Could HW/SW integration fully unlock Level 4 AVs?

By integrating hardware and software from the ground up, AV developers may be able to resolve safety, cost, and time to market issues. By Will Girling

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are struggling to regain their former momentum after a string of controversies in late 2023 and early 2024 eroded trust in the technology among investors, regulators, and the public. Although OEMs continue to expand on their SAE Level 2 and 3 offerings, the absence of Level 4 exhibits at events like CES 2024 underscores the industry’s apparent re-evaluation of where value truly lies.

The challenge facing AV service developers is the reconciliation of safety, cost, and time to market. In order to resolve this trilemma, they must first determine what application presents a profitable and deliverable use case for Level 4 right now. At the same time, the technology must not only perform well but also offer a clear route for scaling and incorporating other use cases in the future.

Robotics company Nuro and semiconductor and software design firm Arm believe they have arrived at such a solution. Using the latter’s Automotive Enhanced (AE) technology, Nuro announced in February 2024 that it is developing a new generation of its full stack Nuro Driver autonomous driving (AD) system. The partners aim to show that Level 4 in the correct context still has the potential to imminently disrupt mobility.