In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are TuSimple, Cyngn, Calterah, Hesai, Robosense and Alphawave.
TuSimple Leaves US Responds to WSJ Article
As disclosed in recent public filings, TuSimple is refocusing its business on the APAC market, specifically China, Japan and Australia. To this end, TuSimple engaged Lansdowne Financial, a well-known Australian company that specializes in establishing Australian businesses, which assisted with establishing the company’s Australian subsidiary, TuSimple Australia Pty Ltd. Consistent with Australian law, TuSimple appointed an Australian citizen as a director of the subsidiary. No member of TuSimple’s management team has any financial interest in Lansdowne Financial.
Beginning in the Fall of 2023, TuSimple commenced setup of operations to begin testing its autonomous driving software in Australia. This effort is led by employees based in the APAC region, including China. To increase operational efficiency and to ensure compliance with local data regulations, the Company has engaged third party vendors to set up a local cloud network, procure IT and server equipment, and recruit a local workforce. GPUs (such as the A100 chips referenced in The Wall Street Journal‘s article) and other computer chips are assembled in servers, which are used to perform training functions with respect to our autonomous driving system. The events discussed in the article arise from TuSimple’s decision to send spare parts owned by its U.S. business for use by its Australia business. These parts are not needed in the United States because TuSimple is winding down its business there. The computer chips referenced in the article are an off-the-shelf product that is available for sale in Australia and the United States. TuSimple placed the chips in the custody of a common carrier on Nov. 28, 2023. These standard parts manufactured by a third party, and widely available in other parts of the world, contain no technology designed, manufactured or modified by TuSimple, and no trade secrets of TuSimple.
Given that the export control regulations for computer chips are constantly evolving, it is responsible business practice to check where the chips can and cannot be exported to without a U.S. government license. The transfer of the chips at issue was reviewed as part of our established internal compliance procedures and authorized for shipment to Australia. There is no intention by TuSimple to transfer those computer chips to China. Reporting to the contrary is inaccurate.
By shipping this property to Australia, rather than selling it at a discount in the U.S. and buying it at full price in Australia, TuSimple expects to save over $150,000, which is meaningful savings for the Company and its shareholders.
Hesai Responds to US Deparment of Defense “Chinese Military Companies” List
We are deeply disappointed to learn that Hesai has been added to the U.S. Department of Defense’s list of “Chinese Military Companies.” We believe this inclusion is unjust, capricious, and meritless.
Hesai lidars are for civilian use only. We do not sell our products to any military in any country, nor do we have ties of any kind to any military in any country. Hesai is a publicly traded, privately owned company (Nasdaq: HSAI) with an independent corporate governance structure.
Our lidars have never been designed or validated to military specifications. All Hesai’s lidar products are classified as EAR99 by the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which indicates that the products are not suitable for any military application.
While we believe our addition to this list is unjust and was made in error, we do not expect it will cause any significant disruption to our business. The list only prevents the U.S. Department of Defense from purchasing products from included entities. To the best of our knowledge, Hesai has not sold any products to the U.S. Department of Defense or any other military parties in the past, nor will we do so in the future.
Our inclusion on this list follows almost a one-year media smear campaign based on unsubstantiated, baseless and false allegations (it has been alleged that Hesai is owned and controlled by the Chinese military, may be helping China spy on Americans and Hesai poses a national security threat to the U.S.), followed by an intensive lobbying effort on Capitol Hill against us orchestrated by lidar competitors seeking to leverage anti-China sentiment in the U.S. The technological superiority and quality of our products have made us a target by our competitors who are failing to deliver any products suitable for the automotive market. Our competitors that are years behind in product development are desperate and have resorted to political lobbying in attempt to block critical and lifesaving lidar products that will enhance road safety. Our products are preferred and trusted by leading OEMs, manufacturers, autonomous driving companies, and robotics companies in over 40 countries. We remain undaunted in our commitment to developing market leading lidar technologies that reduce accidents, save lives, and make global transportation safer for everyone.
RoboSense in Lotus
RoboSense (2498.HK), a global leader in LiDAR and perception solutions, announced that Lotus, a UK-headquartered global luxury auto manufacturer, has officially launched its first fully electric sedan, the Emeya, equipped with two state-of-the-art RoboSense M Platform LiDAR sensors. It is the second Lotus vehicle to incorporate RoboSense’s M Platform sensors. Lotus also deployed M Platform sensors on the Eletre, the company’s first electric-Hyper SUV, unveiled in March 2022.
Cyngn Issued New Patent
Cyngn Inc. (the “Company” or “Cyngn”) (Nasdaq: CYN), a developer of AI-powered autonomous driving solutions for industrial applications, today announced the issuance of a new patent, US-11,851,074-B2, for the Company’s autonomous vehicle (AV) and driving solutions. This new patent of System and Methods of Large-Scale Autonomous Driving Validation provides expanded safety features in identifying problems arising from AV driving operations and generating a notification message regarding the problem.
“I am pleased with the remarkable progress and pace of innovation our technology team has achieved as this latest patent expands our total number of U.S. patents to 19,” said Cyngn’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lior Tal. “Prior to 2023, we were granted 3 U.S. patents. During the first half of 2023, 7 U.S. patents were granted with the second half of last year securing 9 additional patents. Currently we have an additional 6 U.S. patents and 20 international patents submitted which we anticipate to be granted in the coming years.”
Cyngn aims to provide its customers with advanced automation via its DriveMod autonomous vehicle solutions that leverage state-of-the-art sensors and AI to produce humanlike driving capabilities across multiple vehicle types without requiring site infrastructure overhauls.
This additional patent comes on the heels of the Company’s announcement of the procurement of patent 18, which protects Cyngn’s novel adaptive traffic rule-based decision making for autonomous driving.
Calterah Semi Demos Advanced SoC
Calterah Semiconductor Technology, a global leader in designing and developing CMOS single-chip millimeter-wave radar sensors, demonstrated its latest product portfolio at Automotive World in Tokyo, highlighting a range of advanced automotive applications that seek to further consolidate its presence in the global automotive industry.
Marking the pioneer’s exhibition debut in Japan, Calterah as a mature semiconductor company with mass production operation achievement, had impressed visitors with its comprehensive selection of automotive mmWave radar SoCs and their applications for both the interior and exterior of vehicles including the latest short-range radar applications, highlighting their involvement in empowering L2+ autonomous driving. Providing interactive experiences and expert advice at the booth, Calterah’s impressive display has helped deepen its communication with international customers as the company seeks to further develop its global strategic presence.
Japan: An Important Market for Calterah
As the world’s second-largest car exporter, Japan exported over 3.99 million vehicles in 2023, making it one of the main markets for automotive mmWave radar applications. Through Calterah’s attendance at Automotive World in Tokyo, the company hopes to further develop its profile and recognition as a global leader in mmWave radar SoC technology, joining 1,900 fellow exhibitors and 90,000 visitors at the exhibition.
With development in autonomous vehicles dependent upon advances in sensor technology, it is expected that the application of mmWave radar technology will become increasingly prominent in future. Its importance as a rapid and effective method of sensing and detecting the surrounding environment makes it an essential sensor, enabling autonomous vehicles to safely and efficiently operate. Consequently, the mmWave technology market is expected to grow exponentially and be globally worth USD10.8 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 30% over the next 5 years.
Exhibiting World-Class mmWave Sensing Technology to the Global Market
Showcasing its portfolio to the world, Calterah brought the pinnacle of its products and solutions to Japan to not only highlight the latest innovations, but also to demonstrate its status as an expert in autonomous driving radar sensor technology. Encompassing numerous crucial advantages – high performance, low power consumption, compact size, and cost-effectiveness, Calterah’s SoC products perfectly fit the practical needs and current trends of automotive radar applications.
Those in attendance were able to witness the company’s latest Alps-Pro SoC chip-based front radar solution, as well as Calterah’s high-performance corner radar solution, both of which feature outstanding detection performances and excellent road test results. These solutions will empower more automotive active safety systems and continue to enhance the safety of intelligent driving.
Also on show was Calterah’s next-gen Andes SoC for 4D imaging radar, offering outstanding detection performances, and is a full integration of radar transceiver and microprocessor functions. With its support for outstanding radar system specifications and the Flex-Cascading design, it enables highly differentiated solutions for high-performance 4D imaging radar.
Calterah’s real-time demo of the in-cabin radar solution was a crowd-puller. Many visitors interacted with the in-cabin radar demo, gaining a deep understanding and first-hand experiences of this cutting-edge technology. Developed based on the 60 GHz Rhine-Pro mmWave radar SoC, Calterah’s in-cabin radar solution can accurately detect micro-motions of the human body, determine the position of occupants, and effectively avoid interference outside the cabin. It also supports Child Presence Detection (CPD). If a child is unintentionally left in a vehicle, the radar can assist the cabin system to promptly trigger an alert, reinforcing the car cabin’s safety features.
Calterah Semiconductor Technology Chief Operating Officer Yuzhao Lv remarked “We are pleased to have the opportunity to demonstrate our products to the Japanese market which we trust will help deepen the cooperation with international customers and further expand our global reach, building on the solid foundation we have developed over the past ten years”. Yuzhao further said “Since 2014, Calterah has been innovating to remain ahead in the field of mmWave radar SoCs and we have been proud to cooperate with over 20 OEMs, empowering the development and production of over 150 models of passenger vehicles. In total, we have now shipped more than 7 million units of chips, with this number rising with every passing day. Calterah offers advanced and competitive portfolios that boast the very latest in CMOS mmWave technology, with clients benefiting from highly integrated SoC, innovative Antenna-in-Package technology, and complete turnkey radar solutions”.
In its tenth year of operations, Calterah remains committed to designing and developing a global supply of cost-effective, power-efficient, high-performance, and miniaturized automotive radar SoCs. Throughout the product lifecycle, Calterah implements various management and control measures to ensure Zero Defects. These strict standards have also been recognized internationally, with Calterah attaining certifications for Functional Safety (ISO 26262) and Automotive Cybersecurity (ISO/SAE 21434), while professional agencies certified the company’s ASPICE management in its R&D processes for automotive software.
As demand for autonomous vehicles continues to grow, Calterah’s presence at Automotive World reinforces the strength of its automotive mmWave radar SoC products for markets across Asia and the globe. On the world stage, by providing more advanced and competitive automotive mmWave radar SoC products and services, Calterah continues to actively seek partners for collaboration to jointly create safer and smarter driving experiences for everyone.
Alphawave Semi PCI Express 7.0
Alphawave Semi (LSE: AWE), a global leader in high-speed connectivity for the world’s technology infrastructure, and Teledyne LeCroy, the worldwide leader in protocol test and measurement solutions, today announced the unveiling of PCI ExpressⓇ 7.0 signal generation, transmission, and measurement collaboration at DesignCon in Santa Clara, CA.
This launch is the culmination of Alphawave Semi and Teledyne LeCroy’s collaborative efforts, with results that push the boundaries of signal transmission and measurement technologies. These results accelerate the deployment of PCIeⓇ 7.0 technology for data-intensive artificial intelligence (AI) workloads for hyperscaler and data infrastructure applications.
Technical Session Presentation
Alphawave Semi and Teledyne LeCroy will jointly present Correlation Methodology for 128 GT/s Operation for PCIe Gen 7 DSP-Based IBIS-AMI Models on February 1 from 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM Pacific Standard Time in Ballroom B at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
The technical presentation will showcase Alphawave Semi’s Input/Output Buffer Information Specification algorithmic modeling interface (IBIS-AMI). This interface is integral to predicting the transmitter output performance of the Alphawave Semi 128 Gigabit per second (Gbps) DSP-based Serializer-Deserializer (SerDes), using Teledyne LeCroy’s WaveMaster® 8650HD 65 GHz, 12-bit high-definition oscilloscope (HDO®) and QualiPHY® compliance test software for PCIe 7.0.
Results will show that the Alphawave Semi 128 Gbps SerDes, when measured with the Teledyne LeCroy 12-bit, 65 GHz oscilloscope, passes all expected PCI-SIG® PCIe 7.0 electrical base and compliance tests, including:
- Transmitter jitter
- Pulse response
- Signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio (SNDR).
Nubis & Alphawave PCI Express 6.0
Nubis Communications, Inc., provider of low-latency high-density optical inter-connect (HDI/O), and Alphawave Semi (LN: AWE), a global leader in high-speed connectivity and compute silicon for the world’s technology infrastructure, announced their upcoming demonstration of PCI Express 6.0 technology driving over an optical link at 64GT/s per lane. Data Center providers are exploring the use of PCIe over Optics to greatly expand the reach and flexibility of the interconnect for memory, CPUs, GPUs, and custom silicon accelerators to enable more scalable and energy-efficient clusters for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (ML/AI) architectures.
Nubis Communications and Alphawave Semi will be showing a live demonstration in the Tektronix booth at DesignCon, the leading conference for advanced chip, board, and system design technologies. An Alphawave Semi PCIe Subsystem with PiCORE Controller IP and PipeCORE PHY will directly drive and receive PCIe 6.0 traffic through a Nubis XT1600 linear optical engine to demonstrate a PCIe 6.0 optical link at 64GT/s per fiber, with optical output waveform measured on a Tektronix sampling scope with a high-speed optical probe.
Optical transmission technology can be leveraged to greatly extend link distances at the same bandwidths compared with copper cables, supporting the larger cluster sizes needed to support ever-larger AI/ML servers distributed over multiple nodes, and enabling innovation in new disaggregated network architectures. The Nubis XT1600 optical engine supports up to 16 lanes of high-density PCIe Gen 6.0 or 100 Gbps/lane Ethernet optical connectivity without incorporating retimers.
“Our high level of integration with 16 lanes full-duplex in a single low-power, low-latency optical engine is a great match to the maximum bandwidth of PCIe x16 for next-generation compute and storage deployments,” said Scott Schube, VP of Marketing at Nubis Communications. “Our demonstration of the Nubis XT1600 linear optical engine and Alphawave Semi’s PCIe 6.0 Controller and PHY IP showcases the viability of a PCIe® 6.0 x8 link over optical fiber at 64 GT/s.”
“AI applications are reshaping data center networks, with hyperscalers deploying increasingly large clusters of disaggregated servers distributed over longer distances. This shift has generated heightened interest in PCIe over Optics among several of our customers,” said Tony Chan Carusone, CTO at Alphawave Semi. “Through our collaboration with Nubis, we’re pleased to demonstrate how we’re leveraging Alphawave Semi’s leadership in connectivity IP and silicon to enable PCIe optical connectivity solutions that accelerate high-performance AI computing and data infrastructure.”
Availability
The Nubis XT1600™ linear optical engine is available now for sampling.