Alex Kendall, CEO and Co-Founder of Wayve, has been awarded the Princess Royal Silver Medal by the Royal Academy of Engineering. This accolade is one of the most esteemed individual awards given by the academy.
Wayve, a UK-based company specializing in deep learning for autonomous vehicles, was co-founded by Kendall in 2017 after completing his PhD at the University of Cambridge. He introduced an innovative approach to self-driving technology, emphasizing deep learning over traditional rule-based systems and maps.
The company's technology focuses on creating adaptable driving intelligence through neural networks trained on extensive real-world data. Wayve's models undergo testing in both real-world conditions and simulations to ensure comprehensive validation. They utilize synthetic data to train their systems for rare scenarios, enhancing safety in complex environments.
Since 2019, Wayve's autonomous vehicles have been operational on London's streets under supervision from safety drivers. The company has since expanded its testing to San Francisco, Stuttgart, and Japan. By 2027, Nissan plans to incorporate Wayve's AI into its driver assistance systems.
Wayve's engineering team has also developed LINGO, a language-driving model that facilitates communication between humans and AI. This innovation allows users to interact with the AI regarding its driving decisions.
Kendall views autonomous driving as a precursor to broader applications of embodied AI across various sectors such as robotics and healthcare. He states: “Bringing AI into the physical world in a way that it can interact with us, is real – is tangible,” adding that this transformation will be significant during our lifetimes.