Covering Disruptive Technology Powering Business in The Digital Age

Note from DTA Editor: We see a race developing here as markets converge. Softbank who hold stakes in the major rideshare apps is also looking at driverless vehicles.

The key comment we take from the article is from Microsoft’s Sanjay Ravi when he states this tech will empower automakers to “create new services and revenue opportunities” we see the end game here as grab or uber with no need to have drivers in their business model. Technically that’s impressive, but it may mean that the “gig/sharing economy” is going to be short-lived.

LG Electronics (LG) and Microsoft entered into a memorandum of understanding to enhance and further grow LG’s autonomous vehicle and infotainment system business.

Under the terms of the partnership, LG will accelerate the transformation of its existing digital platform for the vehicle industry, seen as key growth engines for the company, by leveraging Microsoft’s Azure cloud and artificial intelligence technologies along with LG’s future self-driving software.

LG will apply Microsoft’s AI knowhow to its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Driver-Status Monitoring Camera (DSM) and Multi-Purpose Front Camera products and incorporate Microsoft’s virtual assistant solution in LG’s infotainment systems.

And with Azure Data Box service, data captured on the road can be uploaded automatically to create a library that helps the self-driving software grow even smarter.

“Our expectation is that the combination of Microsoft’s advanced cloud infrastructure with LG’s fast-growing automotive components business will accelerate the self-driving auto industry as a whole,” said Kim Jin-yong, president of LG’s Vehicle Component Solutions Company. “We’re confident that the combination of Microsoft and LG technologies will create a new benchmark in autonomous auto AI.”

“Together LG and Microsoft can help shape the future of transportation,” added Sanjay Ravi, general manager, automotive industry at Microsoft.

“Working together, we can empower automakers to deliver differentiated mobility experiences, create new services and revenue opportunities, and to build safer, more intelligent and more sustainable vehicles.”

In addition, LG plans to build innovative digital development and testing grounds employing state-of-the-art technology.

High performance computing (HPC) and graphics processing unit (GPU) supported by Microsoft Azure will drastically reduce the time required for LG AI self-driving software to learn and evolve. Road and traffic patterns in cities that would normally require more than a full day for self-driving systems to comprehend would take only minutes with Azure.

And Azure can help AI self-driving software learn diverse patterns displayed by drivers as well as recognize and distinguish between pedestrians and other objects. By embedding AI self-driving software enhanced by Azure within the ADAS, performance of the DSM and Multi-Purpose Front Camera can be dramatically improved.

In addition to its ability to train AI self-driving software, Azure also features a voice-enabled virtual assistant solution. With help from Azure, LG’s vehicle infotainment system will allow drivers to easily and quickly check traffic conditions on the road, search for nearby restaurants, call up favorite songs and more.

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