Autonomous vehicles used to be a futuristic concept highlighted in movies such as the Batmobile in Batman, Bumblebee in Transformers and Herbie in The Love Bug. Now, they are becoming a reality as more and more car manufacturers offer self-driving and vehicle assist capabilities.
Several companies are tapping into the autonomous vehicle market including National Instruments (NI), which announced Tuesday it acquired monoDrive. Founded in 2016, Austin-based startup monoDrive developed a high-fidelity simulator for autonomous vehicle manufacturers and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. In an email to Built In, Chad Chesney, NI’s vice president and general manager of the transportation business unit, called monoDrive a leader in the space.
“Testing autonomous vehicles effectively requires doing more in simulation before an actual car is physically built,” Chesney said. “The acquisition increases the value that NI can offer ADAS and simulation providers and will enable automotive innovators to rapidly develop, test and deploy safer autonomous systems.”
NI has worked in transportation for over four decades as an automotive solutions provider, Chesney said. MonoDrive employees will join NI’s transportation business unit.
In addition to the acquisition, NI announced a collaboration with Pittsburgh-based Ansys, a leader in engineering simulation. The partnership aims to recreate real-world simulation to provide customers with insights into how products will perform in the marketplace. Ansys and NI will combine simulated and physical tests to offer more accurate outcomes, according to a statement.
NI was founded in 1976. The company now employees more than 7,000 people, including approximately 2,200 in Austin. The company is currently hiring 305 people around the world with 67 open positions in Austin.
