Kodiak Robotics has built-in NXP’s automotive processors and in-vehicle networking interfaces. | Supply: Kodiak Robotics
Kodiak Robotics Inc. right this moment stated it’s integrating NXP Semiconductors’ automotive processors and in-vehicle networking interfaces into its autonomous driving system. The corporate stated the processors will improve the efficiency, robustness, and reliability of its system.
“Security is the muse of every part we do at Kodiak, and a accountability now we have taken severely since Day 1,” stated Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics. “Driverless vehicles require highly effective and dependable safety-critical computing platforms which meet our rigorous security requirements. By incorporating NXP’s automotive options into the Kodiak Driver, we’re positioned to include the very best classification of automotive security into our autonomous system extra effectively and at scale.”
Based in 2018, Kodiak stated it has developed expertise to handle important challenges within the transportation business. These embrace driver shortages, calls for for shorter supply timelines, and rising prices. The firm claimed that its single-platform automated driving system, the Kodiak Driver, combines superior synthetic intelligence software program with modular {hardware}.
In April, Kodiak introduced that it could go public through a special-purpose acquisition firm, or SPAC. It agreed to be acquired by Ares Acquisition Company II, or AACT, an affiliate of Ares Administration Corp.
In line with the announcement, Kodiak Robotics’ pre-money fairness totaled $2.5 billion. The mixed firm can have entry to roughly $551 million of money held in AACT’s belief account at closing. Kodiak stated it expects the merger to shut within the second half of 2025.
NXP to boost Kodiak Driver security and compliance
NXP’s automotive methods embrace the S32G3 car community processor, the S32K3 microcontroller, the VR5510 multi-channel high-voltage energy administration built-in circuit (PMIC), and the PF53 regulator. Kodiak is integrating these into the Kodiak Actuation Management Engine (ACE), its custom-designed pc that manages car actuation independently from the principle autonomy system.
Kodiak stated it designed ACE to permit the Kodiak Driver to run a secure fallback maneuver and convey a car to a managed cease. ACE can do that if any safety-critical element of both the Kodiak Driver or the underlying car platform fails, it stated.
NXP’s methods allow important capabilities corresponding to car efficiency monitoring, based on Kodiak. Ten occasions every second, the Kodiak Driver evaluates the efficiency of greater than 1,000 safety-critical processes and parts in each the self-driving stack and the underlying truck platform. The firm‘s methods additionally energy important security capabilities corresponding to on-vehicle energy administration.
The addition of NXP’s automotive methods will enhance the Kodiak Driver’s reliability and robustness, the businesses claimed. The methods do that by supporting the Driver’s self-diagnostic capabilities, permitting Kodiak to enhance car uptime.
As well as, Kodiak asserted that NXP’s broad vary of auto interfaces presents a versatile and cost-effective method to adapt the Kodiak Driver to extra car platforms.
NXP stated it designed its computing and in-vehicle community processors to assist the real-time efficiency, subsystem integration, and purposeful security necessities of Kodiak’s self-driving system. The corporate’s processors ship deterministic, real-time efficiency, which Kodiak stated is important for enhancements to its exact management over steering, braking, throttle, and energy administration.
NXP’s methods are compliant with the very best ISO 26262 automotive security integrity stage, or ASIL-D. Compliance with ASIL-D corresponds to a price of fewer than 10 failures in 1 billion hours of operation.
How is Kodiak integrating NXP’s expertise?
Kodiak has built-in NXP’s methods into the pc structure that powers the Kodiak Driver, together with:
- S32G3 car community processor: This high-performance and high-reliability processor allows secure actuation of auto controls, together with redundant braking, steering, and throttle.
- S32K3 microcontrollers for automotive functions: Kodiak makes use of these chips within the ACE as security co-processors and to allow energy distribution, battery charging, and security HMI interfaces.
- VR5510 multi-channel high-voltage PMIC: The PMIC offers high-performance energy technology, together with purposeful security mechanisms to observe output voltages.
- PF53 ASIL D core provide regulator: This delivers energy efficiency to unlock the total potential of the S32G3 core.
“Autonomous driving methods demand a stage of security and reliability that leaves no room for compromise,” stated Robert Moran, common supervisor and vice chairman of automotive processors at NXP. “Our ISO 26262-compliant S32 compute options are designed to assist that stage of rigor, delivering the real-time efficiency and purposeful integrity wanted to assist corporations like Kodiak convey superior autonomous capabilities to market with confidence.”
