Could this be a comeback for Blackberry?
The once-ubiquitous brand isn’t rising to prominence through its cell phones this time; rather, last week Delphi Automotive enlisted Blackberry QNX to produce a new self-driving vehicle system.
The UK-based Delphi, an auto parts supplier for General Motors, currently holds United States operations based in Troy, Michigan. The company’s officials have decided to use Blackberry, based in Waterloo, Canada, to help them develop their autonomous driving operating system.
The new autonomous technology is called Centralized Sensing Localization and Planning (CSLP); the Delphi and Blackberry team members are aiming to finish the project by 2019.
Self-driving vehicles will begin to rely on cloud-based technology in order to function. For this reason, Blackberry’s software will establish a protective system for autonomous vehicles to fight against security issues and cyber attacks.
“There is no safety without security,” said John Wall, SVP and GM of BlackBerry QNX. “With cyberattacks and threats to connected vehicles on the rise, it is imperative that auto manufacturers are provided with software that is safety certified, reliable and secure. This is an area in which BlackBerry QNX excels, and we look forward to the new opportunities this expansion with Delphi will bring.”
Once the CSLP technology is ready, Delphi will provide Singapore Land Transport Authority with a brand new fleet of autonomous cars.
“BlackBerry QNX will provide a robust software infrastructure for CSLP and help advance Delphi’s autonomous driving system,” said Glen De Vos, Delphi senior vice president and chief technology officer. “Safety in high performance computing systems is paramount to a production ready autonomous driving solution.”
