Originally published on newscredit.org
The autonomous vehicle sector has never been hotter than it is now. Recognizable names like Uber, Alphabet’s Waymo, and Tesla are significant players. Still, many smaller companies provide and advance the technologies used to make autonomous vehicles a reality. In this article, data-driven investor Daniel Calugar highlights some of the yet unsung heroes within the autonomous sector.
With a startup investment from Ford Motor Company, Argo AI is a self-driving technology platform company that develops and builds the software, hardware, maps, and cloud-support infrastructure to power self-driving vehicles. In addition, they partner with automakers to integrate their technology into cars to facilitate new ride-sharing and delivery services that don’t require the aid of a human driver.
Previously known as Delphi, Aptiv, a technology company, provides electrical, electronic, and safety technology solutions to the autonomous vehicle market. Aptiv partnered with Lyft to launch a Robo-taxi service in Las Vegas in 2018. Aptiv has autonomous driving operations in Boston, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, and Singapore. In addition, the company plans to expand its autonomous mobility center in Shanghai to focus on developing its technology.
Blackshark.ai is developing a photorealistic digital twin of our planet. Their platform uses AI and cloud computing to automatically convert satellite data and aerial photography into realistic simulation environments used for testing autonomous vehicles.
Designed to ensure safety, accuracy, scalability, and customization, DeepMap provides high-definition mapping solutions. They help enable the safest possible autonomous vehicle solutions by delivering the technology necessary for self-driving vehicles to navigate a complex and unpredictable environment.
Since early 2017, Apple has been testing self-driving vehicles on public roads in California. Then, in 2019, just as rumors circulated that they were getting out of the autonomous vehicle game, Apple purchased Drive.ai. Drive.ai is an American technology company that uses AI to make self-driving systems for cars. It has demonstrated a vehicle driving autonomously with a safety driver only in the passenger seat.
EasyMile provides software and complete solutions for driverless transportation. They partner with vehicle manufacturers to autonomize vehicles with ready-for-deployment technology built on safety-by-design concepts. Their EZ10 is the most deployed autonomous shuttle in the world. In addition, they offer a supply chain material handling tow-truck solution named TractEasy.
Established by Yamaha Motor Company, eve autonomy, Inc., makes smart factory autonomous vehicles. Focused on work efficiency and cost reduction, the company develops and sells self-driving vehicles, such as forklifts and industrial trolley carts.
Delivery from restaurants and stores by autonomous vehicles provides a convenient solution for the ever-popular home delivery market. US startup Nuro combines robotics and artificial intelligence, enabling a car to understand traffic lights and identify people and vehicles in multiple traffic conditions. Users order from a Nuro partner such as Dominos Pizza, Kroger, or Walmart and select autonomous home delivery. An app on their phone will let them know when the Nuro vehicle has arrived.
The US-based startup Tangram Vision concentrates on enhancing sensor reliability for vision-enabled systems and devices. Their SDK works whether or not a vehicle or robot is connected to the web. In addition, a zero-copy approach assures little or no impact on system latency, and this design leaves onboard compute resources free for other tasks.
It’s an exciting time for the autonomous vehicle sector. New technologies, along with the financial backing of tech’s mammoth titans, are sure to net rapid advancements.