Who are the leading innovators in autonomous carts for the travel & tourism industry?

According to GlobalData Technology Foresights, which uses more than 11,000 patents to analyze the intensity of innovation for the travel and tourism industry, there are more than 10 areas of innovation that will shape the future of the industry.

Autonomous car is it a key innovation area in artificial intelligence

Autonomous trucks are self-driving vehicles that can operate without human intervention. They can be used for different purposes, such as the movement of people or luggage in airports.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers companies at the forefront of each area of ​​innovation and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patent activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are more than 10 companies, spanning technology vendors, established travel and tourism companies, and emerging start-ups engaged in the development and application of autonomous cars.

Key players in autonomous cars – a disruptive innovation in travel and tourism industry

“Application diversity” measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly divides firms into “niche” or “diversified” innovators.

“Geographic scope” refers to the number of countries in which each patent is registered. It reflects the breadth of the intended geographic application, ranging from “global” to “local.”

Patent volumes related to autonomous carts

The specialized nature of this technology is reflected by the main players. Rather than travel companies, they are automobile companies like Toyota engine (21 patents in the last five years) and Honda Motor (five patents in the last five years) that are notable for their presence. However, the first patent filer in this technology is by far a specialist in robotics Nurowhich has submitted 131 applications since the beginning of 2019.

The lack of involvement of travel companies, such as hotel chains and airports, does not mean that self-driving cars are not a disruptive technology in the travel space. It is instead a sign that the adopters of this technology, such as Incheon and Heathrow Airports, prefer to focus on core operations and use technology developed by specialists in the field of autonomous transport.

In terms of the diversity of applications, Miso Robotics leads the pack, while Nuro and Hitachi are in the second and third positions, respectively. Through geographic reach, Nuro held the first position, followed by Hitachi and IBM.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the travel and tourism industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Travel and Tourism.

Global Datathe leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research and analysis used to produce this article.

Global Data Patent Analytics track patent documents and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key subject areas and link to specific companies in the world’s largest industries.