Qualcomm, BMW, and Arriver Partner to Develop Driverless Vehicle Technology
The three companies signed an agreement to work together to create a scalable automated driving platform.
More than 1,400 employees worldwide are working together under a new agreement devised by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., BMW Group, and Arriver Software to develop a scalable autonomous driving platform.
The cooperation combines BMW’s autonomous driving (AD) technology, Arriver’s Vision Perception and New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) policy products, and Qualcomm’s chips, the companies said.
A common goal
They will focus on SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), SAE Level 3 automated driving functionalities, and NCAP solutions.
The companies will build on top of BMW’s automated driving technology stack, which it launched in 2021 with the release of the BMW iX.
The global ADAS market could experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.2% between 2022 and 2030, reaching $58.7 billion (U.S.), projected Grand View Research Inc.
In November 2021, the partners announced that BMW’s next generation Automated Driving System will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon’s Ride Vision system on chip (SoC). San Diego, Calif-based Qualcomm launched its Snapdragon Ride platform in 2020.
The Snapdragon Ride Vision SoC includes Arriver Computer Vision and controllers managed by Car-to-Cloud Services platform.
Arriver’s software is integrated with ADAS software developed by its parent company, Veoneer, a Stockholm-based automotive technology company.
The companies said the efforts will focus on creating a scalable platform for automated driving based on a common reference architecture, sensor-set specifications, and safety requirements.
A key milestone
“This joint software development is an important milestone for the BMW Group with regards to our next generation Automated Driving platform,” said Nicolai Martin, senior vice president of driving experience at BMW Group. “To enable sophisticated and safe functionalities in a vehicle, you need state-of-the art software in all components of the digital value chain. This forms the backbone for intelligent driver-assistance systems.”
In 2021, the BMW Group sold over 2.5 million passenger vehicles and more than 194,000 motorcycles worldwide. Munich-based BMW's production network includes 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company said it has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
“Building on already commercialized stack components from BMW Group and Arriver, this cooperation will position us to extend BMW Automated Drive software to the Snapdragon Ride platform and expand the accessibility of safer self-driving technologies to other automakers and Tier 1 suppliers in an open, flexible, and scalable deployment framework,” said Nakul Duggal, senior vice president and general automotive manager at Qualcomm.
He added the partnership will “create significant economies of scale and time-to-market benefits.”
“Joining forces with Qualcomm Technologies and BMW Group, Arriver’s team will co-develop the next generation of open and scalable Drive Policy with world-class feature solutions and performance,” said Giuseppe Rosso, president and managing director of Arriver. “This co-developed product will be offered to our customers globally.”
