KUALA LUMPUR: Local R&D company specialising in connectivity technology, Elmlab, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Reka, an automation R&D company, to develop connectivity technology for autonomous vehicles.
As the world races to create a safe and reliable self-driving system, with the partnership, Malaysia will not be too far behind. With the aim to accelerate the development of self-driving technology, the two companies have agreed to integrate their technologies into self-driving systems and various other functionalities.
"This joint effort between Reka and Elmlab will bring valuable industry insights to further refine the commercialisation process of autonomous technology in the local region. The world is rapidly adopting autonomous driving systems especially within Smart Cities and we are striving to reduce the digital gap by localising technology. These efforts will not only ensure an accelerated progress of local adoption of technology but also highlights the significant impact of research and development through collaboration," said Reka's CEO, Haziq Faris.
The roll-out of 5G networks has created a conducive environment to support the development of Internet of Things (IoT) innovations such as autonomous vehicles and the collaboration between the two R&D companies—Elmlab and Reka will soon make smarter and safer driving in Malaysia possible.
"We believe in strength through collaboration, between Elmlab and Reka, Malaysians will have access to advanced digital tools which can result in a more convenient and safer way of living. Starting with the implementation of our technology in Malaysia's automotive market, we hope to extend the use of the connectivity technology to transportation agencies and road development corporations to enjoy a safer driving experience," said Elmlab's director, Choo Tzer Maan.
For improved road safety and timely arrivals, the connectivity technology will enable teleoperation of autonomous vehicles, which allow autonomous vehicles to be controlled remotely through manual analysis of collected data from its surroundings such as traffic conditions and surrounding hazards. This base technology can then help improve the infrastructure of the tech ecosystem as a whole.
In charge of building the connectivity technology is Elmlab who will design and develop the base technology where future uses of this connectivity technology include implementation in security systems and in household robots.
Reka on the other hand will design technologies that enable self-driving features which can be distributed for use in autonomous vehicles, starting with Reka's self-driving vehicles.
The new technology will be made readily available to operate soundly in both 4G and 5G ecosystems.