Aurora Innovation, one of the leading names in autonomous trucking, has opened its lidar research and testing facility at an unparalleled 78,000 square feet in Bozeman, Montana. Sited at Montana State University’s Innovation Campus, this facility is clear evidence of the region growing increasingly influential in photonics and high-tech industries.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday was done with the presence of leading figures such as Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Bozeman Mayor Terry Cunningham, and Montana State University Vice President Dr. Alison Harmon. Governor Gianforte pointed out the fact that Montana’s tech industry was the state’s fastest-growing industry, with the revenues reaching $3 billion per year.
Because the chief executive of Aurora has stated that Chris Urmson, Aurora’s CEO is a leader in photonics and innovation, one considers the Montana facility an ideal hub for advancing the technologies of autonomous vehicles. With this in mind, FirstLight Lidar technologies meant to make the movement in autonomous trucks safer and much more efficient by detecting objects at ranges well over 450 meters can be developed.
It is equipped with advanced labs, cleanrooms, and testing areas for autonomous vehicle systems and has 70 employees with ample space for growth. According to Dr. Harmon, the collaboration of academia with industry is wonderful, because it opens opportunities for graduates and drives innovation in the region.
This moves into a broader vision to make autonomous trucking commercially available by 2025. It has demonstrated its practical applications with fleets of lidar-equipped trucks in Texas.
The further growth of Aurora in Bozeman has more importantly pointed out an opportunity to see emergent industries develop with other industries from the cutting-edge sector. A mixture of Montana’s local talent and global innovation could potentially define the future of mobility.
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