Some time ago I responded to Magnus Ostberg (Mercedes Software guru) querying whether the water-cooled processor in the CLA concept car required the cooling because it was running NN software.
His enigmatic response was:
"STAY TUNED!"
His latest linkedin posts do nothing to dispel my interest in the use of Akida simulation software in MB.OS.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7201230087612940288/
w
e’ve enhanced the “Hey Mercedes” voice assistant so it can help with a wider range of everyday functions.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7202202756806230016/
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the design of MB.OS demands a different approach because we are decoupling the hardware and software innovation cycles and integration steps".
This could be interpreted to mean that the software is developing faster than the silicon, and the software is updatable, so it would make sense to use software simulations of evolving tech (Akida 2/TeNNs) until the IP was in a sufficiently stable state to move to silicon.
In fact the Akida 2/TeNNs patents were filed 2 years ago, and the EAPs would have been informed about Akida 2 then, so they would have been reluctant to commit to silicon as the silicon was still being developed. Indeed, the TeNNs concept would have been still in its early stages of development.
Mercedes would be anxious to implement the technology which was 5 to 10 times more efficient than alternatives in kws among other things, but they would not want to serve up "yesterday's" day-old bread rolls when they know there's a fresh bun in the oven.
Similarly, we have recently "discovered" that Valeo's Scala 3 does not appear to include Akida SoC, but it comes with software to process the lidar signals.
Akida 2 was ready for tape-out a little while ago, ie, the engineering samples, but it would not be ready for integration with some other processor (CPU/GPU) for some time, certainly not in time for the 2025 MB release ... and who the heck is doing the engineering samples/production run?!
This blurb from MB CES 2024 presentation confirms that they are using "Hey Mercedes" in software:
Mercedes-Benz heralds a new era for the user interface with human-like virtual assistant powered by generative AI (mbusa.com)
A
t CES 2024, Mercedes-Benz is showcasing a raft of developments that define its vision for the hyper-personalized user experience of the future – in-car and beyond. Headlining those is the new integrated MBUX Virtual Assistant. It uses advanced software and generative AI to create an even more natural and intuitive relationship with the car, with proactive support that makes the customer's life more convenient. This game-changing development takes the 'Hey Mercedes' voice assistant into a whole new visual dimension with Unity's high-resolution game-engine graphics. Running on the Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) developed in-house, its rollout starts with the vehicles on the forthcoming MMA platform (Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture). The Concept CLA Class, which celebrates its North American premiere at CES 2024, is based on this platform and likewise provides a preview of MB.OS.
The MBUX Virtual Assistant is a further development of the system first showcased in the VISION EQXX. It uses generative AI and proactive intelligence to make life as easy, convenient and comfortable as possible. For instance, it can offer helpful suggestions based on learned behavior and situational context.
So they are using Unity's game-engine graphics, but a quick glance did not find any Unity kws/nlp patents.
One possible corollary of this is that, when the EQXX Akida reveal was made a couple of years ago, it was about the use of Akida simulation software and not the Akida 1 SoC, but I'd have to go back to check this.
In any event, it seems pretty clear that there is a distinct possibility that the Mercedes CLE MBUX is using Akida simulation software until the design is sufficiently mature to produce the silicon.
payloadspace.com
I’m scared
