Computer chip manufacturer Nvidia are famous for making some of the worlds best GPUs and graphics cards. Now though, they seem to be teaming up with Chinese company Baidu, to get a slice of the self-drive cake.
A lot of push has been made in this sector of late, with the development of both hybrid and fully electric vehicles, as well as world mapping technology, companies like Ford, Google and Tesla have bolstered their efforts to produce a FULLY autonomous car. So far Tesla are the closest, it would seem, as they already have an autopilot system on their Model X. However, this is currently being marketed as a ‘drive assist’ feature after the possibility that it is to blame for two dearths in the states, as well as saving one man; driving him to hospital after suffering a pulmonary embolism.
So, could Nvidia and Baidu be the first? The two companies have partnered to develop the system as well as a vehicle prototype. Although the aim, it would seem, is for the then complete system to be sold on to car manufacturers for their own vehicles, as many are crying out for something compact with low power consumption. So far Nvidia have given a glimpse of it’s Drive PX 2 as well as brandishing a demo at a press conference, showcasing the system’s ability to detect and compute traffic and road maps in real time, whilst installed on a regular, human-driven car. However, much more work is needed for this system and many others, as the idea grows more and more realistic and is constantly scrutinised under a distrustful public eye.