Boston Startup to Give Self-Driving Cars 'Extra Sense'

Aug. 21, 2018
WaveSense, a Boston startup, wants to take technology developed at MIT for the military and use it to give self-driving cars an "extra sense." It says equipping vehicles with a radar looking down, penetrating the ground, will give them a new way to map exactly where they are in the world without relying on visual clues or GPS.

August 21, 2018—WaveSense, a Boston startup, launched formally yesterday, and has a goal to take technology developed at MIT for the military and use it to give self-driving cars an extra sense, reported Wired.

It says equipping vehicles with a radar looking down, penetrating the ground, will give them a new way to map exactly where they are in the world without relying on visual clues or GPS, according to the report.

“Our solution is to look below the ground, where you don’t have the same issues that optical sensors on the surface have,” says Tarik Bolat, CEO of WaveSense.

According to Wired, his company uses an extra radar sensor on cars, usually mounted just behind the front wheel, pointed down. Even a low-power signal can penetrate up to 10 feet into the road. Wavesense says it can pinpoint a location to within an inch, even at highway speeds, and that it is weather-independent.

The tech comes out of MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, a defense R&D center, and was first deployed in 2013 to help troops navigate in Afghanistan, where staying on path and avoiding landmines is a matter of life and death, reported Wired.

Sponsored Recommendations

Valvoline Partner Solutions

We arm you with products that build trust, tools that unlock productivity, and training that drives business performance, so you feel confident in where your...

Grow the business you know

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Solutions that drive results

Connect with Valvoline experts to increase operational efficiency and customer loyalty – from Valvoline-funded promotions to hands-on training, we’re here to...

Free Resources for Shops Like Yours

View insights, research and solutions curated specifically for shops like yours.