Wayve Expands AI-Driven Automated Driving Tests to U.S. Roads

Wayve brings its AI automated-driving software to the U.S. | Digital Trends

Especially if you live in California, it might seem as if the autonomous driving trend is moving at full-speed and of its own accord. Wayve, a UK startup that has received over $1 billion in funding, is now joining the crowded party by launching on-road testing of its AI-learning system on the streets of San Francisco and the Bay Area. The announcement comes just weeks after Tesla unveiled its Robotaxi at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. It was also in San Francisco that an accident last year forced General Motors' robotaxi service Cruise to stop its operations. And it's mostly in California that Waymo, the only functioning robotaxi service in the U.S., first deployed its fleet of self-driving cars. As part of its move, Wayve opened a new office in Silicon Valley to support its U.S. expansion and AI development. Similarly to Tesla's Full-Self Driving (FSD) software, the company says it's using AI to provide automakers with a full range of driver assistance and automation features. "We are now testing our AI software in real-world environments across two continents," said Alex Kendall, Wayve co-founder and CEO, in a statement. The company has already conducted tests on UK roads since 2018. It received a huge boost earlier this year, when it raised over $1 billion in a move led by Softbank and joined by Microsoft and Nvidia. In August, Uber also said it would invest to help the development of Wayve's technology. Just like Tesla's FSD, Wayve's software provides an advanced driver assistance system which still requires driver supervision. Before driverless vehicles can legally hit the road, they must first pass tight safety tests. So far, Waymo's technology, which relies on pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar and lidar (a laser-light radar), is the only company to have received the nod from U.S. regulators.

Uber-backed Wayve to test 'Tesla like' self-driving software on US roads

Wayve, a well-funded London-based autonomous vehicle startup backed by Uber and Softbank, will begin testing its "Tesla-like" self-learning automated driving software in San Francisco and the Bay Area. The move marks its first on-road trials outside of the UK. Wayve opened a new office in Sunnyvale, California, to support its US expansion and AI development, which is intended to allow vehicles to interact with and learn from human behavior in real-world environments. The concept, of course, is to enhance safety of autonomous vehicle to make roads safer for everyone. The testing program, it says, will be focused on its self-learning autonomous driving system, similar to Tesla's, to enhance driving safety. In turn, it will also will develop its AI software capable of enabling a range of driving assistance and automation features for any number of vehicle - the company plans to sell its software to auto OEMs, but no partnerships have been announced. In terms of testing, what this mean for starters is that human test drivers will cruise around Bay Area streets in a small fleet of Mustang Mach-E EVs with their hands off the wheel. The company will start small and eventually build up to testing more advanced autonomous driving. "We are now testing our AI software in real-world environments across two continents," Wayve CEO Alex Kendall said in a statement. "San Francisco's unique driving conditions offer rich data insights that will be crucial in further developing a global AI platform for automotive customers." The company has conducted trials on public roadways in the UK since 2018, a year after it was founded. Back in May, the company raised $1.05 billion in its Series C round, which was led by Japanese investment bank Softbank and joined by Microsoft and Nvidia - making it the UK's largest AI fundraise ever, TechCrunch reports. Uber announced too announced it would join Wayve's fundraising round, but details on the investment amount weren't released. Before Uber joined forces, Wayve had raised $200 million in its Series B round in 2022 and $20 million in Series A funding in 2019. Back in August, the company said that its autonomous vehicles are expected to be available in Uber's network in multiple markets around the globe. "Launching our U.S. testing program in California deepens our collaboration with key partners like Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Uber," Kaity Fisher, Wayve's vice president of operations and commercial, said in a statement. "Their support in cloud computing, silicon, and mobility services will accelerate the creation of a global ecosystem that will bring our AI-driving technology to automotive partners." Of course, Wavye has plenty of company in San Francisco, which has become a hotbed of autonomous driving, where GM-owned Cruise and Google backed Waymo vehicles have roamed freely. Elon Musk too has reportedly said that Tesla has been testing a fleet of autonomous robotaxis in the Bay Area over the past few months. Photo credit: Wavye To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it's free to use and you won't get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Wayve starts testing its buzzy end-to-end self-driving tech in the U.S.

Buzzy, well-funded U.K. startup Wayve is starting to test its self-learning automated driving software in San Francisco, and it's celebrating that entry into the U.S. by also opening an office in Sunnyvale, CA. Wayve says it will start by testing a more limited version of its automated driving system -- which is self-learning versus rules-based, similar to Tesla's approach -- before trying anything more advanced. That means test drivers will be zipping around the Bay Area with their hands off the wheel of a small fleet of kitted-out Mustang Mach-E EVs. The expansion comes just a few months after a blockbuster $1 billion funding round for Wayve led by SoftBank Group, which also included Nvidia, Microsoft, and -- a few months later -- Uber. The company's goal is to one day sell its so-called "Embodied AI" not only to other automakers looking for a self-driving solution, but to robotics companies as well.

SoftBank-Backed Wayve Begins AI Test Drives in San Francisco

Wayve Technologies Ltd., the UK startup that raised more than $1 billion this year from investors led by SoftBank Group, is joining the bevy of companies testing out automated driving in and around Silicon Valley. The London-based developer of artificial intelligence software for vehicles announced Wednesday that it's opened a new office in Sunnyvale, California, and will start testing its driver-assistance system in San Francisco and the Bay area. This will be the company's first road trials outside the UK.

A self-driving car firm backed by Nvidia and Uber is now on America's roads

Expect the stock market 'fear index' to spike heading into the election, strategist says Wayve on Wednesday said it would begin testing its self-driving cars on roads in San Francisco and in California's Bay Area, marking its first on-road trials outside of the U.K. It's also opening an office in Sunnyvale, right in the "true heart" of Silicon Valley. The company has conducted trials on public roads in the U.K. since 2018, the year after it was founded. In May, the U.K. passed a law outlining standards for the rollout of autonomous vehicles in the country by 2026. "We are now testing our AI software in real-world environments across two continents," Wayve CEO Alex Kendall said in a statement. "San Francisco's unique driving conditions offer rich data insights that will be crucial in further developing a global AI platform for automotive customers." The announcement comes just two months after ride-hail service provider Uber said it would join Wayve's Series C fundraising round, although it didn't provide an idea of how large that investment would be. Before Uber's involvement, the startup had raised $1.05 billion in that round, which was led by Japanese investment bank Softbank and joined by Microsoft and Nvidia. The seven-year-old company had raised a $200 million Series B in 2022 and a $20 million Series A in 2019. Wayve's self-driving vehicles are expected to eventually become available on Uber's network in multiple markets around the world, the companies said in August. Wayve had previously said that its Series C funding will help it expand into new markets, attract global talent, and build geographically diverse data assets. "Launching our U.S. testing program in California deepens our collaboration with key partners like Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Uber," Kaity Fisher, Wayve's vice president of operations and commercial, said in a statement. "Their support in cloud computing, silicon, and mobility services will accelerate the creation of a global ecosystem that will bring our AI-driving technology to automotive partners." Wayve's vehicles run on what it calls "embodied AI," which it describes as the "next frontier of AI innovation." The technology is intended to allow vehicles to interact with and learn from human behavior in real-world environments. Wayve says its technology has the potential to enhance the safety of autonomous vehicles, which -- if perfected -- can make the roads much safer for humans. Its launch in San Francisco comes as the city has become a hub for self-driving cars. Vehicles operated by Google-backed Waymo are a common sight now in the city, where it is the only publicly available robotaxi service. Amazon-backed Zoox has started offering journalists rides in its vehicles in a nearby suburb and Las Vegas. Uber is working with both Waymo, Wayve, and General Motors' Cruise, which halted its operations in San Fransisco last year following a safety incident. The company has since returned to the Bay Area with a driver behind the wheel.