Hesai Technology, Outsight, and Embotech have announced a strategic collaboration that will deliver LiDAR technology and perception software for Embotech’s AVM technology deployed in BMW facilities. Internally at BMW, this deployment is known as Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW). Through their collaboration, the companies are seeking to unite industry leaders in autonomous driving solutions and sensing technologies.
Embotech is the provider for AFW’s series operation and global rollout. Outsight plays a key role in Embotech’s AVM solution with its advanced LiDAR software platform that tracks the ego-vehicle (which contains the sensors) as well as its surrounding obstacles within BMW’s production facilities. Within the partnership, Hesai will supply its LiDAR sensors that will act as the ‘eyes’ of the AVM system.
This AVM technology, initially implemented for the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series in Dingolfing, is now also being utilized for the Mini Countryman and other BMW models at the OEM’s factory in Leipzig. At Dingolfing, new vehicles are driven fully autonomously over a route exceeding one kilometer (more than half a mile), starting at the assembly halls, and going through the “short test course,” before proceeding to the finishing area.
Once the cars leave the production line, the factory establishes a secure connection to them, controlling their movement through the quality assurance test drive. The companies, together, say that this approach eliminates the need to transport human workers back to the production line after each car has reached its final parking destination.
This latest collaboration between these companies marks the latest step in a longer-term partnership through which they are aiming to jointly advance LiDAR and perception solutions for autonomous driving. Here, the collaboration builds upon their respective experiences to facilitate this mission and provide technologies for AVM, which itself is safety rated, fulfilling key performance and availability requirements.
Today, the integrated solution is actively supporting the marshalling of newly manufactured vehicles through various stages of the production and logistics process in three BMW facilities. In the future, BMW envisions the technology operating at many of its plants across Europe and North America, with this deployment marking the initial phase in a planned global rollout.
