Vietnamese EV maker VinFast teams with Autobrains to develop a lower-cost ‘robo-car’ system using cameras instead of expensive LiDAR sensors.
HANOI: Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast has announced a partnership with Israeli AI firm Autobrains to upgrade its autonomous driving technology.
The collaboration aims to develop a new architecture capable of transforming standard cars into lower-cost “robo-cars”.
The system will rely primarily on cameras, avoiding more expensive technologies like LiDAR sensors and radar arrays.
VinFast stated the partnership will work to integrate advanced autonomous capabilities across its entire product line.
This includes its VF 8 and VF 9 sport utility vehicle models.
VinFast is part of the Vingroup conglomerate owned by Vietnam’s richest man, Pham Nhat Vuong.
It became the country’s first homegrown EV maker and listed on the Nasdaq in 2023.
The company is pursuing global expansion to compete with giants like Tesla in markets across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America.
While fully driverless cars are not yet mainstream, progress in the sector is accelerating.
Major US players like Tesla and Waymo are testing robotaxi services, alongside Chinese rivals.
Last month, Japan’s Nissan announced plans to integrate AI-powered systems from autonomous driving firm Wayve into its vehicles.
