Google may be making waves with their development of self-driving vehicles, but it’s important to note that the search giant is far from the only hat in the autonomous ring. Numerous other tech companies are trying their hand at semi-autonomy, such as this next outfit that purports to offer much of the functionality for a fraction of the price.
The company, Mobileye, has received a big boost thanks to financing worth $400 million. The money comes from a small handful of investment and management firms as well as Enterprise Rent-A-Car, a company that certainly would have a vested interest in semi-autonomous vehicle technology.
Mobileye has partnered with automakers such as Volvo, BMW, and GM to develop and install systems that take some of the responsibilities out of the hands of a driver. At the moment, the onboard systems include such things as lane assistance and pedestrian and collision avoidance.
But that’s just a preview of what Mobileye wants to accomplish. When 2016 rolls around, the company hopes to have technology readily available that can take over many functions from a driver. In heavy traffic, for instance, the vehicle could assume braking and acceleration responsibilites, according to Mobileye’s chief executive. He also says it could also help drivers avoid collisions stemming from distraction or fatigue.