Computer chip giant Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has been collaborating with Waymo, the driverless car company owned by Google parent Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL).
Intel-based technologies for sensor processing, general compute and connectivity were used in the Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans Waymo has been using since 2015 to test its self-driving system, the company known as Chipzilla said.
According to the Reuters news agency, it is the first time Waymo has owned up to using an outside agency’s technology.
Waymo's fleet to offer advanced processing power
The Waymo team said in a blog post that the Google/Waymo unit had been using Intel products since 2009.
Nearly 90% of car crashes are caused by human error, noted Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel Corporation.
“Self-driving technology can help prevent these errors by giving autonomous vehicles the capacity to learn from the collective experience of millions of cars – avoiding the mistakes of others and creating a safer driving environment,” Krzanich added.
“As Waymo’s self-driving technology becomes smarter and more capable, its high-performance hardware and software will require even more powerful and efficient compute,” he added.
By working closely with Waymo, Intel can offer Waymo’s fleet of vehicles the advanced processing power required for what is known as level 4 and 5 autonomy – the former being “high automation”, in which the vehicle will act appropriately in the event a driver does not respond to a request to intervene, while the latter is “full automation”.
Earlier this year, Intel made a massive US$15bn investment in Jerusalem-based technology outfit Mobileye, a specialist in vision-based advanced driver assistance systems, but the latest announcement confirms it has been eyeing this sector for some time.
Other chip makers, such as Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), are also investing heavily in the driverless car sector.