Mobileye, a subsidiary of Intel specializing in self-driving technology, is partnering with venture-backed startup Udelv to deliver 35,000 autonomous delivery vehicles by 2028.
"This partnership with Mobileye is literally a revolution in the industry," Daniel Laury, CEO and co-founder of Udelv, told Cheddar. "It's the first of its kind in the autonomous delivery world."
Udelv's autonomous vehicle, dubbed the Transporter, will employ Mobileye's vision-sensing technology to improve features such as pedestrian and cyclist detection and collision warning.
Laury said the Transporter will be outfitted to transport 80 percent of last-mile deliveries, from small items such as pharmaceuticals to bags of groceries and large auto parts.
The vehicle features "adaptive shelving" allowing an operator to add or remove shelves depending on the size of the items being delivered. The car also uses automated software to open on specific shelves within the van designated for each package.
Laury explained that last-mile deliveries make up 53 percent of the cost of logistics, with drivers on average making up 65 percent of that amount.
"By removing the driver, you're going to be generating billions in savings through the industry in general," he said.
This is where "Mobileye Drive" comes in. The self-driving system offers a full technology stack, including vast map coverage of North America, for Udelv to integrate into its Transporters.
Donlen, one of the largest commercial fleets in the U.S., has already pre-ordered 1,000 Udelve Transporters.
"Our deal with Udelv is significant for its size, scope and rapid deployment timeline, demonstrating our ability to deliver Mobileye Drive for commercial use now and in volume," said Mobileye President and CEO Amnon Shashua in a release. "COVID-19 has accelerated demand for autonomous goods delivery, and we are delighted to partner with Udelv to address this demand in the near term."
Transporters are set to start hitting streets in 2023.
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
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