In a recent post, I described how Intel subsidiary, Mobileye, showcased a self-driving vehicle equipped with only cameras traversing the streets of Jerusalem during CES this year. Is Mobileye about to take on Waymo in the rotbotaxi service game? Mobileye’s CEO, Annan Shashua, seems to suggest this in recent interviews. This is very intriguing given that Mobileye generated almost $1 billion in sales by essentially being an automotive supplier of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) to global automakers. With Mobileye ADAS deployed on over 40 million vehicles, it’s being reported that the company has also struck deals with some automakers allowing Mobileye to access ADAS data from certain vehicles in what Mobileye describes as Level 2+ systems (L2+). Evidently L2+ Uses AI and deep learning to build high-definition maps which many automakers are using to deploy Level 2 self-driving systems (like GM with Super Cruise). It seems that Mobileye is automating the process of developing these maps by accessing data from vehicles already on the road equipped with Mobileye ADAS. This information, together with Mobileye’s Jerusalem self-driving vehicle showcase suggests the robotaxi service industry might soon have a new entrant.
Intel’s Mobileye, Entering the Robotaxi Service Business?
