[250411] #Volvo #Lyft #Wayve

1. Wayve CEO shares his key ingredients for scaling autonomous driving tech

• Wayve CEO Alex Kendall outlined a scalable AV strategy at Nvidia’s GTC, focusing on low-cost, hardware-agnostic software that supports ADAS, robotaxis, and robotics.
• The company uses an end-to-end, data-driven learning model that bypasses traditional HD maps and rule-based systems.
• Wayve has raised over $1.3 billion in two years and aims to license its software to partners like Uber, while in talks with multiple OEMs for vehicle integration.
• Its ADAS can operate using existing vehicle sensors (cameras and radar), eliminating the need for extra hardware investment by OEMs.
• The software is also silicon-agnostic and compatible with various GPU platforms, though development currently utilizes Nvidia’s Orin chip.
• Wayve intentionally excludes LiDAR in its initial ADAS deployment but remains open to incorporating it for achieving Level 4 autonomy in complex conditions.
• The company introduced GAIA-2, a generative world model that trains on both real and synthetic data to produce more human-like, adaptive driving behavior.
• Wayve’s philosophy aligns with startups like Waabi, promoting generative AI and simulation-based training to generalize across diverse driving environments.

2. AUTONOMOUS A2Z Climbs to 11th in Global Automated Driving Solutions Rankings, Strengthens Market Presence

AUTONOMOUS A2Z is rising in the global AV market with a shuttle-focused strategy, strong government support, and rapid international expansion despite limited funding.

3. Lyft to roll out robotaxis in Atlanta

• Lyft announced it will begin offering self-driving rides in Atlanta this summer, marking its official entry into the robotaxi market.
• The rollout is in partnership with May Mobility and will use autonomous Toyota Sienna minivans.
  Lyft plans to expand next to Dallas in 2025, in collaboration with Mobileye and Marubeni, with thousands of AVs and additional cities to follow.
• The company envisions a future where drivers can own autonomous vehicles and earn income even while off-duty.
• This strategy reflects Lyft’s push to grow the rideshare market by increasing flexibility and access through AV integration.
• Competitors like Uber and Waymo are already offering robotaxi services in cities such as Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
• While public hesitation remains—68% of drivers report AV-related fears—companies like Waymo continue to scale operations with 200,000 weekly rides.
• Lyft leadership strongly supports AVs as a way to improve safety, enhance user experience, and drive industry-wide innovation.

4. Volvo Cars announced on the 20th that it will use Nvidia’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual world

5. LiDAR technology reveals 5,000-year-old fortress hidden in Romanian forest

• Romanian researchers discovered a 5,000-year-old fortified settlement in Neamț County using drone-mounted LiDAR technology.
• The site dates back to the Late Neolithic to Bronze Age and includes a well-planned fortress with defensive features like large ditches and earthen mounds.
• The project was a collaboration between Geocad Services, Geo Edu Laboratory, and the National Institute for Research and Development in Earth Physics.
• LiDAR enabled precise 3D mapping through dense forest cover, revealing landscape features invisible from the ground.
• Researchers used LiDAR to simulate various environmental conditions, such as altering terrain or adding/removing pedestrian figures.
• The study highlights LiDAR’s role in archaeology, offering non-invasive access to hidden historical sites with unparalleled accuracy.
• Experts emphasized that without modern technologies like LiDAR, vital details about ancient civilizations would remain undiscovered.