Qualcomm teams up with BMW to launch new Snapdragon Ride advanced driving system in iX3

Car manufacturers and Tier-1 suppliers globally can also build the Snapdragon Ride Pilot into vehicles. However, it has only been validated for use in 60 countries with expected expansion to over 100 countries by next year, Qualcomm said in a press release.

“Our collaboration with BMW’s world-class engineering team has been truly transformative, enabling us to build a world-class system which is now available to bring the safety and comfort benefits of automated driving to consumers across all regions and vehicle tiers,” said Nakul Duggal, Group GM, Automotive and Industrial & Embedded IoT, Qualcomm Technologies.

“Together with Qualcomm Technologies, we’ve created a groundbreaking system, which is a significant contribution to the big technological leap we take with our Neue Klasse. This collaboration has enabled us to develop a cutting-edge driver assistance system, setting a new benchmark. Smart, symbiotic and safe is the core of the BMW philosophy when it comes to ADAS – our new BMW iX3 will deliver this on an unprecedented level,” said Dr Mihiar Ayoubi, senior vice president, Development Driving Experience, BMW Group.

Under the hood

The ADAS system in the all-new BMW iX3 is built on two tech components: the Snapdragon Ride Pilot and the Snapdragon Ride Automated Driving software stack. Snapdragon Ride Pilot integrates high-performance, automotive-grade systems-on-chip (SoCs) for centralised sensor data processing and advanced computer vision modules for perception.

Equipped with a 360 degree perception, the AD system uses a camera-based vision stack for object detection, surround view, lane recognition, traffic sign interpretation, parking assistance, driver monitoring, and mapping. Its bird-eye-view (BEV) architecture enables low-level perception and new methods for information extraction from fisheye cameras.

Snapdragon Ride Pilot also enables advanced context aware-driving as it relies on both rule-based models and AI models for behaviour prediction and planning. Snapdragon Ride Pilot supports over-the-air (OTA) updates and is fully customisable via the Snapdragon Ride SDK, the company said.

Software stack

Qualcomm and BMW have also come up with a turnkey platform to enable automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to build their own scalable solutions on top of the Snapdragon Ride AD software stack.

The software stack has multiple layers and was developed by over 1,400 specialists from various locations, including Germany, the USA, Sweden, Romania and the BMW AD Test Center in the Czech Republic, for a period of three years. The software stack leverages fleet data to evolve and enable enhanced safety and comfort over the life of the vehicle.

It comprises a perception stack that was developed by Qualcomm and a drive policy engine co-developed with BMW. The software stack enhances the training and testing of automotive models by integrating real-world data with synthetically generated data and AI-based simulations of various driving scenarios.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon Ride Pilot AD system has been developed in line with various safety standards and regulations. It also features cybersecurity measures, multi-layered encryption, and threat detection to help safeguard against potential threats. “The system is engineered to meet the highest safety standards and supports AD levels ranging from entry-level New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) to Level 2+ highway and urban navigation on autopilot (NOA) capabilities,” Qualcomm said.

BMW iX3 capabilities

With the Snapdragon Ride Pilot AD system, the BMW iX3 is capable of the following:

– Maneuvers based on subtle driver cues like mirror glances or steering nudges
– Hands-free driving on approved road networks
– AI-powered slot detection parking assistance and camera-based in-cabin monitoring
– Other automated driving functions

The BMW iX3 also comes with a ‘superbrain’ for automated driving. This system comprises “a unified architecture which includes an array of high definition 8M pixel and 3M pixel cameras and radar sensors enabling 360-degree coverage, along with high-definition mapping and precise GNSS localisation.”

The iX3 is also equipped with Qualcomm’s V2X 200 chipset to support vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, which allows vehicles to “see” and “hear” beyond line-of-sight ADAS sensors. This helps reduce collisions by uncovering unseen risks through direct communication between vehicles and their surroundings, such as road infrastructure, pedestrians, and other road users, as per the company.