ARM enters driverless race with trust-building failure-reaction tech

21 March 2017 A third major AI technology firm has announced it is to enter the autonomous sphere. ARM, the Cambridge, UK-based subsidiary of Japan’s tech giant SoftBank, is widely regarded to be behind the chip designs central to the smartphone revolution. It has now turned its sights towards the technology behind autonomous cars, believed to be the next major frontier for technology companies. Yesterday it unveiled its new DynamiIQ processor chip, which should guarantee that the vehicle reacts safely in the event of a failure if there is no driver to take control – critical to building the trust required to facilitate the autonomous car revolution. When fitted in the full suite of artificial intelligence and machine learning devices this will also improve performance and efficiency – crucial for data-intensive autonomous cars. This should lead to both cheaper products and longer battery lives – especially crucial for electric vehicles. Product marketing head at ARM John Ronco told The Telegraph that the DynamiIQ marked a ′fairly major step change in the way processors are combined, adding ′it will be revolutionary in the way it enables our customers to build their products and design their chips.’ Ronco clarified: ′From a safety point of view what we have here is unique. We don’t believe there is anyone else on the market that can do this well.’ He also explained that when the processor design is licensed, it will also mark the first time top-end chips can be certified to the highest level. ARM is the latest technology firm to accelerate its presence in the autonomous sector after Nvidia and Bosch’s renewed partnership and Intel’s powerful push into the sector through acquisitions. Intel will apply its in-house autonomous arsenal navigation software to newly acquired Mobileye’s dominant sensor input tech, and make sense of this through its stake in real-time mapping leader HERE.