Manufacturing enterprises rely on 3D animation technology for several applications across a wide range of verticals, including manufacturing of automobiles, plastic, consumer goods, and metal. Among its numerous applications, 3D animation in manufacturing provide professionals with a risk-free and cost-effective way to test processes and to re-design existing production lines.

NVIDIA Corporation is a US-based technology stalwart that develops and supplies cutting-edge graphics processing units (GPUs). It has also diversified into other verticals, including mobile computing, automotive, and artificial intelligence. NVIDIA is one of the leading dynamic differentiators in 360Quadrants’ ‘3D animation in manufacturing’ market. It has earned this recognition due to its far-reaching network of resellers and channel partners that help it deliver its innovative 3D animation services to clients globally.

Autonomous vehicles come in hybrid and fully autonomous variants. Each type requires different sensors to operate securely, including different sensor models and types from different manufacturers. To address this issue, NVIDIA created DRIVE AGX, its open platform that allows for increased efficiency in autonomous driving development through seamless incorporation of new sensors.

Sensors such as cameras, LIDAR, and RADAR enable autonomous vehicles to visualize their surroundings and implement interior features like customized passenger experiences and driver monitoring. Autonomous driving developers typically customize their algorithms for specific sensor portfolios, which means that new sensors and configuration changes lead to the software being rewritten. DRIVE AGX speeds up this process through the DriveWorks Sensor Abstraction Layer (SAL), a solution that allows for the addition or exchange of sensors without the need for major software modifications. DriveWorks’ software development kit (SDK) operates on the DRIVE AGX AI supercomputer and can leverage DriveWorks SAL to enable plugins for sensors that are not incorporated into the platform.

The plugins comprise a few lines of code to translate new sensor data into the generalized data structures of DriveWorks. For the integration of new sensors into the DRIVE AGX and DriveWorks SDK platform, only a few functions need to be implemented to create a plugin. However, developers are given the flexibility to create plugins that are as complex as required. After sensor integration with DriveWorks is completed, developers have access to all optimized tools and algorithms. And since the DRIVE AGX platform is open, automakers, software startups, suppliers, trucking companies, mapmakers, and even sensor manufacturers from across the world can use it for efficient and flexible development of autonomous vehicles.