Smart Cities solutions provider SenSen Networks Limited (ASX: SNS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australian company ACE Electric Vehicles Group to collaborate on developing autonomous driving capabilities to ACE electric vehicles.
Under the agreement the vehicles would be manufactured in Australia by ACE.
SenSen is a world leader in multi-camera, multi-sensor data fusion technology delivering highly accurate, enforcement-grade solutions to make cities smarter worldwide.
Using the SenDISA (SenSen’s Distributed and Intelligent Sensor Analytics) platform, SenSen has delivered robust and scalable law enforcement solutions, including speed enforcement, city- by laws enforcement and parking enforcement, to global law enforcement and government agencies.
The core capabilities of SenDISA allow fusion of data from cameras and sensors to detect vehicles, people and objects, track and classify them, determine their speed and location and ascertain various attributes necessary to save lives and improve citizens’ wellbeing.
Through this collaboration with ACE, SenSen will customise its SenDISA platform for deliver autonomous driving capabilities to ACE electic vehicles.
SenSen’s CEO, Subhash Challa, said the company’s proven track record and prior experience in solving complex problems of object detection, tracking and data fusion for Smart City applications will provide significant advantages to accelerate progress in this endeavour.
Mt Challa said this MoU is significant to SenSen as it represents the company’s launch into building solutions in the rapidly growing field of autonomous vehicles. ACE (ace-ev.com.au/) will provide a prototype electric vehicle, its ACE Cargo commercial van, for the purpose of testing the installation, use, compatibility and performance of automated driving technology under development at SenSen.
The ACE Cargo is Australian made at Aldom Motor Body Builders in South Australia and has a drive range on one charge of 150–200km at partial load. With a regulated maximum speed of 85km/h and maximum pay load of 500kg, and a resultant lowering of running costs by up to 85% and greenhouse emissions by up to 70%, the ACE Cargo is perfect for small cargo fleets in urban environments.
Subject to ACE being satisfied with the performance of SenSen’s autonomous driving technology and ACE wishing to offer the technology as an addition to ACE’s vehicle, the parties will negotiate reasonably and in good faith at that time to enter into an agreement for the supply of the technology by SenSen to ACE.
“Globally, the shift towards electric vehicles and automated driving is inevitable, and SenSen is positioning itself to be an important part of that evolution. Licensing SenSen AI technology and our SenDISA software for Robotics, Automation and Autonomous Driving is part of the roadmap for SenSen and we are excited to be working with ACE to accelerate our long-term vision to be a major player in the autonomous driving industry.
“We see this collaboration with ACE Electric Vehicles Group as a significant step forward in fulfilling our commitment to assist governments in creating a safer, more efficient living and working environment for their citizens.”
