In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Jeep, Oxa, Pioneer, MediaTek, NVIDIA, Aurora, STRADVISION, Arbe & Keysight.
In this Article
Jeep Takes AVs Off-Road
Coinciding with National Autonomous Vehicle Day in the USA, the Jeep® brand showed a glimpse of its future-generation, advanced, off-road driving technology.
In Moab, Utah, a team led by Neda Cvijetic, head of AI & autonomous driving at Stellantis, tested the latest prototypes of automated off-road driving technology being exclusively developed for the Jeep brand.
Installed in two electrified Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe models, this AI and autonomous off-road driving technology can enhance the experiences of seasoned off-roaders, as well of customers who are new to driving the trail. This technology will also help Jeep SUV owners in challenging everyday driving conditions. Jeep brand is at the forefront of developing automated off-road driving technology, alongside its growing leadership in off-road electrification with its expanding range of 4xe SUVs.
“In the same way that our 4xe electrification takes Jeep brand’s off-road capability to new heights, these advanced off-road driving systems will help more customers in more countries around world join and enjoy the adventure. These features and technology will have real-life applications on and off the trail in a wide range of driving conditions,” said Christian Meunier, Jeep brand CEO.
Jeep brand will release a full video showcasing the future generation of its advanced autonomous off-road driving technology this summer.
OxBotica Now Oxa
Oxbotica, the autonomous vehicle software developer, has today announced the company has changed its name to Oxa, effective immediately. The rebranding marks the next stage in the company’s growth, as the business prepares to scale in North America and Europe.
The new brand reflects the company’s global vision and go-to-market strategy for its suite of software and services that unlock the benefits of self-driving technology for customers today.
Oxa provides businesses with the tools they need to deploy autonomy in their operations safely, securely and efficiently. This includes the software driving the vehicles, proprietary generative AI tools that accelerate deployment with Oxa MetaDriver and cloud-based tools for fleet management with Oxa Hub. The company’s platform can be used today across multiple industries such as shared passenger transport, logistics, goods delivery, agriculture, energy and mining.
Gavin Jackson, CEO at Oxa said: “I am thrilled today to begin the next chapter of our business as Oxa. At a time where organisations are faced with pressing challenges posed by driver shortages, high operational costs, service limitations and net-zero targets, we have a unique opportunity in the market today. With our solutions, we can deliver the transformative benefits of autonomy to businesses now.”
Pioneer Power to e-Boost AVs
Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPSI) (“Pioneer”, “Pioneer Power” or the “Company”), a leader in the design, manufacture, service and integration of electrical power systems, distributed energy resources, power generation equipment and mobile electric vehicle (“EV”) charging solutions, announced that an autonomous driving division of a major global automaker has transacted for multiple e-Boost units to support the initial rollout of autonomous electric vehicles in several cities. Deliveries are expected to begin in September 2023 and be complete by the end of the current fiscal year.
“This represents another significant use-case for our e-Boost solution, facilitating a rapid rollout of autonomous electric vehicles in a flexible way,” commented Geo Murickan, head of Pioneer Power’s e-Mobility business. “The existing charging infrastructure cannot meet the current demand for these deployments, and adoption is accelerating rapidly. Pioneer Mobility is addressing this shortfall with the most innovative, flexible, and rapidly deployable solution for anytime, anywhere EV charging. We are thrilled to play a critical role in the growing adoption of smart, autonomous EV transportation options.”
“This order further evidences how e-Boost is evolving into the solution of choice for rapid, mobile fast charging independent of any grid connection,” added Nathan Mazurek, Pioneer Power’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We expect that our e-Boost product offering will contribute between 5 to 10% to Pioneer’s top-line during the current fiscal year and between 10 to 20% during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.”
MediaTek Partners with NVIDIA
MediaTek today announced a partnership with NVIDIA to deliver a complete range of in-vehicle AI cabin solutions for the next generation of software-defined vehicles. The collaboration combines the strength of each company’s automotive portfolios to deliver the most compelling solutions for state-of-the-art connected cars.
“NVIDIA is a world-renowned pioneer and industry leader in AI and computing. With this partnership, our collaborative vision is to provide a global one-stop shop for the automotive industry, designing the next generation of intelligent, always-connected vehicles,” said Rick Tsai, Vice Chairman and CEO of MediaTek. “Through this special collaboration with NVIDIA, we will together be able to offer a truly unique platform for the compute intensive, software-defined vehicle of the future.”
“AI and accelerated computing are fueling the transformation of the entire auto industry,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “The combination of MediaTek’s industry-leading SoC and NVIDIA’s GPU and AI software technologies will enable new user experiences, enhanced safety and new connected services for all vehicle segments, from luxury to mainstream.”
Through this collaboration, MediaTek will develop automotive SoCs integrating a new NVIDIA GPU chiplet with NVIDIA AI and graphics IP. Chiplets are connected by an ultra-fast and coherent chiplet interconnect technology.
MediaTek’s smart cabin solutions will run NVIDIA DRIVE OS, DRIVE IX, CUDA and TensorRT software technologies — delivering a full range of AI cabin and cockpit functions with cutting-edge graphics, AI, safety and security features.
MediaTek will work with NVIDIA to deliver automotive solutions that surpass the industry’s growing needs and demands while posing a significant market opportunity for the companies. According to Gartner®, the total addressable market for infotainment and instrument cluster SoCs used within vehicles will reach $12 billion in 2023.1
By tapping NVIDIA’s core expertise in AI, cloud, graphics technology and software, and pairing with NVIDIA ADAS solutions, MediaTek can bolster the capabilities of its comprehensive Dimensity Auto platform, which leverages the company’s expertise in mobile computing, high-speed connectivity, entertainment and extensive Android ecosystem, to deliver an all-around smarter in-vehicle experience.
Aurora Part of Russell Indexes
-Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUR) announced today that as part of the annual reconstitution of the Russell stock indexes, Aurora is expected to be included in the Russell 3000® Index effective after the U.S. market opens on June 26, 2023. A preliminary list of index additions, including Aurora Innovation, was posted by FTSE Russell on May 19, 2023.
“We are pleased to be included in the Russell 3000® Index, one of the most widely cited performance benchmarks for the U.S. stock market,” said Chris Urmson, Co-Founder and CEO at Aurora. “This milestone increases our global visibility, expands our investor base, and highlights the momentum in our path to commercial launch.”
The Russell 3000® Index encompasses the 3,000 largest U.S.-traded stocks and membership in the Russell 3000® Index means automatic inclusion in the large-cap Russell 1000® Index or small-cap Russell 2000® Index as well as in the appropriate growth and value style indexes. Membership in these indexes is updated annually and remains in place for one year.
The Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. Approximately $12.1 trillion in assets are benchmarked against Russell’s U.S. indexes. Russell indexes are part of FTSE Russell, a leading global index provider.
STRADVISION Opens Workshop
STRADVISION, an automotive industry pioneer in deep learning-based vision perception technology, has opened a new ‘Autonomous Driving Workshop’ in Dongtan, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, to strengthen vehicle object recognition technology.
STRADVISION has operated its development test center in Gyeongju, Korea, since its inception until recently. The newly expanded and relocated workshop in Dongtan has established a state-of-the-art test environment in a more spacious and comfortable space, enabling efficient solution development and effective promotion by significantly increasing the accessibility of global customers.
In particular, STRADVISION’s Autonomous Driving Workshop is located in the most significant industrial cluster in the Dongtan metropolitan area, where many high-tech industries and large corporations are settled. It is expected to create various collaborations geographically.
“To verify STRADVISION’s autonomous driving technology and materialize customer demos, we expanded and relocated the workshop to where it can perform cutting-edge work while expanding the test space,” said STRADVISION CEO Junhwan Kim. “Through this newly opened workshop, we will further strengthen the various functions of the SVNet solution while further accelerating the mass production project with practical technology verification for customers.”
Arbe at IWPC
Arbe Robotics Ltd. (NASDAQ: ARBE) a global leader in Perception Radar Solutions, announced its participation at the International WIreless Industry Consortium (IWPC) Automotive Sensor Architecture Conference, hosted by BMW. The conference will bring together prominent thought leaders, including representatives from BMW, Audi, Continental, Bosch, and others, to share their insights and advancements in the field.
Arbe’s Vice President of AI and Perception, Dr. Ben Rathaus, will deliver a presentation titled “Beyond Trivial and Cliché: The Significance of Imaging Radar in Sensor Fusion.” on June 1, 2023, at 13:00 CET. This presentation will describe the cutting-edge technology of radar-camera fusion and its potential to revolutionize environmental perception, enhancing safety in all driving conditions.
In an era where road safety is of paramount importance, Arbe’s session will showcase the company’s breakthrough in leveraging AI over imaging radar input to facilitate sensor fusion. Arbe’s advanced AI algorithms enable real-time fusion of radar and camera data, empowering vehicles with enhanced object detection and tracking capabilities at high speeds and long ranges. This innovative solution is designed to excel in detecting multiple objects to provide clear pathways on highways and in urban environments, ultimately making it truly safe for drivers and pedestrians alike.
“At Arbe, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of automotive sensor technology to enhance safety and efficiency on the road,” said Dr. Rathaus. “We are thrilled to share our latest breakthrough in radar-camera fusion and highlight its importance as a critical tool in making transportation safer. Our session will demonstrate how AI algorithms and imaging radar technology can work in synergy to transform the perception capabilities of autonomous driving.”
Arbe’s session at the IWPC Automotive Sensor Architecture Conference will include demonstrations. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge on the immense potential of radar-camera fusion and its role in shaping the future of transportation.
Keysight New AV Testing Simulator
Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) is expanding its award-winning portfolio of autonomous driving validation test solutions with the E8717A Lidar Target Simulator (LTS), which enables automakers and lidar sensor makers to test and validate lidar sensors for autonomous vehicles (AV).
Initially developed for use in meteorology and topography, lidar is now being adopted as an automotive sensing technology that enables AVs to “see” and safely navigate through complex driving scenarios. As with radar-based systems, lidar sensor makers must ensure lidar systems quickly and reliably detect objects, enabling advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to work correctly before they are commercially deployed. To properly test sensors, designers currently need large floor spaces and use traditional target boards. In addition, the industry is also faced with reducing sensor cost and scaling to mass production.
The Keysight LTS solution addresses these challenges by simulating test targets at defined distance and reflectivity with a compact and standardized bench setup. This solution is designed to simplify and accelerate the testing, validation, and production of automotive lidar sensors through standardization and automation.
The following benefits are provided by the Keysight LTS:
- Small footprint covering large distances – Compact bench setup saves test floor space by simulating target distances from 3 meters to 300 meters and simulating surface reflectivity from 10% to 94%.
- Insightful analytics improve sensor design and performance – Powerful testing software generates insightful analytics by sweeping target distance and reflectivity, enabling design and performance improvements.
- Automated software accelerates testing – The LTS test setup is fully automated using a cobot and powered by Keysight PathWave Test Executive for Manufacturing for test automation. While the cobot provides precise device movement for field of view testing, the automation software accelerates testing and throughput to support volume production.
Thomas Goetzl, Vice President and General Manager for Keysight’s Automotive & Energy Solutions, said: “Keysight sees an exciting role that lidar can play in enabling autonomous vehicles to navigate more accurately with an extra sensor that complements cameras and radars. With the market’s first cobot-assisted lidar target simulator with variable distance and reflectivity simulation, we are ready to support a volume roll out of lidar with a scalable manufacturing test solution.”