Intel’s autonomous driving unit Mobileye signed a deal to supply 8 million cars that’ll be equipped with autonomous technologies to a European automaker. Financial details and the automaker’s name have been kept anonymous.
This deal marks the intended acceleration of carmakers and suppliers in introducing automated driving tasks like emergency braking and highway driving to generate revenue. The complete deployment of the technologies across the markets is still in a developing stage and will take years to accomplish now.
Intel has targeted 2021 to come up with the upgraded EyeQ5 chip that’s designed for fully autonomous driving. Only then will the tests begin on advanced assisted systems. The present EyeQ4 will be rolled out in the coming weeks, as said by Erez Degan, Senior VP, advanced development and strategy, Mobileye.
The coming future will see the automakers’ car models having conditional and partial automation, where the drivers will require staying alert. As for providing brains and eyes for the automated systems, Nvidia and several other chips and machine vision manufacturers are in the race with Intel’s Mobileye.
Mobileye was bought by Intel last year for $15.3 billion, with the former presently enjoying a market share of over 70%. The market entails about 27 million cars on the road from 25 automakers equipped with driver-assisted systems.
By the end of 2019, we expect over 100,000 Level 3 cars with Mobileye installed. – Amnon Shashua, the boss of Mobileye
Level 3 gives drivers 10 seconds to take over in case the car’s self-driving system fails to continue. The Level 3 technology is set to start rolling out by the next year, and Mobileye is working with many automakers to make it a success. These automakers include the likes of BMW, Audi, Honda, Nissan, Nio, Fiat Chrysler, and more.
Israel-based Mobileye is also testing the Level 4 technology in Ford Fusion hybrids at its headquarters in Jerusalem. Each model has 12 small cameras mounted along with four EyeQ4 chips in the trunk. As observed by Reuters reporters, the cars can ‘drive on Jerusalem highways in midday traffic with no driver interference.’
The Level 4 systems will begin being marketed in 2021, but Mobileye adds that many of its technologies will soon be purchasable by consumers. Shashua stated that self-driving taxis, called Robo-taxis, are to be on the road by 2021.
Stay tuned to be updated regarding Mobileye’s works and the fast-growing developmental aspects of the autonomous industry.
