Staff Fullstack Software Engineer

Wayve, Nissan unveil robotaxi ahead of Tokyo pilot. By Teresa De Alba | Jr Journalist & Industry Analyst - Fri, 03/20/2026 - 10:59 Wayve and Nissan will present a robotaxi prototype at NVIDIA GTC 2026, built on the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion architecture, marking a key milestone ahead of a planned pilot deployment with Uber in Tokyo starting in late 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. The companies said the prototype will serve as the baseline vehicle for the pilot program, part of a broader strategy to scale autonomous mobility services globally. The vehicle is based on the all-electric Nissan LEAF and integrates Nissan's vehicle engineering with Wayve's embodied artificial intelligence and NVIDIA's DRIVE Hyperion platform. Nissan said it is "developing a vehicle with fully redundant systems designed for robotaxi applications," targeting high levels of operational reliability and compliance with stringent autonomous safety standards. The system is engineered for Level 4 autonomy and utilizes dual NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor processors to enable real-time execution of advanced AI models. The platform runs on NVIDIA DriveOS and is supported by NVIDIA Halos, described as a comprehensive framework for functional safety and cybersecurity. According to the companies, the combined compute and sensor architecture is designed to meet the performance, redundancy and safety requirements necessary for autonomous driving in complex urban environments. The prototype incorporates a multi-layered sensor suite designed to ensure redundancy and full environmental awareness. It includes high-resolution cameras with 360-degree coverage, high-performance surround and forward imaging radar, and a forward-facing LiDAR system. The companies said this configuration provides complementary sensing modalities, enabling the AI system to interpret complex traffic scenarios and make driving decisions in real time. The platform also supports long-range sensing capabilities for data collection, validation and broader development use cases. Nissan indicated that further refinements are planned to prepare the vehicle for commercial robotaxi deployment. These include the integration of "intuitive in-cabin displays and communication systems" to enhance the passenger experience, signaling a parallel focus on user interface design alongside core autonomy functions. Wayve's AI Driver is based on an end-to-end embodied AI approach that processes sensor data directly into driving actions. The company emphasized that the system does not rely on high-definition maps, instead learning from real-world driving conditions to "understand complex traffic environments and make safe driving decisions in real time." The AI is designed to anticipate how traffic situations evolve and predict the downstream impact of its actions on other road users. The Tokyo pilot represents an initial deployment phase. Wayve and Uber said they plan to expand robotaxi trials to "more than 10 cities globally," with vehicles introduced progressively as validation milestones are achieved. The long-term objective is to transition from pilot programs with safety operators to fully scalable, commercially viable robotaxi services. Separately, Zoox and Uber announced a multiyear agreement to integrate Zoox robotaxis into the Uber app, marking the first time Zoox will offer rides through a third-party platform. The companies said Zoox vehicles will begin serving riders in Las Vegas this summer, with expansion planned to Los Angeles by mid-2027. In parallel, Uber Technologies said it will invest more than US$100 million to develop fast-charging hubs for autonomous vehicles in the United States.

Uber, Wayve and Nissan plan to launch a robotaxi service in Tokyo this year. Mar 12, 2026 - 08:00 Nissan will integrate Wayve's self-driving software into the Leaf with the goal of making the vehicles available on the Uber app in Tokyo.

Qualcomm and British self-driving startup Wayve have partnered to create an integrated AI system combining Wayve's "AI Driver" software with Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride automotive chips. The platform aims to help carmakers rapidly deploy advanced driver-assistance and automated driving features across vehicle ranges. The system is designed to reduce complexity by integrating chips, safety systems and AI software from multiple suppliers, supporting features from hands-off assistance to advanced automated driving. It will scale across vehicle tiers and geographic markets, allowing manufacturers to standardise underlying technology. Founded in 2017, Wayve uses real-world driving data to train its AI model. The company raised $1.2 billion last month at an $8.6 billion valuation from investors including Mercedes-Benz, Nvidia, Nissan and Uber.