Honda pairs with Helm.ai on self-driving tech

HONDA has signed a multi-year agreement with Silicon Valley start-up Helm.ai to help achieve its next-generation self-driving goals.

Helm.ai, which is already well known for its work in advanced driver assistance systems, will work with Honda to introduce AI-enhanced self-driving software to its range by 2027.

No value or duration of the contract was disclosed.

Honda’s efforts to develop so-called end-to-end self-driving technology aims to include partially automated acceleration and steering on both regular roads and highways. It follows earlier efforts from OEMs including BYD, General Motors, Hyundai, and Tesla, and is understood to include Honda’s Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) technology suite.

Leveraging Helm.ai’s full stack real-time AI software and large-scale auto-labelling and generative simulation foundation models for development and validation of the technology will give Honda a much-needed boost in advancing the self-driving capabilities of its vehicles to match the best in market.

“This joint development supports Honda’s goal of realising safe and affordable automated driving technologies for our global customers,” said Honda Motor Company vice president of software defined vehicles Mahito Shikama.

“Through our collaboration with Helm.ai, we are advancing the development of AI technologies that enhance the real-world applicability of autonomous driving systems, bringing us closer to a future with zero traffic collision fatalities.”

Mr Shikama said Honda has been investing in Helm.ai since 2021, including at least $US30 million ($A46.5m) in early-stage financing.

Helm.ai, which specialises in camera-based computerised perception and simulation software, was founded in 2016, and has so far raised more than $US100 million ($A155m) in equity.

In addition to Honda, the company has worked with a number of OEMs and part suppliers.

For Honda, Helm.ai will contribute its full suite of products geared toward highway and urban autonomy, including its perception stack (Helm.ai Vision), vision-based real-time path prediction AI (Helm.ai Driver), and generative simulation models (VidGen-2, GenSim-1, GenSim-2, and WorldGen-1).

Powered by Helm.ai’s Deep Teaching technology, these real-time AI systems and offline foundation models are pre-trained on large-scale, diverse, multi-modal datasets and can be further adapted to meet Honda’s specifications for safe, reliable, and scalable deployment.

“We look forward to entering the next phase of production development with Honda, as they expand their in-house efforts to deploy cutting edge autonomous driving technologies in mass market vehicles,” said Helm.ai CEO and founder Vladislav Voroninski.

“This joint development highlights our shared vision of enabling AI-powered mobility at scale.”