Expansion of Uber's autonomous taxis.

The race for dominance in the autonomous vehicle market continues. Uber is stepping up its efforts in this area and plans to introduce robot taxis in 15 cities around the world. Europe is expected to experience this innovation as early as next year.

Robotaxis, or autonomous taxis, function similarly to traditional transport services - except that they do not need a driver. Users order a ride via an app, and the intelligent vehicle uses a suite of sensors and advanced software (including cameras, radar and lidar) to safely transport passengers to their designated destination. This technology is generating a lot of interest, particularly in the US, where technology companies are testing and deploying robotaxis in more states. Meanwhile, Europe is watching the development from behind the scenes, although this could change with Uber's new initiatives.

Uber wants autonomous vehicles to become popular outside the US as well. That is why it is entering into partnerships with Chinese technology companies such as Momenta and WeRide. The former specialises in driver assistance solutions and fully autonomous systems, which are already being tested in Chinese metropolitan areas. In turn, Uber has invested $100 million in a partnership with WeRide, another AV market leader. The collaboration is expected to result in the deployment of robotaxi technology in 15 cities within five years. The first operations are scheduled to start in 2026 - initially with ride supervisors present.

Uber and WeRide have already started working with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The partnership will see the launch of pilot programmes to test the technology for matching passengers to autonomous vehicles and to analyse regulatory requirements and safety issues. The next stop on the autonomous service map will be Zurich. Later this year, WeRide plans to launch fully autonomous Robotaxis there. Currently, the company already offers an autonomous Robobus service at the Zurich airport in cooperation with local partners.

SIGNAL 4K HDMI modulator - DVB-T2.

The SIGNAL 4K HDMI modulator - DVB-T2 R86600 is a device that enables the conversion of a digital signal fed into an HDMI connection (e.g. from a player, set-top box, computer or DVR) into an RF (radio frequency) signal that can be transmitted via a traditional antenna installation (coaxial) to multiple TV receivers. The SIGNAL 4K HDMI - DVB-T2 R86600 modulator supports video signals with a resolution of up to 4K UHD 2160_30p, which ensures high picture quality. The RF signal at the output of the SIGNAL 4K HDMI - DVB-T2 R86600 modulator can be modulated to one of the selected DVB standards: DVB-T2 or DVB-T or DVB-C or ISDB-T.

SIGNAL-4K HDMI modulator - DVB-T2/T/C in 4K UHD 2160p resolution.

The SIGNAL 4K HDMI - DVB-T2 R86600 modulator is used, among others, in hotels, public buildings, monitoring systems (to transmit video from a DVR) and in home multimedia installations where it is necessary to distribute one HDMI source to multiple TVs without the need for HDMI cables to each of them. It is a practical solution for those needing to transmit a high quality signal over an existing antenna infrastructure.

Controlling the computer from different locations.

In practice, there are many installations where the computer is placed in a secure room (protected against physical theft), but viewing of the image and control of the computer is required from another point in the building (security room). Unfortunately, the distance of these rooms is a critical issue when implementing video and USB transmission over standard cabling. The solution is to convert these signals to IP transmission. Signal HD HDMI to IP converter H3613 enables the user to connect high-definition (HD) signal to a receiver (TV set, monitor) equipped with HDMI interface via CAT5e or CAT6 cable. Additionally, there is possibility of extending the USB port, e.g. for controlling a mouse and keyboard.

The use of this technique makes it possible to extend the transmission from the typical maximum 30 m for HDMI cables to 100 m, and by a further 100 m when using a network device - such as a switch.

HDMI > IP converter application diagram (point-to-multipoint connection)

Comparison of fibre-optic splicers.

DIPOL has expanded its range of fibre-optic splicers with the addition of a third model. The Signal Fire AI-5 L5872 is the entry-level model in a wide range of splicers from manufacturer Signal Fire. The company has been established for many years in global markets, including Europe, where it dominates the budget splicer sector. This model allows for efficient fibre optic connections in video surveillance, automation or fibre optic local area networks. It is designed for occasional splicing. The unit has all the features necessary to realise reliable splices with low attenuation. The 4 motors and the optical system with 300x magnification allow precise positioning of the fibres. The minimum splicing time is 8 seconds and the minimum splice shield welding time, 18 seconds. The AI-5 welder has a 5" TFT screen where the process and its effects can be observed in detail.

You can read more about the AI-5 model in the L5872 catalog sheet. A summary of the 3 models is presented below, together with the most important features and differences.

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Model	Signal Fire AI-5	Signal Fire AI-9	Sendun SD-9+
Code	L5872	L5875	L5877
No. of motors	4	6	6
Zoom	x300	x300	x380
Min. splicing time	8	5	5
Min. heating time	18	15	11
Phone app	Yes	Yes	No
No. of splices on 1 fully charged battery	160	240	320
Built-in VFL and OPM	No	Yes	Yes
Splicing presets for different fibre standards	No	No	Yes - 41 presets
Touchscreen	No	No	Yes
Spare electrodes kit	No	Yes	Yes
Self-closing heater	No	Yes	Yes
Holder for heated splice seals	No	Yes	Yes
Cleaver with auto-rotate function	No	No	Yes
Carrying and transport	Bag	Case / box	Case / box
USB port	No	No	No
LED diode	Yes	No	No
Smart functions (app)	Yes	Yes	No
Warranty time	3 years	4 years	4 years

Dynamics vs. reflectometer resolution. Dynamics or dynamic range is a parameter of a reflectometer that tells you about the measurement capabilities of the device in terms of maximum line attenuation. This parameter is expressed in dB and usually takes values in the range 20 dB - 40 dB. In simple terms, it tells you what maximum attenuation the measured line can reach before the noise in the reflectogram prevents any interpretation of the measurement. For example, a dynamic of 20 dB will in theory allow 50 km of fibre to be measured (20 / 0.4 dB/km (fibre attenuation) = 50 km). If the measured line was 10 km (4 dB attenuation), but contained 2 8-output splitters (2x 10 dB attenuation = 20 dB), the 20 dB dynamic range would be insufficient. The attenuation will, of course, also be affected by any connectors, if present in the link...>>>more

Alpsat – professional measurement of DVB-T2/C/S2 signals