In the process of making autonomous vehicles a reality, Seoul Robotics has veered away from the path. Seoul is looking at the infrastructure around it to perform part of the lifting when it comes to creating and embedding the whole self-driving technology, including sensors, into vehicles.
The company’s innovative approach has brought in an investment of $25 million from venture capital, and has caught the attention of potential investors. Seoul Robotics claims that KB Investment was the driving driver in the series B financing round.
After signing a partnership agreement together with NVIDIA on August 1, Seoul Robotics’ v.p. of solutions and products Jerone Floor clarified that the company will not have the intention of “outfitting the vehicles themselves with sensors,” rather the infrastructure around them.
Level 5 Control Tower (or LV5 CTRL TWR), the company’s autonomous vehicle infrastructure platform, integrates with the company’s brand Sensr software, which collects information from sensors like camera sensors and lidar (light detection and moving radar) and then send the information to vehicles.
As per Hanbin Lee, CEO of Seoul Robotics, the LV5 CTRL TWR is a combination of the automatic transmission as well as in-vehicle connectivity that allows autonomous vehicle navigation that is hardware-free.
The LV5 CTRL TWR, which was developed by Seoul Robotics, is said to assist in gathering context information and determining the most safe way for vehicles to travel.
This infrastructure platform uses a technology called “autonomy through infrastructure (ATI)” and a V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication system to control functions like lane-keeping and brake assistance in a car.
span data-preserver-spaces=”true “>”[With the autonomy by infrastructure (ATI) users are able to automate millions of cars that pass through parking spaces using just 100 sensors” Lee said.
In July 2022 Seoul Robotics’ technology was included in BMW’s new 7 Series and the all-electric BMW i7 as part of BMW’s pilot program.
Seoul Robotics, which was created in the year 2017 by four people and is currently working with the major auto manufacturers (OEMs) like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Qualcomm, and LG Uplus to expand the reach of its product’s use.
Lee is announcing that the partnership talks have been extended to include an additional nine international manufacturers of original equipment.
Based on Lee, one of the company’s most distinctive features is the Sensr software, launched in 2018, lets users choose which sensor (or sensors) which best meet their needs. This allows the company to customize their selection of services to their individual needs and budget.
Lee explained that, while Sensr is “very much the backbone” of the company’s products (including the LV5 CTRL) The other products of the company have become “far more sophisticated” than in the year 2018. “We now provide three plug-and-play LiDAR development kits that include all the components needed for any organisation to get set up with a 3D system,” the company claims. Lee continued to add that it also offers specific application solutions, including ones that protect pedestrians, railway obstruction detection as well as level 5 autonomy.
According to Lee the initial perception application that relied upon LiDAR technology was designed entirely by the sensor makers and therefore was inextricably tied to hardware. The problem was, according to Lee stated, “with that approach was that each sensor have different strengths and weaknesses,” with some having a large field of view but with a shorter range while others possessing an extremely narrow field of vision but a long range. “You can’t pick and choose which sensor to use, and that’s where we come in.”
The latest feature was unveiled in the last week, and relies on LiDAR and its Sensr software to detect and report instances of illegal driving. As per Seoul Robotics, the wrong-way detection technology has been put into place on freeways and highways across Europe, Asia, and the United States, specifically in the states of California, Florida, and Tennessee.
With the capital increase The company is planning to increase its staff and discover new applications for Sensr in fields like smart cities security, logistics, and security (including the automated parking system for trucks, valet garages and rental vehicle fleets). Also, Series B received financing by Noh & Partners, Future Play as well as The Korean Development Bank, Artesian along with Access Ventures.
“The 2020 Series” A investment round earned 6 million dollars for Seoul’s company with offices with offices in Munich, California, and Raleigh.