The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Innovation in Neural radiance field (NeRF) AI for automotive applications is driven by growing demand for autonomous vehicles, advancements in neural network technology, and the increasing availability of high-quality LiDAR and camera data. NeRF AI technologies are crucial for the automotive industry, including synthetic data generation, mapping, perception, and sensor fusion. These technologies enhance the safety, reliability, and accuracy of autonomous vehicles in various scenarios. In the last three years alone, there have been over 1.7 million patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Artificial intelligence in automotive: neural radiance field (NeRF) AI. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
300+ innovations will shape the automotive industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the automotive industry using innovation intensity models built on over one million patents, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, autonomous on-demand logistics, end-to-end learning models, and adaptive driver alerting are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Vehicular vision, adaptive cruise control, and predictive acceleration control are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing.
Innovation S-curve for artificial intelligence in the automotive industry
Neural radiance field (NeRF) AI is a key innovation area in artificial intelligence
Neural radiance field is a new AI technology for 3D modeling of complex, real-world objects, scenes, and environments by integrating machine learning algorithms with advanced imaging techniques. It is a volumetric representation of the 3D data that captures both geometry and appearance information with high accuracy, enabling the creation of photorealistic images from any viewpoint.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 20+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of neural radiance field (NeRF) AI.
Key players in neural radiance field (NeRF) AI – a disruptive innovation in the automotive industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to neural radiance field (NeRF) AI
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Qualcomm | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Baidu | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Valeo | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Olympus | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Stryker | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nokia | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| General Motors | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Amazon.com | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NVIDIA | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toshiba | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Stellantis | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Didi Global | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| FiveAI | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cognata | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nuro | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Unikie | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| PlusAI | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Stradvision | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Luminar Technologies | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cartica | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Here | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Amazon is one of the leading patent filers in NeRF AI for the automotive industry. The company's latest patent focuses on generating synthetic data using NeRFs for simulation, mapping, and perception. Cartica and Stradvision are some of the other key patent filers in this field. NeRF AI can be used for simulation, mapping, and perception, making autonomous vehicles safer, more reliable, and more capable.
In terms of application diversity, Stryker leads the pack, while Luminar Technologies and FiveAI stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Cartica held the top position, followed by FiveAI and Amazon.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Automotive.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
