Truck subsidiary Torc reaches agreement to acquire Algolux for AI-based self-driving perception
Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck that commercialises self-driving vehicle technology, has signed an agreement to acquire Algolux for its intellectual property and expertise in the areas of computer vision and machine learning.
“On the path to commercialisation of our autonomous-ready Freightliner Cascadia, with Torc’s virtual driver, we never stop improving safety. We are convinced that Algolux with its perception capabilities can bring us one step closer to reach our goal to safely and reliably bring SAE Level 4 autonomous trucks into production in the USA within this decade”, says Joanna Buttler, Head of Autonomous Technology Group at Daimler Truck.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Algolux to the Torc family,” says Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc CEO. “Algolux’s technology, at the intersection of deep learning, computer vision, and computational imaging, will help Torc strengthen key capabilities toward our commercialisation of Level 4 autonomous trucking.”
According to Allan Benchetrit, Algolux president and CEO, the two companies share a commitment to create robust technology to realise the potential of autonomy and help save lives, which is one of the many reasons why joining forces makes sense for the teams.
Torc has been working closely with the company for over a year on multiple perception concepts and methods for robustly improving object detection and distance estimation. Such perception technology is key to helping Torc’s autonomous system correctly identify objects in difficult visual conditions such as low light, fog or inclement weather. Algolux software is currently operating on initial Freightliner Cascadia test vehicles in the USA and is being included in areas of Torc’s software development efforts.