Oxford’s Oxbotica announces collaboration with Google Cloud

By Sam Pither

30 March 2023

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Oxford-based autonomous vehicle software developer Oxbotica has announced a new collaboration with Google Cloud.

By combining Google Cloud’s cloud infrastructure and Oxbotica’s autonomous vehicle software, the partnership is aiming to support businesses which use transportation in their chain, such as last mile-logistics, light industry and public transport, to adopt autonomous driving solutions.

Oxbotica intends to develop, test, validate and verify its technology using Google Cloud’s computing, storage, networking and data analytics products, along with improving its security using Google Cloud’s cyber-security technologies.

Alongside the core development of its self-driving platform, Oxbotica will use Google Cloud to generate digital twins in Oxbotica’s MetaDriver, an AI-powered metaverse that connects and controls virtual and physical fleets together, sending real-time analytics on performance.

Oxbotica’s MetaDriver automatically generates a vast bank of virtual scenarios to help ensure the safety of autonomous vehicles. Google Cloud will provide the data and machine learning tools to enable MetaDriver to apply Oxbotica’s proprietary generative AI tools to the extensive bank of virtual scenarios including unusual edge cases that are often economically, environmentally or physically impractical to discover in conventional testing. For example, a user can create a full, 24-hour, day-and-night cycle of sensor data, along with seasonal and extreme weather conditions, from one single data capture run.

Using the cloud, Oxbotica can quickly analyse these large datasets and use the results to develop its technology, with the acceleration making it possible to carry out further testing and experimentation, improving safety in the long run.

Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxbotica, said: "We are thrilled to partner with Google Cloud to accelerate bringing autonomous driving solutions to market globally. Google Cloud is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and using its cutting-edge technology and AI powered tools will strengthen our proposition for our customers.”

The company is focusing on areas with an obvious need to transition to autonomy, for example in passenger shuttles operating 24/7 on fixed cities routes which are seeing increased demand but driver shortages. Google Cloud will enable Oxbotica’s customers to scale from a single prototype to full fleet faster.

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said: "The combination of Oxbotica's leading technology and our reliable infrastructure and AI and data-enabled cloud platform has the potential to accelerate autonomous mobility in a variety of industrial use cases.

“From last mile logistics to public transportation, we look forward to working together to positively impact the lives of end users.”

By Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset.

A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise.

Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.