Automotive technology supplier Valeo has teamed up with Natix Network, a decentralized physical infrastructure network provider based on Solana, to develop an open-source artificial intelligence multi-camera model aimed at enhancing autonomous driving systems. According to Cointelegraph, the partnership focuses on creating the World Foundation Model (WFM), designed to learn and predict real-world motion while adapting to various traffic situations. This initiative seeks to push AI models beyond text-based understanding into real-world applications within physical environments, advancing research in autonomous driving.
Valeo and Natix have committed to releasing their models, datasets, and training tools openly, allowing developers to refine these capabilities. A spokesperson for Natix indicated that the first version of the WFM model is anticipated to be ready in the coming months. Autonomous driving startup Wayve is already utilizing WFMs in its vehicles, including a test where a vehicle navigated parts of Las Vegas without prior training in the city. WFM is part of the broader DePIN sector, which integrates blockchain technology with community-owned physical infrastructure to form decentralized networks where participants can contribute resources like computing power in exchange for cryptocurrency.
The ultimate aim of the WFM self-driving camera model is to safely and responsibly advance mobility intelligence and the development of autonomous vehicles, stated Marc Vrecko, CEO of Valeo’s Brain Division. Alireza Ghods, co-founder and CEO of Natix, views WFMs as a generational opportunity akin to the rise of large language models from 2017 to 2020. He emphasized that teams building the first scalable world models will lay the foundation for the next AI wave: Physical AIs. Unlike current perception-only AI models, the multi-camera world model aims to develop predictive capabilities to expedite the mainstream deployment of self-driving vehicles.
Natix highlighted that decentralizing and open-sourcing the WFM could enable physical AI systems to be trained and tested across a broader range of real-world conditions before deployment. A company spokesperson noted that transparent frameworks allow the ecosystem to progress more rapidly, adding that extensive testing is crucial for safety. Valeo and Natix face competition from Alpamayo, a family of open-source vision-language-action models launched by Nvidia, which utilizes camera and sensor data for decision-making through reasoning-based autonomy. Founded in 2020, Natix operates a decentralized multi-camera data network, which, according to industry research firm Messari, includes hundreds of thousands of contributors and hundreds of millions of kilometers of recorded driving data.
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