More consolidation is happening in the autonomous vehicle market as Torc Robotics, a division of Daimler Truck AG, has signed an agreement to acquire Algolux, a maker of intellectual property perception software.
Under the deal, Algolux’s end-to-end machine learning and computer vision software — from photons to behavior — will be combined with Torc’s autonomous technology. The integrated truck platform will then be brought to market in a commercial, safety-critical long-haul trucking application at scale, Torc said.
Torc had previously been working with Algolux for more than a year on multiple perception concepts and methods such as
- Object detection
- Distance estimation
- Visibility conditions such as low light, fog or inclement weather
Algolux’s software is currently operating on Torc’s Freightliner Cascadia test autonomous trucks in the U.S. as well as in areas of Torc’s software development efforts.
Why it matters
The autonomous vehicle market has been in chaos lately. In the passenger vehicle market, companies have backed off from pushing for Level 4 or Level 5 full autonomy.
This may be a result of numerous fears among the public regarding autonomous driving but may also be due to issues being able to implement the technology safely.
Argo Ai closed its doors after Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen removed their support for the autonomous joint venture. Stellantis N.V. also plans to acquire aiMotive, a maker of autonomous software. And Mercedes-Benz brought plans for SAE Level 3 autonomous capabilities to the U.S. in standard production vehicles.
Autonomous trucks have not been immune.
Just this month, Embark Technology said it was laying off 70% of its employees and shutting down many offices. The company may shutter completely.
U.S. autonomous vehicle outfit Locomation last month laid off most of its staff and is winding down operations.
