At
the beginning of July, a video with a driverless Yandex.Rover in the streets of
Moscow appeared online. The technology is supposed to become a useful tool in
e-commerce - it is evident from the fact that Amazon corporation launched
similar rovers in the summer of 2019.

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/f0c69ba0-fc75-5b47-b36d-ea07cb40845d.gif">
</div>

 
 Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://t.me/rian_ru/44820">RIA Novosti</a>

 
 ICT.Moscow
decided to learn about Yandex’s plans on implementing the technology in Russian
e-commerce and asked about the peculiarities of working on driverless
transport. The representative of the company revealed where the rovers have
already been implemented, spoke about their readiness for real operation and
explained the details of the development of a universal technology for
self-driving vehicles.

 
 Read
the interview of ICT.Moscow to learn where the delivery robots will appear
first, when the driverless transport technology will be ready for operation in
the most difficult road conditions and where and why Yandex tests its
self-driving cars.

<hr />
 
 —&nbsp;You
started to use Yandex.Rover in the streets of Moscow. Does it mean that the
technology will soon be ready for operation in real-life conditions?

 
 —
We have been using our rovers in the streets of Moscow for quite a long time
for collecting data, testing and training algorithms. This time a journalist
was nearby, and he shot the standard working process.

 
 In
terms of operation, we have already conducted several pilot projects and the
first launch of the robot outside the Yandex ecosystem. We started to develop
Rover in the summer of 2019, and already in November we conducted the first
trial - the robot was delivering documents and small parcels within our
headquarters. November was a good time to launch Rover because of the weather
conditions: the robots had to deal with rain, snow and ice. The robot
leapfrogged favorable weather conditions and faced harsh Russian realities
straight away.

 
 In
February this year we carried out a test integration with “Beru” service. The
piloting was linked to February 14th, when there was a high demand for
delivering a large number of parcels. However, only Yandex employees could use
the delivery - Rover picked up parcels at a single center and delivered them to
buildings.

 
 In
April, the robot got its first serious job - it started to operate at Skolkovo.
The territory of the center is arranged in the way that the buildings of
different offices are situated at a certain distance from each other.
Previously, the employees had to use a car to get to several places to exchange
documents and correspondence. With Rover it is no longer needed - the robot
took over this function. Its route there is about 2-3 km. 

 
 In
fact, Skolkovo buys robot delivery service from us, so, technically, it is the
first commercial integration of the technology.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 Less than a year has passed since the emergence of “let’s create a robot” idea till the first commercial application.
 </div>
 
 —&nbsp;In
other words, is the technology ready for real-life application? What are the
plans for further implementation of Rover in real commercial and business
processes?

 
 —
We are currently negotiating with several other companies interested in small
cargo delivery using robots. We expect that Rover will fit into Yandex
ecosystem, including FoodTech sector, which has become more in-demand than
before due to the pandemic.

 
 Such
delivery robots allow to successfully develop e-commerce in general. This
sector is rapidly growing and requires more and more people at different
stages. In the USA there is a shortage of staff in the cargo transportation,
because young people are reluctant to enter this profession. Such rovers are
able to meet the increasing demand for water, food and goods delivery.

 
 If
we talk about the possible range of application of such rovers, there are many
tasks in logistics that can be automated using these robots. They not only can
drive through the streets and deliver documents, parcels and food, but also can
be used within warehouses. When we announced the introduction of the robot
within the company, our colleagues from data centers, which occupy large areas,
showed a great interest in it. In case there is a need to deliver two ram cards
from one point of the data center to another, a rover can help. 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 The main range of self-driving couriers use includes the services where last mile delivery is needed, primarily e-commerce and warehouse logistics.
 </div>
 
 —&nbsp;The
operation process within data centers and warehouses in quite clear, but Rover
will also be operating in the streets, with a large number of road users and
unpredictable situations. To what extent is the technology ready for urban
environment?

 
 —
The technologies that were perfected and tested in driverless vehicles helped
us a lot. We had to rebuild some algorithms, but the basic principles are the
same. It was one of the reasons why we managed to carry out Rover piloting so
soon: it comprises many skills that have already been developed. Moreover, the
scenarios of use are more simple, even in terms of safety: a car drives at
about 60km/h, so the safety requirements are much higher. 

 
 Rovers
drive on sidewalks at an average speed of 5 km/h, in bike lanes the speed can
be higher (this scenario is being tested in Skolkovo). They have already learnt
to accurately detect and recognize the signals of pedestrian traffic lights (in
the same way as a self-driving car detects turning arrows). But currently there
is a difficulty with uncontrolled pedestrian crossings, as it is not clear how
Rover should behave at them - it is neither a car, nor a pedestrian. So far,
the solution is as follows: the robot will let a car pass, but if it
understands the driver sees it and lets the robot pass, Rover will drive across
the crossing.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 One of the main tasks of machine learning in self-driving transport is to learn to predict the behavior of other road users.
 </div>
 
 It
is not enough to determine where they are driving or going and forecast their
trajectory - intentions are more important. Especially in case with
self-driving vehicles: will the pedestrian. standing at the median strip, cross
the road or not?

 
 To
determine this, neural networks use all available data on the object and the
environment. For example, in case with a car it will be the position in the
lane, steering angle, previous acceleration, road environment, etc. Moreover,
such scenarios have been tested many times in real road conditions. If in the
previous 10 thousand similar episodes a person (a driver or a pedestrian)
behaved in a certain way, in the new episode we can predict future behavior.

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/f93cf2bc-670c-520b-90b6-6e87f7e0794c.png">
</div>

 
 Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGlf14a7fAQ">Yandex</a>

 
 —&nbsp;And
what about security? Rovers will have to deliver value parcels as well. Is it
safe to leave the unattended?

 
 —
Firstly, they are not left unattended. There are GPS tracker and various
sensors and cameras in each Rover. If the robot considers something went wrong,
for example, if it deviates from the set course, it will send a signal to the
operator, who will be able to access remotely and see what is going on.

 
 Secondly,
a Rover is quite heavy, so it will not be easy to carry it away. Even if
someone manages to do it - what for? You do not know what is inside, and it
will not be easy to pick the lock. If someone succeeds, there can be an
inexpensive product from an online shop. It will also be difficult to resell
the parts of Rover: it will be clear where the part came from. And again, GPS
trackers are installed in Rovers, and they allow to track its movement, just
like in car sharing. 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 There are not so many scenarios in which something threatens a rover.
 </div>
 
 —&nbsp;You
said that the developments for self-driving car were used in Rovers. So, it is
a universal technology for unmanned transport that requires a minor adaptation,
right?

 
 —
Absolutely correct. Once again, Rovers drive in more simple conditions than
self-driving cars, with&nbsp; more factors to
consider during operation. We will have to pilot self-driving vehicles in
different countries to create a technology that can be implemented worldwide -
only Russia is not enough for this task.

 
 There
are unique things in the USA, which cannot be seen anywhere in the world. For
example, a four-way stop, where the rule about the right of way, according to
which the right-of-way should be yielded to the vehicle on the right, does not
apply. If you arrive at the intersection first, you can continue driving. In
Tel Aviv, where we also test unmanned vehicles, there are things that are not
so common in Russia, but can be seen in other countries. For example,
roundabouts are not very popular in Russia, but in Europe they are practically
the main element of road infrastructure. In Tel Aviv there are a lot of
two-wheeled vehicles: mopeds, self-balancing unicycles, scooters, bicycles,
electric scooters, etc. 

 
 In
Moscow and in Russia in general we also do have these things, but there are
many more of them in Tel Aviv (and they are available all year round - one more
advantage in for training self-driving vehicles algorithms). If we are able to
drive in difficult conditions in Tel Aviv, and then will go to Italy, for
instance, we will be able to drive with scooters, on roundabouts and will be
prepared for other peculiarities.

 
 It
is also important to take the local driving culture into consideration. In Tel
Aviv, for example, you should be very persistent to drive.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 If you are polite and give way to other cars, you will not drive far.
 </div>
 
 We
noticed this feature in Las Vegas. Local residents, after taking a ride in our
self-driving vehicles, noted that the car changes lanes very quickly. It can be
explained with the peculiarities of driving in Moscow: you have to be quick to
change lanes. In the US it is easier - the people are in no hurry and will give
way to you. We configured the system to drive like locals - we changed settings
so the car could change lanes more smoothly. And Tel Aviv, on the contrary,
teaches you to be more persistent. This experience will be useful for us in
Moscow as well.

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/d9b1ac1e-196b-5761-9169-d2edfe421001.png">
</div>

 
 Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97kpp_8QGuIъ">Israeli TV</a>

 
 —&nbsp;V2X
infrastructure can be of great help for self-driving vehicles, it allows the
car&nbsp; to exchange information with road
infrastructure objects and other vehicles. How actively is this area developing
in Yandex?

 
 —
That also brings us to the issue of technology’s versatility. If we create a
technology that should be safe and applicable anywhere, we should rely only on
ourselves. Communications with infrastructure and other driverless vehicles is
good and useful, and we are testing such scenarios. But we cannot rely on them
and make them an indispensable condition. 

 
 For
example, a person ordered an self-driving taxi to a location that is far away,
with no infrastructure and no self-driving vehicles around. The vehicle should
be able to drive safely by itself - as if there was V2X infrastructure around
it.

 
 Moreover,
different countries have their infrastructure with their standards of data
transmission. This problem exists, even without V2X infrastructure. For
example, in the USA there are traffic lights that have eight different signals,
including a yellow flashing arrow. 

 
 In
general, the possibility of receiving information about the signals one
kilometer before the traffic lights is a good advantage. Having this
information, the vehicle can adjust the speed, plan the motion path in order to
cross the intersection as efficiently as possible, with minimum fuel and time
consumption. This is a nice bonus, but it is still extremely important to be
able to recognize traffic lights signals using vehicle’s vision. 

 
 It
is not always possible to rely on 5G in data transmission. Firstly, 5G coverage
is available not everywhere. Secondly, the signal can be unstable even if the network
is available. All these are additional risk factors.

 
 Finally,
imagine how much the dependence on V2X infrastructure could postpone the launch
of self-driving vehicles. Then it would be necessary to re-equip all roads,
which is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process and requires a lot of
investment. If we want self-driving vehicles to be implemented on roads and
provide services (taxi, for instance) as soon as the regulatory measures are
finalized, relying on V2X is not practical.

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/f9c48bd4-df84-5ec3-af78-90d74dd7999e.png">
</div>

 
 Source: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa3A4X6YYgk">Yandex</a>

 
 —&nbsp;So,
if the self-driving couriers and vehicles&nbsp;
technology is ready for commercial use, do we have to wait only for the
finalization of the Russian regulatory measures?

 
 —
In case with rovers, no additional regulation is required.

 
 As
for unmanned cars, in general, we are ready to launch the corresponding
services in small cities, with not very intensive traffic. We managed to test
such a service in Innopolis, where it has been operating for about two years
now. The conditions similar to Innopolis are already suitable for launching
such services. 

 
 As
has already been mentioned, the most difficult task for self-driving vehicles
is to predict intentions. The more road users&nbsp;
there are around the vehicle - the less predictable the environment
becomes.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 The trajectory for the emergence of self-driving vehicles will be roughly as follows: small cities — suburbs of large cities — centers of large cities.
 </div>
 
 Rush
hour in the center of Moscow is the most unpredictable time for road traffic.
With the increase in the number of cars, the number of traffic rules violations
also grows. The traffic in the center of major cities poses a challenge to
self-driving vehicles, which needs to be solved.

 
 Of
course, now unmanned cars can drive during rush hour in Moscow safely, without
creating emergency situations for other road users and themselves. But it will
take them more time to drive through difficult junctions than it would take an
experienced driver. In every ambiguous situation the vehicle will give way to
other road users.

 
 But
when data accumulates, the situation will change. It can be compared to an
ordinary person - it is probably not a good idea to drive in the center of
Moscow during rush hour right after getting a driving license, when you are still
learning to drive. As you gain experience, you will be able to drive well even
in heavy traffic. This is a task we will have to solve.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 In terms of technology, it will take us about three or four years.
 </div>
 
 In
May, it was revealed how and when the regulations concerning self-driving
vehicles would be finalized in Russia. Yandex has also taken part in developing
the plan for phased implementation of self-driving vehicles. During the
conversation with ICT.Moscow, the representative of the company said that the
document was being finalized and would be submitted to Vladimir Putin for
approval at the end of August.

<hr />
 
 ICT.Moscow spoke with Yulia Shveyko, Head of Media
Relations for Self-Driving Cars of Yandex.

ICT.Moscow spoke with a representative of the Yandex team about the commercial launch of driverless rovers, their readiness to work in real-life conditions and the development of universal technology for self-driving vehicles.

ICT.Moscow

An interview with Yandex.Self-Driving Cars: the prospects of driverless future

Yandex’s self-driving car unit has accelerated through the coronavirus pandemic, becoming one of the world’s top 3 companies for the number of miles driven by automated vehicles.&nbsp;In a conference call with investors Tuesday, 28th of July, the Russian technology giant said its fleet of 130 vehicles had passed four million miles in autonomous driving

 
 The milestone is the latest in Yandex’s heavy investment into driverless technology. The mile count has doubled since the previous update in February, and its global ranking&nbsp;has climbed from fifth — when the company hit the one-million-mile landmark in October 2019 — to third, deputy chief executive Tigran Khudaverdyan said on the call.

 
 But Yandex is still well behind market leader Waymo, a project run by Google’s parent company Alphabet. In its latest public update in January, Alphabet executives said Waymo cars had hit 20 million miles driven on public roads — more than ten times Yandex’s mileage at that point.

 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/news/bespilotniki-iandeksa-voshli-v-mirovoi-top-3-po-probegu/">Read more →&nbsp;</a>

Yandex

Yandex self-driving cars break into world's top 3

Russian
President Vladimir Putin has instructed the Russian government to ratify a
Federal project "Artificial intelligence". As a result of the meeting
on the development of information and communication technologies and
communications, which took place on June 10, the President issued an
instruction to the government to "take exhaustive measures to approve a
separate Federal project "Artificial intelligence", providing the
necessary funding, including from the Federal budget funds provided for the
implementation of the national program "Digital economy of the Russian
Federation" (the implementation period is until August 31, 2020).

 
 The
government was also instructed to work on the issue of "developing a set
of measures to promote the introduction of innovative software, including
artificial intelligence technologies, into the activities of medical
organizations" (until August 3, 2020).

 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/news/podpisan-zakon-ob-eksperimentalnykh-pravovykh-rezhimakh-v-sfere-tsifrovykh-innovatsii/">Original (in Russian)</a>

kremlin.ru

Vladimir Putin instructed the government to ratify Federal project "Artificial intelligence"

Yandex N. V., the parent company for Yandex and other companies in the group, announced the parameters for the division of joint assets with Sberbank.

 
 Yandex buys 45% from Sberbank " Yandex.Market " for 42 billion rubles, with a total valuation of about 87.3 billion rubles. After closing the transaction, the Internet holding will consolidate 100% of the trading platform. As before, part of the shares of Yandex.Market" will be allocated for the motivational program of employees.

 
 Yandex will also sell Sberbank a minority stake-25% plus 1 RUB-in Yandex.Money». The preliminary sale amount, which will allow the Bank to fully consolidate the project, is 2.4 billion rubles. But the final amount will depend on the closing date of the transaction and the exchange rate. "Yandex.Money " will continue to work for users in the usual mode, but before the end of this year will rebrand, the report notes.

 
 The parties expect the deal to close in the third quarter of 2020. It has already been approved by the Yandex Board of Directors and the Sberbank management Board. The part of the transaction related to the e-Commerce business also requires approval from the Federal Antimonopoly service of Russia.

 
 As Lev Khasis, first Deputy Chairman of the Sberbank management Board, explained, " competition between the Sberbank and Yandex ecosystems has started to increase." "We plan to remain partners with Yandex under commercial agreements in many areas," he said. "Building an ecosystem is a living process, and this transaction opens up completely new opportunities for us in the development of the e-commerce segment, as well as removes a number of restrictions previously stipulated by our agreements with Yandex," Khasis also said.

 
 The fact that Yandex and Sberbank may announce the division of joint projects in June became known on June 2.

 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/23/06/2020/5ef2332d9a79476c6a5ea67a">Read more →&nbsp;</a>

Yandex announced the division of assets with Sberbank

Roskomnadzor <a target="_blank" href="https://rkn.gov.ru/news/rsoc/news73050.htm">announced</a> it would remove requirements restricting access to Telegram messenger.

 
 In Russia the messenger has been officially <a target="_blank" href="https://tass.ru/ekonomika/5129977">blocked</a> since April 16, 2018. 

 
 Earlier, we found out how Telegram would develop after abandoning TON and whether it was necessary to stimulate the independent development of Facebook, LinkedIn and Skype analogs. Then 54% of respondents answered that nothing would change, and 8% supposed that the messenger would be closed.

 
 Later, Pavel Durov <a target="_blank" href="https://thebell.io/pavel-durov-prigrozil-facebook-sudom">called</a> on users to collect fraudulent advertisements on Facebook that used his name, and also <a target="_blank" href="https://thebell.io/durov-obrushilsya-na-apple-i-google-za-bezumnye-komissii">criticized</a> Apple and Google for charging commission from in-app purchases.

 
 According to <a target="_blank" href="https://tgstat.ru/research">TGStat</a> data for 2019, Moscow is the leader among Russian cities in using Telegram. 36% of the messenger’s users come from Moscow.

 
 UPD: <a target="_blank" href="https://tlgg.ru/sberbank/3">Sberbank</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://tlgg.ru/rbc_news/13610">VTB</a> created accounts in Telegram after unblocking.

Roskomnadzor unblocked Telegram in Russia

The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation identified a list of specific projects that will be tested in “regulatory sandboxes”. “Izvestiya” reported that the Ministry had sent the relevant draft legislation to the concerned departments for approval.

 
 According to the newspaper, the list includes six initiatives which will be launched in 2021. The list includes the following innovations:

<ul>
 <li>service for protection of subscribers from fraudulent calls;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>remote conclusion of an agreement on the provision of cellular mobile services;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>“smart hotel” with automatic guests registration;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>&nbsp;freight transport using drones;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>&nbsp;autonomous driving system;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>provision of medical care using telemedicine.</li>
</ul>

 
 The Ministry proposes to test in the regulatory sandboxes the service for protecting subscribers from fraudulent calls - “Voice Antifraud” from MTS. The service will detect fraudulent calls, create a base of fraudsters’ phone numbers using BigData and machine learning and deliver this information to banks.

 
 Also, the Ministry proposes to allow to conclude agreements on the provision of cellular mobile services remotely without visiting the office as an experiment.

 
 Moreover, a “smart hotel” will be tested within the framework of regulatory sandboxes. It is a solution for automating hotel stays and does not require physical presence of staff. The guest's stay in the hotel will be serviced by automated processes: room management center in a smart speaker, facial recognition for opening doors, navigation with VR.

 
 Together with the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projects the Ministry plans to launch a service for the delivery of goods up to 500 kg using drones.

 
 Autonomous taxi developed by Yandex will also be tested in the regulatory sandboxes. The experiment will be carried out in Moscow, the Moscow region, Tatarstan and Krasnodar Krai.

 
 The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation also plans to legally formalize Telemedicine and allow to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment remotely. It is planned to be done on the basis of the network of private medical clinics “Medsi”.

Market in Brief