BMW and Qualcomm announce jointly developed driver assistance system
By ForGeeks
Qualcomm has unveiled a Snapdragon Ride Pilot driver assistance system that will debut on the BMW iX3 electric SUV. It will offer hands-free highway driving, automatic lane change, and parking assistance. The jointly developed software stack will run on Snapdragon Ride chips and will make its first official appearance at IAA Mobility 2025.
Snapdragon Ride Pilot refers to Level 2+ systems, not full autopilot. This means that the driver remains responsible for controlling the car and has to keep an eye on the road when using the features.
- 360-degree perception using cameras to recognize objects, traffic signs and parking assistance.
- Context-aware traffic management layer that combines rules and AI models to plan and predict vehicle behavior in complex traffic situations.
- A “safety-first” approach that includes cyber defense and strict compliance with global safety standards such as ISO Automotive Safety Integrity Levels and Functional Safety.
Qualcomm says the Snapdragon Ride Pilot is already certified in 60 countries and should be available in more than 100 countries by 2026.
This isn’t the company’s first initiative in the automotive space. Last year, Qualcomm began working with Google to bring AI voice systems to cars, and it has also worked with Volvo on multimedia solutions.
While competition for driver assistance systems remains fierce, NVIDIA and Mobileye are also actively developing their own chips and software for cars.
