BMW Closes in on Level 3 Autonomy
BMW’s commitment to LiDAR sensors could see it achieve the Level 3 autonomous driving capability which Tesla aspires to but has yet to reach.
The German car giant is partnering with Innoviz Technologies to develop the capability of LiDAR sensors, technology that Tesla does not use and which founder Elon Musk has scorned.
The results of BMW’s partnership with Innoviz will reach the market later this year in the next BMW 7 series vehicles.
The two companies are focusing on second-generation LiDAR technology with a B-sample phase, the stage of vehicle testing where the sample is incorporated into demo vehicles.
While considered expensive, LiDAR can detect objects on the road regardless of weather or lighting conditions, delivering higher levels of safety than other autonomous driving technologies.
While recognizing the cost challenges, BMW believes that improving LiDAR technology is the right path to bring automated driving to the mainstream.
The first phase results will determine whether the BMW Group will move forward with Innoviz to bring advanced automated capabilities to a broader range of vehicles in the BMW lineup.
"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," said Nicolai Martin, senior vice president of driving experience at BMW Group.
“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."
Level 3 autonomy is where the vehicle can perform dynamic driving without human intervention.
Tesla's Autopilot (for highways) and Full Self-Driving (for regular roads) are at Level 2.
Elon Musk has been quoted as saying that “anyone relying on LiDAR is doomed.”
Image credit: iStockphoto/schulzie
