New rugged storage expansion Centauri for autonomous trucks

Centauri is a high-capacity, rugged PCIe Gen4 NVMe storage solution in a compact, hot-swappable container that slides into the chassis. Vast amounts of data are collected while an autonomous truck is in motion. It can be used to improve the vehicle’s self-driving capabilities or to "learn" from the numerous sensors around the vehicle, including LiDAR, radar and video.

The combination of fast Gen4 NVMe storage instead of the previously used SATA drives and Centauri’s easily accessible location in the "saddle bag," an external compartment of the autonomous long-haul truck, allows for much more efficient collection and removal of data to keep the truck on the road for as long as possible.

Centauri stores up to 128 terabytes in an eight-drive canister. Although the system is compatible with both NVMe and SATA drives, its PCIe Gen4 interface with NVMe facilitates high-speed storage throughput at 3.5 to 5 times faster data transfer compared to SATA performance.

Centauri is designed to meet MIL-STD-810G requirements. Its 3U form factor, half-rack width, and short 20-inch depth make it an ideal storage upgrade for any system designed for data acquisition in edge applications. Other features include dynamic fan speed control, a lightweight aluminum enclosure, and IPMI 2.0-based system monitoring via dedicated Ethernet.

"These successes validate our AI transportable strategy and technology," said David Raun, president and CEO of OSS, "and we believe they further establish OSS as a leader in robust computing and storage products for autonomous vehicles. Autonomous driving is a perfect example of a fast-growing market that demands uncompromising performance in harsh environments, and where we believe that we have a clear competitive advantage."