Japanese manufacturer Isuzu Motors has announced it is on the verge of collaborating with chipmaker Nvidia on self-driving technology, throwing their hat into the race to build autonomous trucks and other large commercial vehicles.
Working together to achieve better results on self-driving technology was driven by the apparent shortage of drivers who are able to handle trucks of varying sizes, according to the chipmaker. By improving the level of autonomous driving in trucks would also lead to safer and less congested roads, the company added.
At a recent trade event, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang expressed delight with the partnership, saying the vehicle manufacturer "can now work with us to build self-driving trucks for the long haul."
He also described the shortage in truck drivers as a growing crisis around the world, "not just here in Japan."
The looming collaboration between the firms leverages on the synergies each of the company brings to the table. Through Nvidia's Drive AV software stack and the Drive AGX platform, existing data collected by passenger vehicles will be processed and incorporated in future technologies which will be developed for Isuzu trucks.
At present, existing data from passenger cars could not be integrated into trucks given the disparity between the sizes of the vehicles. With bigger bodies and blind spots, trucks have to be fitted with more cameras and sensors at different parts of the vehicles, which will generate more information for the AI supercomputer responsible for self-driving.
The partnership is expected to produce that AI supercomputer that Isuzu can use in the commercial vehicles it manufactures ranging from light- to heavy-duty trucks.
In an interview, Satoshi Okuyama, executive officer of the Isuzu Engineering Division, explained that the Drive AGX platform improves the vehicle's 360-degree perception of its surroundings, as well as maintaining lanes and adapting cruise control features. The platform processes the data obtained from vehicle sensors using algorithms and applications in real time to achieve autonomous driving.
As developments in the projects move forward, the official expects the partnership to produce "highly automated and fully autonomous vehicles" that promotes safety of drivers.
"Working with Nvidia, we strive to achieve society's goal of zero accidents," said Okuyama.
According to Nvidia, Isuzu is among the innovative companies who have linked their system to the Nvidia Drive platform. Over 450 firms involved in the self-driving industry such as automakers, suppliers, sensor manufacturers, software developers, and mapping firms have joined the platform.
The growing community is a testament to the sustained push for autonomous driving, which has been touted as a means to make roads safer and travel more efficient, the chipmaker pointed out.
