Karma Group will leverage the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Xavier and Pegasus AI computing platforms for future autonomous electric vehicle capabilities. Credit: Karma Automotive.

US automaker Karma Group has announced its plans to use NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Xavier and Pegasus AI computing platforms to further the capabilities of self-driving electric vehicles.

Karma Group plans to combine its two vehicle platforms and two core technologies with five intelligent ecosystems.

The vehicle platforms include the Revero vehicles family and its electric global platform Project e-Klipse, which will start in 2021.

Karma’s technologies include full electric vehicles (BEVs) and extended range vehicles (EREVS).

The combined platforms and technologies will be supported by five intelligent ecosystems, namely Karma Skateboard, Cockpit, CarNet, Drive and Cloud.

Karma will use the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Xavier and DRIVE AGX Pegasus AI computing platforms in its self-driving vehicle systems. The DRIVE AGX platform uses the auto-grade NVIDIA Xavier system-on-a-chip.

It uses six processors to run redundant and diverse algorithms for AI, sensor processing, mapping and driving.

The platform is capable of processing an array of deep neural networks at a time and can facilitate highly automated driving.

The company’s Revero products operating on the road will be used as technology testbeds to support the ecosystem. The ecosystem will also be supported by a manufacturing facility, as well as different engineering and design resources.

Karma Autonomous Driving / ADAS vice-president said: “Our collaboration with NVIDIA was founded with the view of advancing and building Karma’s in-house capabilities through like-minded innovators.

“NVIDIA is the choice for Karma’s hardware platform as we develop and advance our AI and autonomous technologies.”

NVIDIA Automotive Business Development vice-president Rishi Dhall said: “AI is an enabling technology in the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles.

“Karma’s integration of the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX platform will provide the high-performance and energy-efficient compute necessary for the development and deployment of safe self-driving cars.”