Self-driving technology firm Waabi has entered a partnership with Volvo Autonomous Solutions, the driverless systems unit of the Swedish truckmaker, to develop and deploy autonomous big rigs, the company announced on Tuesday.
The collaboration will integrate Waabiâs virtual driver system, along with sensors and computing technology, into Volvoâs VNL Autonomous truck, which will be produced at Volvoâs New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia. The initiative comes as fleet operators and truck manufacturers seek self-driving solutions to address driver shortages and improve operational efficiency.
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âThe technology we are building is technology that can be actually used for many verticals, trucking being one. But you will see Waabi in the future doing robotaxis, humanoid robots, et cetera,â Waabiâs founder and CEO, Raquel Urtasun, told Reuters.
Waabi employs a proprietary digital simulator, Waabi World, for training, testing, and validation, which it says accelerates the deployment of autonomous vehicles. The company plans to launch commercial pilots in Texas with Uber Freight within four years, initially with a human driver.
Unlike Teslaâs vision-only approach, which relies on imitation learning from real-world driving data, Waabiâs system is designed to function with minimal reliance on real-world miles. The company said its deal with Volvo is not exclusive and that it is open to integrating its technology with other truck manufacturers.
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âWe selected trucking as the first use case because, you know, the market is really ripe for this solution,â Urtasun added.
Waabi is backed by major investors, including Nvidia, Uber, and Porsche Automobil Holding. Volvo Groupâs venture capital arm also became a strategic investor in 2023 and participated in Waabiâs $200 million Series B funding round last year.
