Mobileye is changing course in an attempt to help them win major automotive market share in the autonomous driving space. Moving forward, Mobileye’s customers will be able to add their own code to its next EyeQ chip. Mobileye’s current offering of EyeQ chips is essentially a closed system. This means the manufacturer purchases the chip and the software as a single package. This new move will allow automakers to develop their own code, which would let items such as LIDAR processing, or any driving software for that matter, be added on top of Mobileye’s existing technology.
Mobileye NV’s driverless test car has developed a bit of a feisty streak.
During a test drive in October, with a Bloomberg reporter sitting in the passenger seat, the car merged into traffic on an expressway. Then, when drivers were reluctant to allow it to change lanes — a situation quite common on Israel’s roads — it made the move, smoothly but assertively.
During the 20-minute drive on the expressway and other city roads, the driver didn’t touch the steering wheel or the brake once.
Mobileye’s driverless car is part of Intel Inc.’s attempt to grab a stake in autonomous technology. Intel bought the Israeli company for about $15 billion in 2017. Companies such as BMW AG and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV also plan to use Mobileye’s technology in their driverless cars.
