Aurora Announces Beta Release of the Aurora Driver in Commercial Pilot of Aurora Horizon

Rhea-AI Summary

Aurora has launched the beta version of its Aurora Driver, enhancing autonomous driving capabilities for logistics.

The pilot program operates between Dallas and Houston, TX, demonstrating 100% on-time delivery. Equipped with advanced hardware and new autonomy capabilities, the Aurora Driver can navigate complex road situations reliably. This marks a significant milestone for Aurora as it moves towards the commercial release of its Horizon product in late 2023. The beta release is a key step in confirming Aurora's Driver-as-a-Service model and expanding its partnerships with FedEx and PACCAR.

Positive

• Aurora Driver Beta has achieved 100% on-time deliveries in commercial pilots.
• The beta version demonstrates advanced hardware and autonomy capabilities for navigating complex traffic situations.
• The release confirms Aurora's Driver-as-a-Service business model and paves the way for the commercial launch of Aurora Horizon in late 2023.

Negative

• None.

The Aurora Driver, now in beta, features cutting-edge hardware and fresh capabilities that enable safe autonomous driving while transporting goods on behalf of Aurora customers.

PALMER, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Autonomous driving company Aurora has released its first commercial beta of the Aurora Driver, which consists of the hardware, software, and data services needed to safely operate an autonomous Aurora-powered vehicle. Aurora Driver Beta is currently hauling loads between Dallas and Houston, TX, in a commercial pilot of Aurora Horizon, a suite of subscription services that help carriers and fleet owners move goods more safely and efficiently.

Aurora is moving quickly toward the commercial launch of its Aurora Horizon product offering in 2023, and the release of Aurora Driver Beta marks an important milestone. It’s a demonstration of Aurora’s autonomous driving capabilities, a confirmation of its Driver-as-a-Service business model, the manifestation of years of hard work, and the foundation for future versions of its products.

Aurora has always invested up-front in the creation of core technologies built for rapid deployment and scale—an approach the company calls self-driving 2.0—and the development of Aurora Driver Beta has been no different. The commercial pilot with FedEx and PACCAR along a 400-mile freight corridor comes after just a few weeks of refining the Aurora Driver in simulation and testing on a 30-mile section of the I-45 between Dallas and Houston.

The Aurora Driver Beta release includes key updates that allow it to safely navigate a new commercial route and autonomously transport goods for customers. This release is the culmination of the company’s improved hardware and autonomy system equipped with the capabilities that allow its autonomous trucks to safely navigate highways and streets.

Purpose-built hardware to see farther, process sensor data faster, and respond more accurately

Trucks integrated with the Aurora Driver come equipped with Aurora’s proprietary FirstLight lidar, imaging radar, and high-resolution cameras. The Aurora Driver uses early sensor fusion to process data from all of its sensors at once, feeding its perception system a comprehensive view of the environment. The company’s advanced sensor suite allows the Aurora Driver to track velocities and measure the acceleration of vehicles hundreds of meters away while moving at highway speeds, enabling faster, more accurate responses to road conditions.

New autonomy capabilities to drive like an ideal citizen of the road

To safely operate on the highway and nearby streets, Aurora Driver-powered trucks must autonomously handle all kinds of complex situations they’ll encounter while hauling goods from city to city. These capabilities, including unprotected left and right turns, high-speed merges, and various forms of construction, are notoriously difficult for self-driving vehicles. Today, Aurora Driver Beta performs them reliably in stop-and-go traffic, while negotiating with other traffic, and even when faced with rare events such as people walking their dogs on a busy freeway.

Aurora Driver Beta is not just a development release; it is designed to operate commercially for Aurora’s logistics partners. To date, Aurora’s commercial pilots have delivered with 100% on-time arrivals, demonstrating autonomy performance that exceeds customer expectations and instills confidence in a full-scale commercial launch in late 2023.

About Aurora

Founded in 2017 by experts in the self-driving industry, Aurora is on a mission to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly. To move both people and goods, the company is building the Aurora Driver, a platform that brings together software, hardware and data services to autonomously operate passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, and heavy-duty trucks. Aurora is backed by Sequoia Capital, Baillie Gifford, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, among others, and is partnered with industry leaders including Toyota, Uber, Volvo, and PACCAR. Aurora tests its vehicles in the Bay Area, Pittsburgh, and Dallas. The company has offices in those areas as well as in Bozeman, MT; Seattle, WA; Louisville, CO; and Wixom, MI. To learn more, visit www.aurora.tech.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211028005401/en/

Khobi Brooklyn

press@aurora.tech

(415) 699-3657

Source: Aurora

FAQ

What is the Aurora Driver Beta and its significance for RTPY and RTPYU?

The Aurora Driver Beta is a commercial beta release enabling autonomous driving capabilities for logistics, critical for the upcoming launch of Aurora Horizon in late 2023 and significant for RTPY and RTPYU investors.

Where is the Aurora Driver Beta currently operating?

The Aurora Driver Beta is currently operating on a commercial route between Dallas and Houston, TX.

What companies are involved with the Aurora Driver Beta?

Aurora Driver Beta is collaborating with logistics partners including FedEx and PACCAR.

When is the commercial launch of Aurora Horizon expected?

The commercial launch of Aurora Horizon is anticipated in late 2023.