Nissan will integrate AI-powered systems made by autonomous driving firm Wayve into vehicles, the companies announced Wednesday, marking the British startup’s first deal to supply technology to an automaker on a mass scale.
While fully driverless cars remain some way off, the two companies said in a joint statement that their tie-up would help develop systems in real-world conditions.
The artificial intelligence systems made by Wayve, which last year said it had raised more than $1 billion, do not rely on pre-programmed maps but can navigate in real time.
Japan’s Nissan unveiled in September a prototype of a vehicle that combined Wayve’s AI self-driving software with its own high-tech laser sensors.