Mercedes-Benz and Nvidia announced Tuesday plans to jointly develop a modular and upgradable computing system to support evolving self-driving technology in cars.
The announcement follows last week's news that Mercedes and BMW had ended a partnership in the area of self-driving technology.
Mercedes' new partnership with Nvidia will see the two firms develop a computing system supporting artificial intelligence and self-driving technology. The system is to be rolled out across Mercedes' fleet starting in 2024.
The computing system will be built with Nvidia's next-generation hardware known as Orin. Mercedes said the system will initially offer Level 2 and Level 3 self-driving capability and Level 4 self-parking capability, based on the SAE scale of self-driving capability.
According to Mercedes, one feature will be the ability for the car to learn how to drive itself along regular routes, regardless of the road type, i.e. from one address to another. Mercedes and Nvidia will work together on developing these capabilities, and eventually Level 4 and Level 5 self-driving capability. Level 5 is the stage where cars can operate without a human on board.
As the technology and regulatory environment advances to support more capable self-driving systems, owners will be able to upgrade their cars through over-the-air updates, similar to what Tesla already offers. Other safety features as well as convenience features will also be made available via over-the-air updates, Mercedes said.
