Oxfordshire-based autonomous vehicle software developer Oxa is planning an entry into the US market by partnering with autonomous shared mobility solutions provider Beep.
Together they plan to deploy vehicles driven by Oxa’s self-driving software product, Oxa Driver, as Beep continues to advance its testing and operations across the United States.
Oxa says the strategic partnership will see its autonomy software installed in a variety of vehicle types operated by Beep, from current passenger shuttles to future vehicle platforms. The first initiative in the partnership is a fleet of Beep autonomous and electric shuttles driven by Oxa Driver, Oxa’s software that enables safe and energy-efficient self-driving of any vehicle type in any environment. Two of the Beep shuttles featuring Oxa software are currently operating at the recently opened SunTrax test facility in Auburndale, Florida – the first location in the US specifically designed for connected autonomous vehicle and standard automotive testing in a single site. Oxa is utilising the facility to showcase its passenger transportation solution ahead of public availability later this year.
Oxa explains that Oxa Driver combines sensor data from cameras, lidar and radar, enabling it to gain a more comprehensive view of the world around it than vehicles that rely on cameras alone. This fused sensor technology is the first-of-its-kind deployed in a passenger shuttle in the US. The software uses AI to sense and predict changes to the vehicle’s environment while learning from previous journeys, which developers say is key to improving the capability of the technology over time.
“We are thrilled to be working with Beep to deploy our unique autonomy solution to enable safe, secure and efficient passenger transportation in the United States,” said Gavin Jackson, CEO at Oxa. “This marks a significant step forward for Oxa and the future of self-driving technology. Through partnering with Beep, we have the potential to drive several thousand vehicles over the coming years to make Oxa software the most widely utilised AV platform on the planet.”
“We’re delighted to partner with Oxa to bring new and enhanced electric, autonomous vehicles to market as we continue to expand our testing and our business across the United States,” said Joe Moye, CEO at Beep. “Oxa’s self-driving software, integrated with our command center and service management software, provides a safe and sophisticated autonomous solution that will enhance our passenger experience and operational capabilities, making more accessible, true autonomous use cases a near-term reality. Safe, shared autonomous transportation promises a major impact on traffic congestion, road safety and the environment, and we’re pleased to have a partner who shares these priorities and values in Oxa.”
This latest announcement follows a Series C funding round for Oxa, which raised more than $140 million for the business earlier this year, as well as a new strategic partnership with Google Cloud through which Oxa is leveraging a number of Google Cloud products to help develop, test, validate and verify its self-driving technology.
(Picture – Oxa)
