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| © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. TriEye's technology could help autonomous systems "see" even better in poor conditions. Porsche |
Automakers are always on the lookout for startup companies with
something in the pipeline that could help realize a major technological
advancement. And the industry has an obvious interest in autonomous
driving and self-driving cars . Porsche has seen something in Israeli
startup TriEye, announcing Wednesday that it's bought a minority stake
in the startup.
Specifically, Porsche detailed the company's
impressive development on a a sensor technology for short-wave infrared
(SWIR). The technology allows driver-assistance and self-driving systems
to "see" more clearly in poor weather conditions. Dust, fog and rain
are all elements that may make it harder for an autonomous car to
operate and self-driving systems generally have a difficult time
operating in anything other than perfect conditions.
What makes
TriEye unique is further development on semi-conductor design. Porsche
said the patent-pending technology will make it possible to manufacture
SWIR HD cameras for far less than what they currently cost. Making
technology that could be essential to tomorrow's autonomous driving
systems cheaper is always a positive for automakers.
The German company hasn't exactly taken to the driver's seat when it comes to autonomous cars, but parent automaker Volkswagen
Group has. VW has consistently worked with partners such as Aurora
Innovations. However, VW dissolved that particular partnership as it
announced it will work exclusively with Ford's Argo AI on self-driving car technologies.
Porsche's
investment comes during a Series A funding round for the startup. Other
investors include Intel Capital and Grove Ventures.
