Nvidia has inked a new partnership with Foxconn, the world's largest tech manufacturer, to produce its Nvidia Drive Orin processors for use in highly automated (and eventually autonomous) vehicles. Foxconn will also use Nvidia Drive Orin hardware and Drive Hyperion sensor suite in its own future lineup of electric vehicles. Foxconn, perhaps best known for building iPhones, will serve as a tier-one supplier of electronic control units based on the Nvidia Drive Orin system-on-a-chip processors globally, bringing large-scale volume manufacturing to meet the demands of various automakers (such as Mercedes-Benz and Volvo) with plans to use Drive's artificial intelligence tech in their next-generation driver aid systems and automated cars. Foxconn's recent entry into the electric vehicle race is beginning to pick up speed. In 2021, it announced that it would be building an EV factory in the US by 2023 before debuting an EV platform and three electric vehicles -- the Model E luxury sedan, Model C SUV and the Model T electric bus -- under its new "Foxtron" brand.

There are so many companies working on different pieces of the self-driving puzzle, it's hard to keep track of all the partnerships and small developments that are pushing us ever closer to kicking back in a fully autonomous vehicle. While not as visible as some other firms, Bosch is a significant force in the automotive industry, producing various car components alongside the power tools and home appliances most regular consumers will associate the brand with. Naturally then, given its industry experience, Bosch is working on self-driving technologies of its own, recently heading to London's Somerset House to show off some of the things it's doing right now, as well as what it might do in the future. Bosch has already partnered with NVIDIA to develop an AI brain for self-driving cars, with TomTom on mapping systems that'll help vehicles see the road ahead, and with Mercedes on automated valet and taxi concepts. The showcase in London featured a few more tangible developments.