30 June, 2020: By Ajoy Maitra
In 1999 sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, NVIDIA redefined modern computer graphics and revolutionized parallel computing. More recently, GPU deep learning ignited modern AI, the next era of computing, with the GPU acting as the brain of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can perceive and understand the world. NVIDIA dominated the graphics industry in gaming world with breakthrough performances defining 'MODERN COMPUTER GRAPHICS'.

Mercedes-Benz invented the automobile 134 years ago, and now the automaker intends to reinvent transportation once again. New models introduced in 2024 are being equipped with a 'still being designed' super processor from chipmaker Nvidia that will allow customers to upgrade their cars later and add new features like self-driving capabilities. Mercedes and Nvidia aim to up the ante with a computer-system-on-a-chip that's under development - the Nvidia Orin. It will be capable of computing an outrageous 200 trillion operations per second (200 TOPS), which will enable the addition of a variety of autonomous features, some of which will be available at launch.
The plan of the two partners is to add the system to each new model introduced starting in late 2024, eventually modifying the entire Mercedes line from A-Class to flagship S-Class models. It will not be restricted to high-end models. Last week, NVIDIA and Mercedes-Benz announced their partnership going into the next decade to create fully autonomous vehicles (AVs). With NVIDIA's global leadership in accelerated computing and Mercedes-Benz's experience in the manufacturing of premium cars, together, they plan to create a new software-defined vehicle that includes in-vehicle computing systems and AI computing architecture. Mercedes-Benz and NVIDIA plan on rolling out the first fleet of cars with this architecture starting in 2024. On a call with investors, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang called this "the single biggest business model transformation" in the history of the company, allowing the two companies to share recurring revenues for future feature purchases and subscriptions.

Most of us know NVIDIA for releasing graphics cards for desktop and laptop computers. However, the company also has some powerful cloud computing and A.I. technology. One example that's already out for consumers to use is NVIDIA GeForce Now, similar to Google Stadia. GeForce Now is a video game streaming service that allows you to play games from your Steam library without having a powerful desktop computer or laptop. All you need is just a decent internet connection, and the NVIDIA cloud servers will do all the work.

Head of Mercedes-Benz Ola Kallenius said, "NVIDIA's A.I. computing architecture will help us streamline our journey towards autonomous driving. These new capabilities and upgrades will be downloaded from the cloud, improving safety, increasing value and extending the joy of ownership for all Mercedes-Benz customers."
However, Mercedes-Benz is not the only company that's using NVIDIA's DRIVE technology. Other companies like Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo, and even Tesla are using this technology in their smart and self-driving cars. NVIDIA's solution will enable many of the current self-driving features from other autonomous cars like advanced driver assist systems, autopilot, and driverless parking. Again similar to Tesla, cars powered by NVIDIA DRIVE will also be able to receive over-the-air software updates whenever the company releases a new feature.