New Argo Autonomous Hardware upgrade meant to make self-driving tech better

Argo , the self-driving company in partnership with Ford and Volkswagen are now working on improving its self driving platform and its already being reported that the company is ready to move on to the next level in its testing phase based on an updated suite of hardware.

The hardware upgrade is said to make the autonomous aspiration of the company much closer to an automotive-grade which according to the company’s press release mean that is “hardware built to withstand extreme thermal conditions and maintain structural integrity over time,” and it can be manufactured in volume.

The company employed the LiDAR sensor technology which is now being incorporated into a single unit with a longer visual range that will allow the computers built within the car’s system sense objects from miles away and allow it to avoid obstacles even effectively.

The single unit made will now be able to handle high operating temperatures due to its in-built fans which will help the engines keep itself clean with built-in water jets. But hat’s not the whole story as its also being reported that the company has upgraded its radar system by doubling its range which when paired with the upgraded LiDAR technology, it will allow the car to operate much safer speed.

Below is an illustration of how the system is going to work efficiently based on the new upgrades that’s being put in place by Argo.

Aside the LiDAR technology, Argo also continues with the development of camera systems which will be used during the testing of the autonomous vehicles. There will be both near-field and far-field high-definition cameras which will be used while the LiDAR technology will be paired up to help in the handling of high-dynamic-range lighting situations.

There is also added three microphones to the sensor package, which allow vehicles to listen for emergency vehicle sirens and react to them even before they’re in visual range for the other sensors.

With so much sensory hardware, Argo is therefore employing two self-driving computer systems whereby the second one will be rendered redundant but a backup just in case the first one fails.

The first computer is called the Autonomous Vehicle System and handles the bulk of the vehicle’s driving tasks. The second computer is called the Complementary Autonomous Vehicle System, and in addition to being a backup, it helps carry some of the load of the collision avoidance systems.

The future of autonomous cars seems to be bright with billions being poured into its development by different tech giants across the globe and Argo seems to want to have its own share in the market.