NVidia Shows Off Autonomous Driving Technology During CES

With the auto world shifting towards more and more autonomy in fields like driving, manufacturing, and even providing services, NVidia shows its commitment to have some presence in the growing market. During this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, the graphics chip maker showed off its driverless technology that was on board two vehicles.

The vehicles in question are the Lincoln MKZ and the Audi Q7, both of which were outfitted by third-party companies with the full suite of self-driving technology by NVidia, TechCrunch reports. The Lincoln is the company’s premier test vehicle, which even earned it the moniker BB8. NVidia has been using it to build a neural network, which is essential for self-driving cars to function properly.

As for the Q7, it’s equipped with the DRIVE PX 2 by NVidia, which allows it to have locally restricted neural network building. It basically observes what the driver does in order to learn what it needs to do once it takes the wheel. When TechCrunch and other media figures took the Q7 out for a spin on a race track in Las Vegas, the autonomous functionality of the vehicle was built in a period of just four days. This was according to Danny Shapiro, the Senior Director of Automotive at NVidia.

Audi itself was impressed by the progress that the chipmaker has managed to make, especially considering just how young its driverless technology ambition is. When the Q7 took to the race track, complete with simulated road conditions, its performance was reportedly perfect.

NVidia also showed off the onboard artificial intelligence that also managed to impress. Known as Co-Pilot, the AI basically acts as a wingman for the driver, Forbes reports. It warns the driver of imminent danger if there is a need to signal, and even making some corrections pertaining to driver error.