Innoviz Technologies and the BMW Group are expanding their collaboration by starting a B-sample development phase on a new generation of LiDAR. Under the new development agreement, following BMW requirements, Innoviz will develop these B-Samples based on its second generation InnovizTwo LiDAR sensor.
After a couple of years working together on an existing program that will include the first deployment of LiDAR-enabled highly automated technology on the BMW 7 Series later this year, the BMW Group and Innoviz are beginning to focus on the next-generation of the technology by starting this first B-sample phase. The result of this first phase will enable the BMW Group to decide on a serial development agreement with Innoviz that will focus on bringing a new array of advanced automated capabilities to a broader range of the BMW lineup.
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“LiDAR is one of the critical technologies underpinning Level 3 or even higher automated functions.Optimizing LiDAR technologies and costs are the major challenges in order to bring Level 3 highly automated driving into the mainstream,” said Nicolai Martin, SVP Driving Experience BMW Group. “We are very pleased to have Innoviz develop the first B-Samples of this new LiDAR generation and hope that the results of the B-Sample phase create a basis for a possible future extension of our collaboration.”
“From our work with the BMW Group over the past several years, we know that they operate with some of the highest standards in the automotive industry,” said Omer Keilaf, Innoviz Co-Founder and CEO. “We are excited to begin this new project on the second-generation LiDAR solution by working on the B-samples.BMW is at the forefront of ADAS technology, and we could not be more thrilled to have an opportunity to become an integral part of the next stage of its journey.”
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In addition to the LiDAR solution for the 7 Series, the BMW Group and Innoviz have started this first phase to develop an expected first-ever LiDAR based Minimal Risk Maneuver (MRM) system in the future. The MRM acts as a secondary safety driving decision platform that will leverage the advanced performance, reliability, and resiliency of the InnovizTwo LiDAR to manage real-time driving decisions.
The MRM system is part of a growing software suite from Innoviz that will also include its next-generation perception software. With roughly half of its research and development investment focused on software development, Innoviz has made rapid advances in deploying artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced machine learning to accelerate development and upgrade cycles of its software suite and to expand its core software capabilities.
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