Aurora Innovation, startups, Autonomous technology, which is headed by the former head of the automotive division of Google (the one without drivers), has received financing in the amount of half a billion dollars (500 000 000 $) from a large group of investors, including Amazon. This is a clear indication that the giant online Commerce is actively working in the world of driverless transportation.
At the end of last month it became known that the startup self-driving trucks carrying goods Embark for the Amazon test sites. The previous week Amazon announced that it has developed a small Autonomous robot deliveryman named Scout.
“We believe that a successful autonomy on roads would create safer roads and improve working conditions for drivers on long distances”.
Amazon is working on self-driving cars?
Amazon is actively working in various fields of the automotive industry. She released a dashboard with Alexa and integrated voice assistant in several cars. Last year, the company also announced the service delivery to the trunk of a car.
Ambitions of autonomy are not new to Amazon: the company is working on unmanned drones for many years and, according to rumors, is developing a home robot. But investment in Aurora is the first public communication between the company and the cars are Autonomous.
None of the companies did not state what part of the $ 530 million invested Amazon (only Aurora has attracted 620 million).
Aurora was founded in 2016 by Chris Urmana shortly after he left his post in the automotive for Google. (He left a few months before this program was renamed the Waymo). Urmson hired Sterling Anderson, who led the team in Autopilot Tesla, and former head of Autonomous units Uber drew Bagnall.
Since then, the company quietly working on software for self-driving cars. In fact, Aurora wants to create a nervous system for Autonomous vehicle, and then to cooperate with manufacturers, introducing their achievements in their cars. In the beginning of 2018 Aurora announced that its first customers will be Volkswagen and Hyundai, and a few months added to the list of startup electric Byton.
While dozens of companies are working on technologies self-driving cars, including most traditional automakers, Aurora can be proud of his team. This is their main plus.
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