Qualcomm Technologies introduced the latest addition to the Snapdragon Ride™ Platform portfolio – the Snapdragon Ride™ Vision System – a new open, scalable, and modular computer vision software stack built on a four-nanometer (4nm) process technology system-on-chip (SoC) designed for an optimized implementation of front and surround cameras for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving (AD). Combining the purpose-built, high-performance Snapdragon Ride SoCs with the next generation vision perception software stack from Arriver, the Snapdragon Ride Vision System is engineered with a blend of industry-proven hardware and software solutions to support various compute functions needed for enhanced perception around the vehicle to allow for planning and acting and safer driving experiences.

The Snapdragon Ride Vision System supports flexible deployment options with its ability to scale from entry-tier New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) front camera applications to higher levels of automation that require comprehensive front and surround-view camera applications, allowing for a common implementation of features and requirements, with functional safety/SOTIF support, across virtually all vehicle tiers and types. The Snapdragon Ride Vision System offers a uniquely designed modular architecture to extend the flexibility for automakers to integrate map crowdsourcing, driver monitoring system (DMS), parking systems, cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies and localization modules to support better customization and up-integration.

As the industry progresses toward new advances in automated driving, Qualcomm Technologies expects to see a greater need for automotive solutions aimed at providing functional safety, specifically vision-based perception and sensing software, which is used for detection, classification and tracking of static and dynamic objects. The Snapdragon Ride Vision System integrates an industry-proven Arriver™ Vision stack, which tracks automaker and regulatory requirements, as well as those of global safety rating agencies. It allows for customization of features including:

Industry-proven Computer Vision, which utilizes a camera perception software stack that has successfully been in production for four generations and with over a decade of research and development behind it; received top performance ratings and allowed enabled automakers to achieve 5-star safety ratings for European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) latest in 2021.

Extension of the front camera vision system to include near-field parking camera perception, with mono to multi-focal vision systems for increasing levels of object detection to support both basic and advanced safety features
A specialised toolkit designed for in-vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) development and to be used as a reference system for scaling from L2-L3 and beyond applications; features safety operating system (OS) and hypervisors, automotive middleware for ADAS and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including complex Neural Architecture Search (NAS).

Support automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to design and develop solutions using the Snapdragon Ride SDK; allows for flexibility to determine their own selection of components, including sensors and maps for localization
Future-proofing capabilities: the software platform is continually evolving to meet industry requirements via the Agile software development process, while the hardware platform supports ecosystem development and over-the-air (OTA) upgrades for ongoing feature enhancements

“As we further collaborate with the automakers and Tier 1 suppliers, our latest Snapdragon Ride Vision System aims to address a growing need for a more open, adaptable and scalable platform for computer vision solutions,” said Nakul Duggal, senior vice president and GM, automotive, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Snapdragon Ride focuses on the extensive automated driving needs of our customers, ranging from scalable SoCs to integrated AD stacks and development platforms, and tools, that provide a comprehensive solution for L2-L3 automated driving, while maintaining the flexibility to accommodate automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to bring their preferred solutions. The Snapdragon Ride Vision System can offer automakers the opportunity to customize more advanced driving experiences for every vehicle class.”

The Snapdragon Ride Vision System is expected to be available in vehicle production in 2024. The automotive ecosystem can also begin developing next-generation ADAS and AD solutions and their own Drive Policy now by using the available Snapdragon Ride™ Software Development Kit (SDK), which is designed to provide a comprehensive hardware and software environment for rapid development by offering automakers and Tier-1 suppliers the flexibility to develop their own drive policy stack and integrate components, such as Parking and DMS that can be integrated into the Snapdragon Ride Vision System.

The Snapdragon Ride Vision System is a product of Qualcomm Technologies and features Arriver technology. Both Qualcomm Technologies and Arriver share the goal of developing ADAS/AD solutions to enhance safety.

Source: Qualcomm

Image: Qualcomm