Volkswagen will start testing autonomous vehicles in Germany this summer, the company announced last Wednesday.
The German carmaker's ID Buzz will use hardware and software developed by Argo AI, a Pittsburgh - based startup funded by Ford and VW - which according to VW is an "extension of VW's global alliance with Ford".
We work with Volkswagen in a way that sets us apart from everyone else. We deliver a safe, smart and scalable product for autonomous driving. Argos technology includes lidar sensors, radar and cameras. In addition, the vehicle is able to "see" the environment, plan the next steps and predict the movements of cars and pedestrians. This in combination with the Argos sensor package - enables autonomous driving at all speeds.
In recent years, we have learned that customers and authorities have high and specific expectations for autonomous car sharing systems. Customers expect it to be as simple, convenient and reliable as driving their own car. While the authorities expect it to contribute to less traffic congestion.