Delphi partners BlackBerry to bolster software and safety of self-driving cars

Delphi Automotives is partnering BlackBerry to build a system that improves software performance and enhances safety in autonomous cars. BlackBerry will provide the operating system for Delphi's autonomous driving system, called the Centralized Sensing Location and Planning and is expected to launch in 2019.

“BlackBerry QNX will provide a robust software infrastructure for Centralized Sensing Localization and Planning and help advance Delphi’s autonomous driving system,” Glen De Vos, Delphi senior vice president, and chief technology officer said in a statement. “Safety in high-performance computing systems is paramount to a production-ready autonomous driving solution,” he further added.

Reinforcing the same point, BlackBerry said its operating system will help guard against cyber attacks, malware and system malfunctions- which are critical concerns for self-driving vehicles. “There is no safety without security,” John Wall, senior vice president of BlackBerry QNX, said in a statement. “With cyber attacks and threats to connected vehicles on the rise, it is imperative that auto manufacturers are provided with software that is safety certified, reliable and secure.”

De Vos said Delphi expects to begin testing its automated driving systems in pilot projects with ride-service fleets by 2019 and has plans to “take the driver out by 2020.”