Mercedes Joins Forces with Nvidia on Automotive Supercomputer Development
Mercedes-Benz had been working with BMW, but the companies ended that partnership earlier this week.
Mercedes-Benz is looking to leap to the head of the computer technology class in the next few years. To achieve this, the company has teamed up with Nvidia, a company that is best known for its high end computer graphics cards. Using Nvidia’s processing experience, along with their Orin system-on-a-chip and their Drive AGX software stack, Mercedes plans to roll out advanced computing features by 2024. This includes over-the-air software updates, autonomous driving, driverless parking and more.
“By downloading new functions and upgrades from the cloud, we want to continuously bring the system up to date, thereby increasing the value of the vehicle,” said Daimler CEO Ola Källenius in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 23, according to The Verge.
Mercedes-Benz and Nvidia
Back in 2019, Mercedes-Benz began working with BMW to develop a shared autonomous driving system, but that partnership was shelved earlier this week. Allegedly, the joint effort between Daimler and BMW would have caused a delay in the system being installed in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. On the other hand, the work with Nvidia should take less time, allowing Mercedes to integrate this technology into their vehicles sooner. The automaker expects to begin rolling out this new system for the 2024 model year.
The basis for this project is the Nvidia Orin system-on-a-chip technology, which was introduced at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show back in December. This system was execute up to 200 trillion operations per second, allowing the automaker to control every system in the vehicle simultaneously, should the need arise. The Nvidia Orin system will be paired with the company’s Drive AGX software stack, allowing for an array of autonomous functions.
In speaking with The Verge, Guidehouse principal analyst Sam Abuelsamid sees the advantages of Daimler working with Nvidia rather than with BMW. “I suspect that the two automakers couldn’t agree on a platform to use and right now, Orin looks like a much more powerful solution than anything coming from Intel/Mobileye.”
For those unaware, BMW is working with Intel and Mobileye to develop their autonomous driving program, along with Fiat Chrysler. In branching out on their own, Mercedes could beat BMW to market with many of the same features, thanks to the experience of Nvidia.
Over-The-Air Updates
One of the key features of the technology being developed by Mercedes-Benz and Nvidia is the ability to run over-the-air updates to the various vehicle systems. Tesla was the first company to offer such a feature and they made the most of it, offering updates to the autonomous driving system, vehicle range and infotainment functions. General Motors was the first mainstream automaker to introduce similar technology and Ford is preparing to use OTA updates for 2020 and 2021 model year vehicles. FCA also uses OTA updates for the UConnect infotainment system.
Introducing OTA updates helps to ensure that the latest version of every system is in place, all without asking owners to return to the dealership for a connected update. Basically, it removes the need for the owner to do anything in order to update the various systems, whether the updates focus on new navigation maps or tweaks to an autonomous driving program.
However, this joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Nvidia is far more than just smoother system updates.
On-The-Road Features
While there are likely to be other functions incorporated into the technology being developed between Daimler and Nvidia, there are a handful of key features that will come with this system. Most notably, the Nvidia Drive software stack will support autonomous driving, similar to the Tesla Autopilot and Cadillac Super Cruise systems. Along the same lines, the Nvidia system is expected to offer something similar to Tesla’s Smart Summon, which allows the driver to call their car to come to them via a smartphone.
Also, there are advanced safety features that will be incorporated into the new Mercedes-Benz technology. For example, the Nvidia Drive system can monitor the eye and head movement of the driver to detect if he or she is falling asleep at the wheel. When the system sees signs of a drowsy driver, the vehicle can engage audio, visual or haptic notifications to wake the driver up. The system also monitors the area around the car, so if you park your Mercedes-Benz on the street and there is a bicyclist speeding up on the driver’s side, the system will prevent the driver from opening the door until the bicycle has passed. Of course, this system also watches for pedestrians and vehicular traffic, making the situation safer for everyone in the area.
Again, Mercedes-Benz plans to begin rolling out this new technology in or around 2024, but if nothing else, we would expect that Daimler will work hard to get their system on the market ahead of BMW.
Mercedes-Benz Media Images
