Group Holding has announced smart mobility initiatives in partnership with auto brands and technology service providers at its largest technology showcase, The Cloud Computing Conference, held over four days in Hangzhou, China.

Partnership with Bosch

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud-computing arm of Alibaba Group, and Bosch, a global supplier of technology services, plan to introduce automated valet parking (AVP) solutions in China. AVP is an ideal accompaniment to smart cities, an area in which both Bosch and Alibaba aim to become significant players. AVP is also an important milestone on the road to autonomous driving.

Both parties will work together to enable the infrastructure-based, driverless parking solution. The technology is powered by software in a cloud and it will offer a fully automated valet parking service in the near future. The two companies are also committed to exploring future opportunities in connected mobility in China and abroad. 

As part of the agreement Bosch will provide its AVP technology, its experience in systems engineering and its Internet of Things (IoT) competencies. Alibaba Cloud, meanwhile, will share its technologies and its experience in cloud computing, data analysis and smart mobility. Both parties intend to explore building showcase sites to demonstrate next-generation AVP technology throughout China.

Source: Alibaba Group. A connected car.

Volvo collaboration

Alibaba AI Labs, the department overseeing consumer AI product development at Alibaba, has announced it is upgrading its auto artificial intelligence (AI) solution, Tmall Genie Auto, by partnering with Volvo Cars and adding car-to-home AI services. Tmall Genie is an AI-powered smart assistant developed by the Labs. 

Through the upgraded solution, Volvo drivers with a Tmall Genie-compatible device will be able to monitor and control their smart-home devices from their cars, starting next year. Over 90 appliance brands are already in the Tmall Genie ecosystem, enabling over 600 smart home appliances to be easily connected for car-to-home AI services. 

Some of the newly-added services include:

· Running a status check on humidity, temperature, light and air conditioning at home, as well as the on and off status of smart home appliances;

· Controlling appliance functions, including turning on the heater, air conditioning, door lock and air purifier.

· Turning on the home configuration for smart devices when drivers are 10 minutes away from home, readying smart appliances for the user's arrival while they are still driving home. 

Last June, Alibaba AI Labs partnered with Daimler, Audi and Volvo Cars to offer home-to-car AI services through Tmall Genie Auto. The labs also rolled out in-car AI services by integrating the speech-interaction and natural language processing features of AliGenie, the AI platform behind Tmall Genie. This technology supports voice commands for different tasks, such as identifying nearby attractions and restaurants, booking hotels and movie tickets and ordering to-go boxes by activating the cars’ navigation and infotainment systems.

Working with Ford

As part of the strategic cooperation inked last December between Alibaba Group and Ford, the auto brand has confirmed that Ford Kuga SUV customers will be able to order the car which has a 10.4" central screen and software powered by AliOS later this year. The debut of this technology in the Kuga marks another milestone in strengthening ties between the two leaders in their respective fields, and highlights the rapid growth of Internet-connected cars in China. As of today, there are over 500,000 AliOS-equipped Internet vehicles on the road in China.