Graphics chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) on Wednesday introduced a new artificial-intelligence supercomputer chip, called Xavier, which is designed for self-driving cars.
Xavier is a system-on-chip (SoC) that integrates a new GPU (graphics processing unit) architecture called Volta, a custom 8-core CPU (central processing unit) architecture, and a new computer vision accelerator. The processor will deliver 20 trillion operations per second of performance, while consuming just 20 watts of power, Nvidia said.
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"Because autonomous driving is an incredibly compute-intense process, the need for an efficient AI processor is paramount," Nvidia said in a blog post. "Xavier will bring self-driving car technology to automakers, tier 1 suppliers, startups and R&D organizations that are building autonomous vehicles, whether cars, trucks, shuttles or taxis."
Nvidia expects to make Xavier samples available in the fourth quarter of 2017 to automakers and other groups developing self-driving cars.
Nvidia already works with such automakers as Audi, BMW, Honda (HMC), Mercedes-Benz, Telsa Motors (TSLA) and Volvo, providing technology for infotainment, navigation, digital instrument clusters and advanced driver-assistance systems.
On Aug. 31, Nvidia and China's Baidu (BIDU) announced a partnership to make an autonomous car platform.
Nvidia stock rose 0.4% to a new closing high of 66.78 on the stock market today.
Also Wednesday, Nvidia and TomTom, the Dutch mapping and navigation group, announced a partnership to develop artificial intelligence to create a cloud-to-car mapping system for self-driving cars.
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