Volvo, Mercedes-Benz separately expand NVIDIA partnership for automated driving
Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have separately expanded their partnerships with NVIDIA to advance automated driving, according to press releases from both automakers.
The automakers will be provided with NVIDIA’s Hyperion in-vehicle computing and sensor architecture through the partnerships. They will also have access to NVIDIA’s Alpamayo Stack for full-stack driving software and AI reasoning capabilities.
Volvo says it will combine its industry-leading vehicle safety systems and engineering expertise with NVIDIA’s technologies. It will enable future Volvo cars to safely navigate complex real-world environments from door to door. This will include everything from highways and busy urban streets to parking scenarios.
The automaker will also use NVIDIA’s Halo operating system.
“Volvo has been synonymous with car safety for almost 100 years,” said Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo Cars president and CEO, in the release. “By working with NVIDIA, we bring together two distinct strengths: industry-leading safety knowledge and world-class AI technology. That combination gives us a unique opportunity to create safer and more attractive cars for our customers.”
Jensen Huang, NVIDIA founder and CEO, said that accelerated computing has transformed the car into an intelligent machine.
“Volvo has spent nearly a century protecting people on the road,” Huang said. “Together, we’re combining Volvo’s extraordinary vehicle safety systems with NVIDIA Hyperion and Halos to build a new generation of cars that make driving safer and more effortless.”
The automaker plans to debut the technology in a next-generation car.
Volvo and NVIDIA have been working together since 2017.
Mercedes-Benz says its partnership with NVIDIA brings together the automaker’s engineering and safety expertise with its MB.OS operating system.
The automaker’s operating system supports new driving functions and over-the-air updates, the release states. It adds that with NVIDIA’s technologies, the system can support point-to-point urban assistance, active safety, and automated parking.
NVIDIA’s Halos builds on the Mercedes-Benz safety foundation, including a parallel safety stack that adds redundancy and guardrails, the release adds. Together, the technologies support advanced driver assistance and the development of future SAE-Level 4 applications, including robolimousines.
“NVIDIA is our most important strategic partner in automated driving,” said Jörg Burzer, Mercedes Board of Management member and Development and Procurement chief technology officer, in the release. “Together, we developed the first Mercedes-Benz assistance system for urban point-to-point driving for the Western world. The expansion of our partnership marks a significant milestone and reflects the mutual trust we have built over the years. Together, we aim to bring further pioneering innovations to the road, offering our customers the best automated driving experience while upholding the high safety standards they expect from a Mercedes-Benz.”
Ali Kani, NVIDIA president of automotive, said, “Mercedes-Benz brings the engineering excellence and commitment to safety this transformation demands. Together, we’re building on NVIDIA Hyperion to bring that intelligence and full-stack safety to the road and make autonomous driving an everyday reality.”
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Feature Image of Volvo and NVIDIA respresentatives courtesy of Volvo.