For all intents and purposes, Tesla is the automaker that brought electric vehicles to the forefront of the industry. But now that the mainstream brands caught wind of this trend, most automakers are looking forward to the next big in-thing: autonomous driving.
Tesla already produces electric vehicles fitted with SAE Level 5 autonomous driving hardware, but there’s still lots of work to be done in terms of software before the Palo Alto-based company sets the self-driving system online. Ford, on the other hand, is committed to launch an SAE level 4-capable car in the short run.
Intended for commercial application in mobility services, the yet-unnamed Ford self-driving vehicle is expected to be operational by 2021. To make it happen, the Blue Oval announced that it'll invest a mind-boggling $1 billion during the next five years in a Pittsburgh-based artificial intelligence company named Argo AI.
Bryan Salesky and Peter Rander, who used to work for Google and Uber, are the people being Argo AI. Both are alumni of the Carnegie Mellon National Robotics Engineering Center. As per the Ford Motor Company, the main task of Argo AI is to help the Dearborn-based automaker perfect machine-learning software with robotics expertise. It’s a tough task, but it’s not impossible.
“We are at an inflection point in using artificial intelligence in a wide range of applications, and the successful deployment of self-driving cars will fundamentally change how people and goods move,” said Argo AI head honcho Bryan Salesky. “We are energized by Ford’s commitment and vision for the future of mobility, and we believe this partnership will enable self-driving cars to be commercialized and deployed at scale to extend affordable mobility to all.”
When Argo AI and Ford are done developing the SAE Level 4-capable self-driving vehicle, Ford Smart Mobility LLC will step into the limelight by leading on the commercialization strategy. In the long rung, the Blue Oval intends to adapt self-driving vehicles for areas that include ride sharing, ride hailing, and package delivery.
Intended for commercial application in mobility services, the yet-unnamed Ford self-driving vehicle is expected to be operational by 2021. To make it happen, the Blue Oval announced that it'll invest a mind-boggling $1 billion during the next five years in a Pittsburgh-based artificial intelligence company named Argo AI.
Bryan Salesky and Peter Rander, who used to work for Google and Uber, are the people being Argo AI. Both are alumni of the Carnegie Mellon National Robotics Engineering Center. As per the Ford Motor Company, the main task of Argo AI is to help the Dearborn-based automaker perfect machine-learning software with robotics expertise. It’s a tough task, but it’s not impossible.
“We are at an inflection point in using artificial intelligence in a wide range of applications, and the successful deployment of self-driving cars will fundamentally change how people and goods move,” said Argo AI head honcho Bryan Salesky. “We are energized by Ford’s commitment and vision for the future of mobility, and we believe this partnership will enable self-driving cars to be commercialized and deployed at scale to extend affordable mobility to all.”
When Argo AI and Ford are done developing the SAE Level 4-capable self-driving vehicle, Ford Smart Mobility LLC will step into the limelight by leading on the commercialization strategy. In the long rung, the Blue Oval intends to adapt self-driving vehicles for areas that include ride sharing, ride hailing, and package delivery.