Apart from leading automotive giants, a number of small and medium enterprises have achieved significant results the field of self-driving vehicles, by developing innovative and advanced technologies. Automakers worldwide are picking up these smaller companies to leverage their skills, among which is Ford’s latest acquisition, a Michigan-based military contractor.

Following the announcement of a collaboration with Agility Robotics focused on exploring autonomous home package delivery ideas, Ford has now acquired robotics firm Quantum Signal for an undisclosed sum.

Apparently, Ford intends to take advantage of Quantum Signal’s extensive expertise in real-time algorithm and simulation development to power Ford’s future autonomous transportation-as-a-service platform.

Since its establishment in 1999, Quantum Signal has developed various autonomous projects including modeling and simulation platforms for use by military robotics department. However, this will be the first instance where the robotics developer will work on specifically designing autonomous vehicles.

Quantum Signal will be working closely with Ford’s principal AV subsidiary, Argo AI. It has also come to the fore that the software firm, just like Argo, will function as a separate entity.

Evidently, the purchase of Quantum Signal also complements Ford’s 2016 acquisition of SAIPS, an Israel-based organization focused on designing machine learning tools.

SAIPS has been working closely with the Argo AI team to create machine learning-based visual cognition system for autonomous cars that can detect pedestrians and other vehicles in the surrounding environment. The mechanism runs on a fully automated core system that provides real-time high-resolution 3D mapping of urban environments.

German automotive giant Volkswagen had recently confirmed a total of $2.6 billion into Argo to power Ford’s vehicle automation business, which could potentially make Ford’s Argo AI as one of the most formidable entity in autonomous vehicle development in the near future.

BMW and Mercedes are two other German manufacturers eager to lead the European driverless vehicle space and had started collaborative efforts earlier in the year to develop promising . The companies are optimistic that a favorable outcome of this partnership could be seen soon, and the first Level 4 self-driving cars would be available to the public by 2024.

Source credits:

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-acquires-quantum-signal-self-driving-car-development/