NuPort Robotics selects Nvidia Drive platform for autonomous trucks
NuPort Robotics, a Canada-based autonomous trucking company, has selected the Nvidia Drive platform to power its middle-mile semi-truck transportation solutions, which will be capable of safely operating in all weather conditions.
NuPort is defining next-generation transportation solutions for the Canadian trucking industry. Using state-of-the-art technology and a unique approach, NuPort is poised to change the middle-mile logistics.
NuPort will leverage the centralized compute capabilities of the Nvidia Drive platform-which is scalable to Level 4 autonomy-for processing a wide array of deep neural networks (DNNs) necessary for autonomous trucks to operate safely under various weather conditions.
The company plans to develop upcoming generations of its autonomous trucking platform on Nvidia Drive Orin, which is capable of more than 250 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
NuPort is also leveraging Nvidia Drive OS and DriveWorks software for open and easily scalable autonomous development.
Raghavender Sahdev, CEO of NuPort Robotics, says: “The Nvidia Drive platform allows us to have a reliable and consolidated AI computing system in the vehicle, which significantly reduces our technology development timelines and allows us to bring our solution to the market faster.”
Rishi Dhall, vice president of autonomous vehicles, Nvidia, says: “Autonomous trucks need to safely operate in all kinds of environments – including Canada’s sometimes harsh and dangerous weather conditions.
“Selecting the Nvidia Drive platform gives NuPort the scalable computational horsepower to design and test sophisticated AI essential for safe autonomous trucks.”
Nvidia Drive provides support for different sensors, including lidars, radars, cameras, and GPS, all on a centralized computing platform. This is the foundation on which NuPort builds its AI algorithms.
The DriveWorks SDK provides access to different built-in APIs for sensor integration. This enables NuPort to run their AI algorithms in real-time on a single in-vehicle computer.
Earlier this year, NuPort, together with Canadian Tire, a leading Canadian retailer, announced the launch of Canada’s first heavy-duty trucking technology pilot designed to enhance industry safety, improve supply chain sustainability, and improve the overall fleet efficiency.
This project is also supported by a $1 million contribution from the Ontario Government through the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN). The pilot leverages the Nvidia Drive platform as the in-vehicle computer controlling the autonomous systems for Level 4 autonomy.