Daimler Trucks’ self-driving truck Cascadia is advancing LiDAR through a recent deal with Israel-based Innoviz Technologies. The deal involves Torc Robotics, a Daimler Trucks subsidiary, which plans to integrate Innoviz’s LiDAR technology into Freightliner’s new autonomous trucks and pair it with Torc’s virtual driver software.
As part of the announcement, the companies will collaborate on a joint development effort to advance the sensors needed for commercial transportation. Partnership with Daimler Trucks Innoviz’s previous disclosure indicated that a major commercial vehicle OEM has selected it for its Level 4 autonomous trucks.
This is part of Daimler Trucks’ broader strategy to bring self-driving trucks to market. The company is scheduled across major highways and regional routes in North America.
Developing a Level 4 autonomous truck—a truck that operates entirely without human presence—requires more steps than a typical Class 8 truck. Daimler Truck and Torc will use a combination of sensor technologies, including LiDAR, radar and camera systems to identify the vehicle’s surroundings regardless of weather and other conditions.
This approach is multi-layered and is used both for safety and for maneuvers such as turning at intersections or navigating a ramp. LiDAR technology uses lasers to produce a high-resolution 3D map of the environment. Safety requirements mean that these autonomous trucks use both long-range LiDAR to look ahead and short-range sensors to collect up-close data.
Innoviz is a short-range LiDAR partner. Daimler and Tork have already selected their supplier for the long-range LiDAR, the announcement said.
Daimler Trucks is one of the largest commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers in the world, with Daimler Truck North America having a combined market share of about 42 percent of all Class 8 trucks sold under the Freightliner and Western Star brands, according to a recent Daimler Investors presentation.
“This partnership with Daimler Truck and Torc demonstrates significant validation of our technology and position in the automated transportation market,” Innoviz CEO and co-founder Omar Kilef said in the announcement. “The transportation industry requires LiDAR sensors that can perform reliably in the most challenging conditions while providing the accuracy and range required for safe autonomous operation. Our InnovizTwo sensors have demonstrated compliance with these stringent requirements, and we are excited to support Daimler Truck and Torc in bringing this revolutionary technology to market.”
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