Software-defined vehicles will incorporate two key computers built with NVIDIA DRIVE Orin: one for AI assistants, the DRIVE Concierge, and one for autonomous driving, the DRIVE Chauffeur. DRIVE Concierge uses NVIDIA DRIVE IX technology and NVIDIA Omniverse Avatar, and works directly with DRIVE Chauffeur, based on NVIDIA DRIVE AV technology, to redefine the experience inside the car.
As cities have reopened, traffic is returning to — and in some states, exceeding — pre-pandemic levels. Experts expect to see an ongoing increase in vehicle travel, while a new work-from-home hybrid future could lead to less frequent rush hour traffic jams.
These trends are coinciding with the rapid progress of autonomous vehicle technology, meaning more drivers on the road doesn’t have to translate to more highway headaches. With the centralized, high-performance compute architecture of NVIDIA DRIVE, AI can now enhance almost every part of the vehicle journey for a safer, more convenient experience.
A Truly Intelligent Assistant
Sometimes, the demands of work and life can make you wish you had an extra set of hands — or AIs.
With DRIVE Concierge, vehicle occupants have access to intelligent services that are always on, using NVIDIA DRIVE IX and NVIDIA Omniverse Avatar for real-time conversational AI.
Omniverse Avatar connects speech AI, computer vision, natural language understanding, recommendation engines and simulation. Avatars created on the platform are interactive characters with ray-traced 3D graphics that can see, speak, converse on a wide range of subjects, and understand naturally spoken intent.
The technology of Omniverse Avatar enables DRIVE Concierge to serve as everyone’s digital assistant, helping them make recommendations, book reservations, make phone calls and provide alerts, like if a purse is left behind in the vehicle. It’s personalized to each driver and passenger, giving every vehicle occupant their own personal concierge. And with Omniverse Avatar technology, these assistants will have incredible intelligence.
With an Omniverse avatar, you’ll be able to have a natural conversation with the vehicle and use voice to control many functions that previously required physical controls or touch screens.
In a demo of the DRIVE Concierge AI platform during the GTC keynote, a digital assistant on the center dashboard screen helps a driver select the best driving mode to reach his destination on time.
DRIVE Concierge is also an on-demand valet, parking the car so drivers can easily continue on their way. It’s also a guardian, using interior cameras and multimodal interaction to ensure that driver attention is on the road when necessary.
Drivers and passengers can also see what’s in the mind of the vehicle’s AI with Omniverse Avatar’s 3D graphics. DRIVE Concierge is tightly integrated with DRIVE Chauffeur to provide high-quality, 360-degree, 4D visualization with low latency, so the driver can comfortably sit back and trust the Chauffeur to safely drive.
This cooperation between systems also enables DRIVE Concierge to perform functions such as summoning the vehicle, searching for a parking spot and reconstructing a 3D surround view of the vehicle using neural graphics.
AI, Take the Wheel
The freedom of the open road isn’t always the reality of everyday driving — elements such as heavy traffic can quickly turn a trip into a chore.
DRIVE Chauffeur is an AI-assisted driving platform based on the NVIDIA DRIVE AV SDK that can handle both highway and urban traffic with the utmost safety. It relieves the human driver from the burden of controlling the vehicle and monitoring the surrounding environment at all times, giving back valuable time and energy.
Using the high-performance compute architecture and sensor set of DRIVE Hyperion 8, DRIVE Chauffeur can drive from address to address. For those who want to drive, the system provides active safety features, intervening in dangerous scenarios.
The entire DRIVE Chauffeur pipeline has been architected to perceive the world in 4D for robust and efficient autonomous operation.
DRIVE Concierge and DRIVE Chauffeur are revolutionizing the driving experience, working together to make every commute safer, more convenient and more enjoyable than ever.