Digital Trends
Cars

Tesla beefs up semi-autonomous suite with Nvidia’s parallel computing platform

Bruce Brown
By —

tesla nvidia cuda gpu computer vision
It appears that Tesla and Nvidia are taking huge steps forward together in building the next version of Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving system. The new Tesla Vision incorporates Nvidia’s CUDA parallel computing platform, according to Electrek.

Tesla previously used a vision system from Mobileye for its Autopilot semi-autonomous platform. That relationship ended in terms of ongoing development during the summer, following a widely publicized fatality in a Tesla S when neither the Autopilot system nor the human driver noticed a truck crossing the road from the left.

At the time the split with Mobileye was announced, many assumed Tesla would develop its own vision system. CEO Elon Musk believes in bringing component development, manufacturing, and control in-house whenever practical and profitable, so creating its own Vision component made sense.

Now the story is, according to Electrek sources close to the Tesla Vision program, that rather than developing a vision module system on a chip (SoC), vehicle autonomous features will be supported by a full parallel computing platform based on Nvidia’s CUDA platform. Tesla has not confirmed or announced details about the system, but it sounds like Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) will be used to process the many images captured by the Tesla’s growing suite of sensors, cameras, and radar.

Incorporating more Nvidia components in Tesla’s Autopilot hardware makes sense for several reasons. Tesla already uses Nvidia processors in media control units and instrument clusters for the Model S and X.  Even more strategic are Nvidia’s several autonomous and semi-autonomous driving platforms. The latest, the Nvidia Drive PXd 2 is a liquid-cooled, 12-core platform with a Pascal GPU. Referred to as the “World’s First AI Supercomputer for Self-Driving Cars,” the PX 2 is sufficient to fully support a Level 4 self-driving car. Level 4 refers to a vehicle that is capable of driving by itself with no human intervention under some conditions.

Another factor in the Nvidia Tesla alliance may be the fact that Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang is a huge Tesla fan, owning several Tesla models himself.

Editors' Recommendations

Don't Miss

2020 Toyota Supra caught hiding in a trailer without a shred of camouflage
Up Next

Tired of Clinton and Trump? How to block political posts on Facebook
columbus mayor talks progress in smart city goals circuit 5
Features

Has Columbus, Ohio raised its IQ yet? A progress report from the mayor

Two years ago, the city of Columbus in Ohio received $40 million to pursue smart city initiatives. So, what’s happened since then? We spoke with its mayor, Andrew Ginther, to discuss progress and what’s ahead.
Posted — By John R. Quain
Bosch IOT shuttle official images
Cars

Bosch’s CES-bound shuttle concept takes us on a trip to a not-too-distant future

Bosch envisions a future in which driverless shuttles occupy their own market segment. The German firm won't build the shuttles, but it wants to provide everything else, ranging from the drive system to the apps used to hail them.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
Hyundai Nexo
Cars

Allegro.ai is helping Hyundai mine the artificial intelligence gold rush

In November 2018, Hyundai invested in a startup named Allegro.ai. We talked to the company's founder to learn more about what that means for consumers in the not-too-distant futures.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
tesla pickup truck sketch size details performance unveiling
Cars

Tesla could show the electric pickup Elon Musk is dying to build in 2019

Tesla has started designing its long-promised pickup truck. The yet-unnamed model will come with dual-motor all-wheel drive and lots of torque, plus it will be able to park itself.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
Pininfarina Battista teaser
Cars

Pininfarina Battista is a 1,900-horsepower, 250-mph electric supercar

The Pininfarina Battista will be the first production car from famed Italian design firm Pininfarina. Named after company founder Battista Pininfarina, it has a claimed 1,900 horsepower and a $2.5 million price tag.
Posted — By Stephen Edelstein
automated car parking robot valet garage avsrs interior of system
Emerging Tech

With this robotic garage, retrieving your car is like using a vending machine

Remembering where we parked our cars can be a real pain. But what if our cars came to find us, rather than the other way around? A new automated robot parking valet system aims to help.
Posted — By Luke Dormehl
uber settles driver background check case man driving in car the city ride share lyft getaround zipcar
Cars

NYC mandates minimum wage for Uber, Lyft, other app-based rideshare drivers

New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission approved a rule that drivers for companies such as Uber and Lyft must be paid at least minimum wage, even though they are independent contractors. The new pay rate includes operating costs.
Posted — By Bruce Brown
2018 Chevrolet Cruze Hatch Diesel review
Cars

Thinking of opting for a car with a diesel engine? Here's what you need to know

Modern diesel-powered models prove that it is possible to build a clean, efficient diesel engine without sacrificing performance. Here's what you need to know about diesel cars, and how they differ from gasoline-powered models.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
Best Products 2018
Cars

Best Products of 2018

Our reception desk has so many brown boxes stacked up, it looks like a loading dock. We’re on a first-name basis with the UPS guy. We get new dishwashers more frequently than most people get new shoes. What we’re trying to say is: We…
Posted — By Digital Trends Staff
best cars for the snow volvo v90 header
Cars

These winter-warrior cars will never leave you out in the cold

Snow can be an absolute pain if your vehicle isn't optimized to handle that sort of terrain. If brutal snowstorms are an annual part of your life, we recommend you pick up one of these winter-ready vehicles.
Posted — By Stephen Edelstein
Toyota Supra MKV leak
Cars

2020 Toyota Supra caught hiding in a trailer without a shred of camouflage

Toyota's plan to once again lure enthusiasts into showrooms involves bringing back the Supra, one of its most emblematic nameplates. Here's what we know so far about the upcoming coupe, which Toyota is developing jointly with BMW.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
local motors olli driverless bus at phoenix lm 2
Cars

LM Industries’ autonomous shuttles head to Phoenix, Sacramento campuses

LM Industries will deploy Olli low-speed autonomous shuttles at school campuses in Arizona and California as part of its ongoing "fleet challenge," which asks local groups to propose uses for autonomous vehicles.
Posted — By Stephen Edelstein
lidar tech knoxville ice roads snowy road
Emerging Tech

A lidar-equipped truck knows exactly how much de-icer to apply on roads

Lidar is best known as the laser-based technology that helps self-driving cars sense their surroundings. But the city of Knoxville has another, more seasonal use for it: De-icing roads.
Posted — By Luke Dormehl
2020 Volkswagen Passat
Cars

Driving a prototype 2020 Passat at Volkswagen’s Arizona Proving Ground

Volkswagen’s Arizona Proving Ground is where new cars are tested to the breaking point, including the 2020 Passat midsize sedan. Ride along as the new Passat completes testing ahead of its 2019 launch.
Posted — By Stephen Edelstein