Rivian is hosting its first-ever Autonomy and AI Day today.
The EV startup is set to present an advanced driver-assistance system that enables hands-free driving.
The livestream of the event starts today at noon, and it can be watched on InsideEVs.
Rivian is going through a hot period. With a fleeting $7,500 tax credit bonus and the upcoming R2 SUV model that has not yet gone on sale, the American startup is looking for new ways to diversify its revenue. Although it scored a major success with Volkswagen, it is still not enough, which is why Rivian is looking toward autonomy as the next big step that could keep the company afloat for years to come.
Today, Rivian is hosting its first-ever autonomy and AI event, during which the company is expected to unveil plans for advanced driver-assistance systems, AI assistants, and the hardware that will enable all of it.
This is similar to what Tesla has been doing for a few years, aiming to generate excitement among fans, potential customers, and – probably most importantly – investors. If Rivian's plan proves solid, investment firms will gladly put money into the startup, but if everything rests on hopes and dreams, the California-based company could face its biggest challenges since its founding.
Rivian released a short teaser for the event, in which founder and CEO RJ Scaringe said that "in the relatively near future, customers expect the vehicle to be able to take them wherever they want, without the need to actively participate in driving."
That sounds like the setup for a semi-autonomous system that allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel and enjoy a more relaxing ride on long-distance trips. Scaringe said last week that Rivian's next steps toward autonomy are a "hands-off everywhere" feature, followed by "point-to-point navigation."
So far, the advanced driver-assistance systems in the R1S and R1T models have been somewhat disappointing, probably because they rely on cameras and conventional proximity sensors. The key to unlocking more advanced hands-free driving features may lie in adding a Lidar sensor.
Although Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has dismissed the technology as a "crutch," Rivian is expected to offer a Lidar sensor in the upcoming R2 SUV. A cutout for the sensor can be spotted in the official video footage showing the assembly of the R2 prototype, and RJ Scaringe said that he is "not ruling out" the technology.
Another piece of news that may appear during Rivian's Autonomy and AI Day concerns an in-car AI assistant that could control some vehicle functions using natural voice commands. In an interview with TechCrunch, Wassym Bensaid, Rivian's head of software, said that the company has spent nearly two years developing the AI assistant and plans to release it by the end of the year.
We will be present at the Rivian Autonomy and AI Day in person and will publish the key takeaways from the venue, but anyone can join the online livestream below. The event starts today at 12:00 Eastern Time.
