Oxbotica, Google Cloud partner to scale up autonomous software

By Nick Carey

LONDON (Reuters) - Oxbotica and Alphabet Inc's Google Cloud said on Tuesday they are partnering up to speed up the deployment of the British self-driving software startup's autonomous software platform to customers around the world.

Oxbotica will use Google Cloud infrastructure to create "scalable, safe, and reliable" autonomous driving solutions for its customers in last-mile logistics, agriculture, light industry, and public transport, the companies said.

The companies said Oxbotica will use Google Cloud products to develop and test its self-driving technology, including generating digital twins to validate its platform.

Oxbotica will also use Google Cloud's cyber-security expertise to ensure the secure use of self-driving technology.

Cloud infrastructure is seen as crucial for developing autonomous vehicles at scale.

Wayve, another British self-driving startup, is using supercomputer infrastructure designed by its investor Microsoft to process vast amounts of data as it develops machine learning-based models for self-driving cars.

Developing fully self-driving vehicles that can go everywhere has proven harder and more expensive than expected, but investors are continuing to fund startups that target simpler self-driving vehicle solutions far removed from pedestrians and other vehicles operated by unpredictable humans.

Oxbotica said in January it had raised $140 million from investors to speed the deployment of AVs in areas including heavy industry, ports and airports.

(Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by Marguerita Choy)