Online grocery platform Ocado has invested 拢10 million into听autonomous vehicle software firm听翱虫产辞迟颈肠补.听
The listed group, which also provides听online services to M&S,听is planning to integrate self-driving vehicles into its entire network, from inside factories to last-mile deliveries.听听
It said the purpose of the听deal 鈥� described as a听partnership听鈥撎�is听to collaborate on hardware and software interfaces for autonomous vehicles.听听
Ocado expects to see the first prototypes of some early use cases for autonomous vehicles within two years.听
Oxbotica听was founded in 2014 by Oxford University professors Paul Newman and Ingmar Posner.听
It calls its software platform low energy, hassle free, hardware agnostic and applicable to a vast array of vehicle types both on and off road.听
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In January听Oxbotica听revealed it had听raised 拢34.4m Series听B听investment, led by bp ventures. The听Ocado investment, revealed today, was听part of this听round, and听included other strategic and financial investors in the US, UK, China and Australia, such as Tencent, Halma, BGF,听HostPlus, IP Group, Venture Science and funds advised by Doxa Partners.听听
Ocado will take a seat on听Oxbotica’s听board听as part of the investment.听It听will now听outfit a subset of its delivery vans and warehouse vehicles with data capture capabilities, which may include video cameras, LiDAR, RADAR and other sensing devices.听听
Ocado will make this data available to听Oxbotica听to train and test its technologies, which will then inform Ocado as to what opportunities exist and where best it might take advantage of these partnerships.听
The use cases range from vehicles that operate inside of Ocado’s Customer Fulfilment Centre buildings and the yard areas that surround them, all the way to last-mile deliveries and kerb-to-kitchen robots.听It听will be a multi-year collaboration.听
Ocado has helped听Oxbotica听trial its technologies since 2017.听
“We are excited about the opportunity to work with听Oxbotica听to develop a wide range of autonomous solutions that truly have the potential to transform both our and our partners’ CFC and service delivery operations, while also giving all end customers the widest range of options and flexibility,” said听Alex Harvey, Chief of Advanced Technology at Ocado.听
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Ocado, which employs around 19,000 people, says 鈥� as with its automated factories 鈥� the听vehicle autonomy programme听鈥�is not expected to have any impact on听its听current听hiring or employment levels within logistics or operations groups鈥�.听
It said it will听seek further investments and/or partnerships as it grows and develops its autonomous vehicle capabilities.听
Paul Newman,听co-founder听and听CTO of听Oxbotica, commented:听“This is an excellent opportunity for听Oxbotica听and Ocado to strengthen our partnership, sharing our vision for the future of autonomy.听听
鈥�By combining both companies’ cutting-edge knowledge and resources, we hope to bring our听universal听autonomy vision to life and continue to solve some of the world’s most complex autonomy challenges.”听