Ambarella and Plus Announce High Performance Transformer-Based AD Perception Software Stack, PlusVision™, for CV3-AD AI Domain Controller Family With Industry-Leading Power Efficiency

Rhea-AI Summary

Ambarella (NASDAQ: AMBA) and Plus have announced the availability of PlusVision™, a high-performance transformer-based autonomous driving (AD) perception software stack, on Ambarella's CV3-AD AI domain controller family. This collaboration aims to accelerate the development of L2+/L3 autonomy across vehicle models with uniform perception software.

Key highlights:

• PlusVision combines Plus's L4 perception capabilities with extensive real-world driving data
• The software stack can process 11 cameras simultaneously at 30 fps on a mid-range CV3-AD655 SoC
• Provides over 200 meters of front-camera detection range
• CV3-AD SoCs offer industry-leading AI performance per watt, benefiting electric vehicle battery range
• Optimized for Ambarella's CVflow® AI engine, delivering high performance with low latency and power consumption

Positive

• Collaboration with Plus expands Ambarella's offerings in the autonomous driving market
• PlusVision software stack capable of processing 11 cameras simultaneously at 30 fps
• Over 200 meters of front-camera detection range, important for high-speed driving
• CV3-AD SoCs provide industry-leading AI performance per watt
• Optimized solution offers high performance with low latency and power consumption

Negative

• None.

Insights

Automotive Technology Analyst

The collaboration between Ambarella and Plus to offer PlusVision™ on Ambarella's CV3-AD AI domain controller family marks a significant advancement in autonomous driving technology. This partnership combines Plus's extensive real-world driving data with Ambarella's high-performance, energy-efficient SoCs, potentially accelerating the adoption of L2+/L3 autonomy across various vehicle models.

Key points to consider:

• Performance: The mid-range CV3-AD655 SoC can process 11 cameras simultaneously at 30 fps, with a front-camera detection range of over 200 meters. This capability is important for high-speed driving scenarios and enhances overall safety.
• Efficiency: Ambarella's CV3-AD family boasts industry-leading power efficiency, which is vital for extending the range of electric vehicles. This could be a significant selling point for OEMs looking to optimize their EV offerings.
• Flexibility: The uniform perception software allows OEMs to develop and fine-tune autonomous driving policies across different vehicle models and trim levels, potentially reducing development costs and time-to-market.
• Future-proofing: The solution's adaptability to evolving autonomy needs positions it as a long-term investment for automotive manufacturers, potentially reducing the need for frequent hardware updates.

While this collaboration shows promise, it's important to note that the autonomous driving market is highly competitive, with established players like NVIDIA and Mobileye. The success of this solution will depend on its real-world performance, cost-effectiveness and adoption by major automotive manufacturers.

Financial Analyst

The partnership between Ambarella (NASDAQ: AMBA) and Plus to offer PlusVision™ on Ambarella's CV3-AD AI domain controller family could have positive implications for Ambarella's financial outlook. Here's why:

• Market Expansion: This collaboration positions Ambarella to capture a larger share of the growing autonomous driving semiconductor market, which is projected to reach $35 billion by 2030.
• Competitive Advantage: The emphasis on power efficiency and performance per watt could give Ambarella an edge in the electric vehicle segment, where energy conservation is crucial.
• Diversification: While Ambarella has a strong presence in the security camera chip market, this move further diversifies its revenue streams into the automotive sector, potentially reducing risk.
• Long-term Growth: As the automotive industry transitions towards higher levels of autonomy, Ambarella's CV3-AD family could see increased demand, potentially driving long-term revenue growth.

However, investors should consider the following risks:

• Competition: The autonomous driving chip market is fiercely competitive, with well-established players like NVIDIA and Mobileye.
• Adoption Rate: The success of this product depends on its adoption by Tier-1 suppliers and OEMs, which can be a lengthy and uncertain process.
• Regulatory Environment: Changes in regulations surrounding autonomous vehicles could impact the demand for these chips.

While this partnership shows promise, investors should closely monitor Ambarella's ability to convert this technological advancement into tangible financial results in the coming quarters.

Birds-Eye-View Vision Technology Enables OEMs to Offer L2+/L3 Autonomy Across Vehicle Models With Uniform Perception Software

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ambarella, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMBA), an edge AI semiconductor company, and Plus, an AI-based driver assist and autonomous driving (AD) solutions provider, today announced that Plus’s PlusVision™—a high-performance transformer-based AD perception software stack with industry-leading power efficiency—is now available on Ambarella’s CV3-AD AI domain controller family of systems-on-chip (SoCs), which provides industry leading AI performance per watt. This state-of-the-art perception offering will help Tier-1 suppliers and carmakers to accelerate the launch of next-generation vehicles with L2+/L3 autonomy.

PlusVision is the transformer-based, deep neural network AI perception software that combines Plus’s L4 perception capabilities with an extensive and diverse dataset. Plus’s AD stack has accumulated millions of real-world driving miles in the U.S., Europe and Australia. This data collection has made PlusVision smarter, enabling incredibly information-rich output that helps OEMs develop and fine-tune detailed autonomous driving policies. Implementing uniform perception software is key to enabling these data-driven, custom policies across different vehicle models and trim levels.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Ambarella in offering PlusVision’s leading-edge perception capabilities on their CV3-AD SoCs,” said David Liu, CEO and co-founder at Plus. “This combination will provide Tier-1s and OEMs with a flexible, high-performance and power-efficient perception solution, enabling them to create a future-proof platform that can be adapted for their evolving autonomy needs.”

“Our collaboration with Plus offers Tier-1s and OEMs additional cutting-edge transformer-based AI perception software solutions, to help accelerate their next-generation vehicle development,” said Fermi Wang, president and CEO of Ambarella. “This is a pivotal time for the automotive industry, and solutions like this give Tier-1s and OEMs the flexibility to efficiently differentiate their offerings and maximize customer value.”

The PlusVision stack, running on a mid-range CV3-AD655 SoC, is capable of delivering peak performance of 11 cameras being simultaneously processed at 30 frames per second. This solution provides more than 200 meters of front-camera detection range, enabling the long-distance perception that is crucial in high-speed driving conditions.

The CV3-AD SoC family offers industry-leading low power consumption while providing advanced image processing and superior AI performance per watt. The Plus and Ambarella teams collaborated to optimize the transformer-based PlusVision model for the CVflow® AI engine inside the CV3-AD SoCs, which provides an optimal solution for AD systems with high performance, low latency and low power AI processing. Additionally, the CV3-AD family’s efficiency helps increase battery range in new electric vehicles and its optimized processing performance provides OEMs with additional headroom to integrate other software and create differentiated features.

About Ambarella
Ambarella’s products are used in a wide variety of human vision and edge AI applications, including video security, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), electronic mirror, drive recorder, driver/cabin monitoring, autonomous driving and robotics applications. Ambarella’s low-power systems-on-chip (SoCs) offer high-resolution video compression, advanced image and radar processing, and powerful deep neural network processing to enable intelligent perception, fusion and planning. For more information, please visit www.ambarella.com.

About Plus
Plus is an AI company whose mission is to build driving intelligence to power a safer and greener world. Plus’s autonomous driving solutions span from driver-out SuperDrive™, to highly automated PlusDrive®, next-gen safety technology PlusProtect™, and model-based perception software PlusVision™. Headquartered in Silicon Valley with operations in the U.S., Europe, and Australia, Plus is named by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Plus’s large AI models are already powering vehicles in commercial use today. Partners including Bosch, dm-drogerie markt, DSV, Hyundai Motor Company, IVECO, Luminar, Nikola, Scania / MAN / Navistar of the TRATON GROUP, and Transurban are working with Plus to accelerate next-generation transportation solutions. For more information, visit http://www.plus.ai/.

Ambarella Contacts

• Media contact: Eric Lawson, elawson@ambarella.com, +1 480-276-9572
• Investor contact: Louis Gerhardy, lgerhardy@ambarella.com, +1 408-636-2310
• Sales contact: www.ambarella.com/about/contact/inquiries

Plus Contacts

• Media contact: Lauren Kwan, pr@plus.ai
• Business development contact: https://plus.ai/contact
  

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6b70a128-0ada-41e2-bb57-f244861a23c2

FAQ

What is PlusVision and how does it work with Ambarella's CV3-AD SoCs?

PlusVision is a high-performance transformer-based autonomous driving perception software stack developed by Plus. It is now available on Ambarella's CV3-AD AI domain controller family of SoCs, offering efficient AI processing for L2+/L3 autonomy in vehicles.

What are the key performance metrics of PlusVision on Ambarella's CV3-AD655 SoC?

PlusVision running on a mid-range CV3-AD655 SoC can process 11 cameras simultaneously at 30 frames per second and provides over 200 meters of front-camera detection range, important for high-speed driving conditions.

How does the Ambarella-Plus collaboration benefit OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers?

The collaboration offers OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers a flexible, high-performance, and power-efficient perception solution. It enables them to create future-proof platforms adaptable to evolving autonomy needs and accelerate the launch of next-generation vehicles with L2+/L3 autonomy.

What advantages does Ambarella's CV3-AD SoC family offer for autonomous driving systems?

Ambarella's CV3-AD SoC family provides industry-leading low power consumption, advanced image processing, and superior AI performance per watt. This efficiency helps increase battery range in electric vehicles and offers OEMs additional headroom to integrate other software and create differentiated features.