Integration of NovAtel’s PwrPak7-E1 with NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion
Hexagon | NovAtel has announced the accomplished integration of its PwrPak7-E1 GNSS-aided Inertial Navigation System (INS) with the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion platform, a critically important step forward in autonomous vehicle (AV) advancement. This integration aligns with the recent release of NVIDIA’s DriveWorks v4 software, enhancing the capabilities of the platform.
Overview of DRIVE Hyperion
The NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion platform is a thorough, production-ready solution designed to streamline the implementation of AI technologies and autonomous driving features in vehicles. By minimizing both time and costs associated with equipping vehicles with necessary technologies, it serves as a pivotal resource for developers in the AV sector. The PwrPak7-E1, featuring NovAtel’s advanced SPAN (GNSS+INS) technology, is presented as a compact, all-in-one solution that is perfectly suited for this platform.
Enhanced Connectivity and Precision
Equipped with NovAtel’s OEM7 GNSS engine, the PwrPak7-E1 boasts improved connectivity options, including serial, USB, CAN, and Ethernet interfaces. This versatility makes it an excellent choice for high-precision positioning and ground truth applications essential for the development of autonomous vehicles.
Global Deployment in Autonomous Testing
Chosen for its reliability and accurate positioning capabilities, the PwrPak7-E1 will be utilized in NVIDIA’s global fleet of autonomous driving test vehicles. When paired with NovAtel’s Waypoint Inertial Explorer post-processing software, it provides critical ground truth data, which serves as a benchmark for validating the behavior of autonomous driving software.
Data Integration for AI development
The GNSS and IMU outputs from the PwrPak7-E1,along with information from various onboard sensors,are systematically recorded and integrated into NVIDIA’s advanced development framework. This data synchronization is crucial for training AI models and testing different software components related to autonomous driving behavior.
Expert Insights
Gordon Heidinger, segment manager for automotive and safety-critical systems at Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division, remarked, “Accurate positioning is essential to the advancement of autonomous technologies. We are thrilled to be a trusted partner in the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion ecosystem.”
Glenn Schuster,senior director of sensor ecosystems at NVIDIA,added,“The DRIVE Hyperion platform is crafted to empower developers to swiftly create,assess,and validate AV technologies. The integration of NovAtel’s solutions on our platform instills confidence in developers by ensuring precise synchronization of sensor data with location information.”
