Drive.ai

Drive.ai is a developer of the systems of artificial intelligence for unmanned vehicles. Technologies which are developed by the company allow machines to go on roads independently and also to manage far off them. On vehicles fasten the information display announcing actions of the robomobile to other participants of the movement. The popularity came to Drive.ai after creation of a system of deep learning which distinguishes objects on the road and helps the car to avoid collision with them.

History

2019: Apple purchased Drive.ai

On June 25, 2019 it became known of sale of Drive.ai of Apple corporation. At first announced the Axios edition with reference to the sources the transaction, and then it and the The Verge portal received confirmation of information from the American corporation. At the same time the last refrained from any further comments.

Apple purchased the developer of systems for pilotless cars of Drive.ai

How much absorption of Drive.ai cost to Apple, it is unknown. The total amount of investments which the startup attracted from the moment of the basis and until the end of June, 2019 was $77 million. According to the results of one of financing rounds the company was estimated at $200 million. Sources of Axios claim that Apple, most likely, paid less than $200 million.

According to San Francisco Chronicle, earlier in June, 2019 Drive.ai submitted the petition for dissolution of the company and dismissal of 90 workers. The edition paid attention that at some former employees of a startup pages on social network LinkedIn were refreshed: there now it is reported that they are engaged in  Apple in "special projects". Axios writes that "dozens" of engineers of Drive.ai joined Apple.

Apple develops many years an initiative of Project Titan within which is engaged in automobile technologies. According to some data, the company wants to develop and release own electrical machine, on others — to create only the system of an auto pilot for "smart" vehicles.^[1]

Robotics

Notes