Global supply chains face serious pressure, driven by labor shortages and rising costs. NXP and Kodiak Robotics believe there is a solution to make the movement of goods more efficient, sustainable, and affordable. A collaboration between the two companies is bringing that solution to the roads with driverless semi-trucks.

Self-driving trucks
Kodiak partners with NXP to power smarter self-driving semi-trucks; Photo: Kodiak Robotics

Kodiak is facing the pressure head-on with its AI-powered Kodiak Driver. This “virtual driver” can reportedly be integrated into different trucks. The partnership makes the sophisticated system a reality. They found a partner that could provide the “brains” and safety to the operation. Kodiak chose NXP’s automotive-grade processors and microcontrollers because of the high performance and reliability necessary for driverless operations.

Engineering a Safer Future for Driverless Trucking

NXP’s S32G3 processors and S32K3 microcontrollers are at the heart of this partnership.

According to Kodiak, these components are a huge deal because they are designed to meet the highest functional safety standard, known as ASIL D. This makes critical systems, such as braking, steering, and power management, fail-operational. The company says it offers redundancy and fault tolerance. For example, this technology is built to keep the truck and everything around it safe.

Self-driving truck technology
NXP’s processing technology is at the heart of Kodiak’s self-driving system; Photo: Kodiak Robotics

An NXP statement states, “NXP products help shape the compute architecture that powers the Kodiak Driver, enabling it to execute complex, safety-critical tasks at scale within autonomous semi-truck subsystems.”

With NXP’s technology at its core, Kodiak has successfully deployed the first customer-owned, driverless semi-trucks to deliver freight on real-world routes.

Beyond the hardware, NXP provided crucial support, including pre-production samples and technical guidance, which helped Kodiak speed up its development. According to Kodiak, the company is working to bring this technology to scale.

This proof of concept shows a significant step toward a future where autonomous trucking helps keep our global supply chains moving smoothly, around the clock.