While Uber, Tesla and Google are struggling to bring their first independent car to the market, Amber could win the competition.
Although it is a small name on the market, the Dutch startup Amber plans that the company's autonomous cars reach the streets by mid-2018. CEO Steven Nelemans made this announcement in April, and the plan is a pretty one Bold.
This startup started at Eidnhoven University of Technology, thanks to a team of students, and they are going to become a Spotify or Netflix mobility. They do not sell cars, but have access to cars, ensuring that there is always a car near you. Using a number of predictive analysis algorithms, the Amber platform calculates where its machines will be requested in the next 15 minutes.
At first, Amber cars can only drive alone at night when traffic is low. However, cars will learn enough of these experiences anyway, and then they will be able to make the transition to day driving. Even in the event of an accident, the car is designed to grab the weight of the blow, keeping passengers away from dangers.
In the first phase, the system will be adapted for BMW i3 electric cars. However, the company is also working on its own Amber One, which was to be launched in 2021 and could operate for 1.6 million kilometers, venturebeat.com writes.
Nelemans says that if Google, Uber and Tesla join forces, we would see an autonomous car in just a few weeks. However, everyone wants to be the first company on the market to reach this level, that's why companies are stealing their employees. Amber, however, prefers to collaborate with already employed engineers, such as Nvidia or Microsoft, who already have software for self-driving cars.