Imagry
Definition
Imagry is an Israeli company founded in 2015 that develops autonomous driving software that works without detailed maps prepared in advance. The vehicle recognizes its surroundings in real time using cameras only.
Driving without a map: the opposite of the industry's approach
Most of the autonomous driving industry relies on high-definition maps (HD maps) that are collected and maintained in advance. Imagry, founded in 2015 by Adham Ghazali and Majed Jubeh, chose the opposite approach: the vehicle rebuilds its picture of the surroundings every moment using only visible-spectrum cameras, without depending on a continuous satellite connection or on ongoing mapping investment. This is a major advantage for transport operators that want to deploy the technology quickly and at lower cost.
Sheba and Nahariya: from demo to public road
On 7 November 2022 the Israel Innovation Authority announced that Imagry had won approval to run the first autonomous buses in Israel on a public road, on an electric bus line of Nateev Express in the city of Nahariya. The same announcement also mentioned a pilot of an autonomous shuttle at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, the largest hospital in the Middle East. It had also been approved and was planned to open in the first quarter of 2023; according to Imagry, it has been running since February 2023. In September 2024 the Ministry of Transport approved the start in Nahariya of Israel's first pilot of an autonomous bus on a public line, a route of about 8 kilometers that leaves from the Nahariya mall and returns to it. Imagry describes its three projects in Israel (Sheba, Nahariya and Tel Aviv) as pilots, not as regular passenger service. Even so, this is a rare use case, in which map-free autonomous driving moves from a technology demo onto a real public road.
Where else the technology operates
Since 2019 Imagry has run a fleet of vehicles with its software on public roads in California, Arizona, Haifa and Frankfurt, Germany, and it has also worked with Continental on an autonomous parking solution. The company's headquarters is in San Jose, California, and it has another development center in Haifa. Its investors include Takwin Ventures and the Afifi Group.
FAQ ❓
What is special about Imagry's approach?
It does not rely on high-definition maps collected in advance. The vehicle recognizes its surroundings in real time using cameras only, which makes deployment in new places cheaper and faster.
Where does Imagry actually run an autonomous bus?
In Nahariya, on an electric bus line of Nateev Express. This is a Ministry of Transport pilot that started in September 2024, not regular passenger service. Before that, the company received approval from the Israel Innovation Authority in November 2022. It also runs a shuttle pilot at Sheba Medical Center, since February 2023.
When and by whom was Imagry founded?
In 2015, by Adham Ghazali and Majed Jubeh.
In which other countries does Imagry operate?
In the United States (California, Arizona) and Germany (Frankfurt), as well as Israel (Haifa and Nahariya).
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