Volkswagen and Uber to use Nvidia’s AI platform to develop self-driving technology

Nvidia, one of the renowned gaming electronic microchips manufacturers has announced partnerships with Uber and Volkswagen, at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018. Uber will implement Nvidia’s AI technology in the development of its self-driving fleet, while Volkswagen will use Nvidia’s Drive IX platform to make its future generation of cars more intelligent and safe.

Autonomous driving technologies use various types of sensors, cameras, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and Radar systems which collect huge amounts of data in real-time. Hence, the computing demands of self-driving vehicles are very high compared to any present day modern car. This is where companies like Nvidia which have been developing and working on AI technology for years come-in.

Head of Uber Advanced Technologies group, Eric Meyhofer said, “Developing safe, reliable autonomous vehicles requires sophisticated AI software and a high-performance GPU computing engine in the vehicle. Nvidia is a key technology provider to Uber as we bring scalable self-driving cars and trucks to market.”

On similar lines, Volkswagen will be implementing the Nvidia Drive IX platform in the I.D. concept family of cars. The Drive IX platform is a software development kit which can be used in various AI-enabled applications such as facial recognition, gesture recognition, voice control and analyse surroundings. The system software can be updated in future and can gain new features as further advancements will be made in autonomous driving.

Vollkswagen CEO, Herbert Diess, said, “Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the car. Autonomous driving, zero-emission mobility and digital networking are virtually impossible without advances in AI and deep learning. Combining the imagination of Volkswagen with Nvidia, the leader in AI technology, enables us to take a big step into the future.”