Isuzu Motors Limited, one of Japan’s leading commercial vehicle makers, is using the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX platform to address an industry-wide driver-shortage issue while making roadways safer and less congested.
“There’s not enough truck drivers in world, a crisis not just here in Japan but a crisis everywhere in the world,” said NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang on stage at GTC Japan. “Isuzu can now work with us to build self-driving trucks for the long haul.”
Isuzu, which makes more than 600,000 commercial vehicles annually — ranging from light- to heavy-duty trucks — is pursuing autonomous driving by using the NVIDIA DRIVE AV software stack and the energy-efficient DRIVE AGX platform inside the vehicle.
By fusing different types of data from each sensor and running a diverse and redundant set of deep learning algorithms, Isuzu can achieve the highest levels of safety and reliability. To achieve this goal, the company has already begun data collection and supervised testing.
“Working with NVIDIA, we strive to achieve society’s goal of zero accidents,” said Satoshi Okuyama, executive officer of the Isuzu Engineering Division. “The scalable DRIVE AGX computing platform will enable us to start with 360-degree surround perception, lane keeping and adaptive cruise control features, then move to platooning and, ultimately, highly automated and fully autonomous vehicles.”
Deep Neural Networks Help Self-Driving Trucks Handle the Road With Care
To safely operate, autonomous trucks must be able to completely understand their surroundings — including cars, trucks, pedestrians and bicyclists. This type of perception requires a host of different sensors positioned around the truck, feeding data into an AI supercomputer. With industry-leading performance, NVIDIA DRIVE AGX runs algorithms and applications in real time for safe self-driving.
The NVIDIA DRIVE AV software stack contains robust perception layers — the deep neural networks required for object detection and tracking. This foundation enables partners to develop their own custom applications.
Growing Community Driving Toward Safer Future
Isuzu Motors is one of the many innovative companies that have joined the NVIDIA DRIVE ecosystem. Globally, there are now over 450 automakers, suppliers, truck makers, sensor manufacturers, software startups and mapping companies developing autonomous driving technology on the platform — more than 55 of which hail from Japan.
This community represents a worldwide commitment to creating safer, greener and more efficient roads, from driverless trucks hauling goods over long distances to robotaxis ferrying city dwellers around the clock.