Magna International said its new MAX4 platform can enable Level 4 autonomous driving in urban and highway situations.
Combining cameras, radar, lidar and ultrasonic sensors with computing technology, MAX4 is “designed for easy integration with any automaker’s existing and future platforms – including hybrid and electric vehicles,” Magna said in a news release.
“Additionally, Magna’s compute platform, scalable for high-volume production, is flexible, upgradeable and fully functional with a fraction of the power requirements as compared to alternative solutions,” the Aurora, Ontario-based automotive supplier said.
Magna credited its “full-vehicle expertise” for enabling the company “to overcome traditional obstacles in the development and production of an autonomous driving platform.”
“At the heart of this development is a desire to show the market Magna’s breadth of capabilities and an autonomous-driving-enabling platform with subsystems that do not compromise the interior and exterior of a vehicle,” said Swamy Kotagiri, Magna’s chief technology officer. “Our focus is on developing production-ready solutions that offer flexibility to integrate and the framework to enable Level 4 technology for when the market is ready.”
With the goal of simplifying the way motorists engage with driverless systems, Magna developed a familiar cruise-control-like user interface that’s controlled through the press of a button. A lighted display indicates the vehicle is in autonomous mode, and drivers can disengage that mode via the brake pedal or an emergency button, according to the company.
Magna has been developing and manufacturing autonomous technology for automakers since the 2000s, according to the company. Most recently, Magna showcased its Level 3 autonomous capability with a 300-mile test drive that crossed an international border, in which the vehicle drove autonomously for 92 percent of the trip.
