Rivian goes big on autonomy, with custom silicon, Lidar, and a hint at robotaxis (techcrunch.com)

Rivian has unveiled significant advancements in its autonomous vehicle technology during its first “Autonomy & AI Day” event, emphasizing the development of custom silicon and lidar to enhance its electric vehicles' capabilities. CEO RJ Scaringe announced plans for a hands-free driving feature called "Universal Hands-Free," which will initially utilize over 3.5 million miles of mapped roads across the U.S. and Canada, expanding to include surface streets. Scheduled for launch in early 2026, this feature aims to allow drivers to engage in other activities while the vehicle autonomously navigates to their destination. Rivian is also targeting a higher level of autonomy, aiming for a "personal L4" system, enabling completely driverless operation in specific environments. To support these ambitions, Rivian is developing a custom 5nm processor for its third-generation autonomy computer (ACM3) capable of processing 5 billion pixels per second, paired with a lidar sensor for enhanced spatial awareness. By leveraging a large driving model instead of a traditional rules-based framework, Rivian hopes to outperform competitors like Tesla and enter the ride-hailing market. The combination of cutting-edge hardware and software can significantly elevate Rivian's autonomous capabilities, marking a potential shift in the EV landscape as it prepares to compete in both personal and shared mobility sectors.