Brian McClendon will advise Canadian self-driving vehicle maker on mapping technologies
KITCHENER, ON, Canada — (BUSINESS WIRE) — January 11, 2018 — Clearpath™ is proud to welcome former vice president of Google’s and Uber’s Mapping divisions, Brian McClendon, to its board of advisors. McClendon will provide insight and expertise on mapping technologies to the company’s OTTO™ Motors industrial division and Clearpath Robotics research solutions division. He joins advisory board member and Tesla co-founder Marc Tarpenning, who currently advises on electric vehicle technologies.
“It’s often overlooked, but self-driving vehicles rely upon digital mountains of very specialized mapping data in order to operate,” said Matt Rendall, Chief Executive Officer at Clearpath. “Brian is a visionary in the world of mapping technology. His expertise and mentorship will help us build truly world-class mapping technology and we could not be more excited to have him join us.”
McClendon has built a career as an entrepreneur and technical leader in geographic information systems (GIS). In 2004, his digital mapping startup, Keyhole, was acquired by Google and became the foundation for Google Earth. During a 10-year tenure at Google, he became the vice president of Google Maps, Earth and Street View. He joined Uber in 2015 as vice president of Mapping and most recently stepped down to return to his hometown in Kansas to become a research professor at the University of Kansas. McClendon serves on the advisory board for the University of Kansas, was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2015 and has also been recognized by the United Nations as a "Champion of the Earth," its top environmental prize.
McClendon will advise the team on mapping technologies, software architecture and engineering leadership as they continue to develop strategies for accurate, scalable mapping capability of the OTTO self-driving vehicle.
“What’s exciting to me about Clearpath is that they are building their mapping system and database from scratch,” explains McClendon. “This presents a really exciting opportunity to innovate and guide the next generation of technology with the next generation of company.”
About Clearpath
Clearpath Robotics Inc., provides industry-leading self-driving technology, products, and services to over 500 of the world’s most innovative brands. Proprietary hardware, software, and services are delivered through the company’s research and industrial divisions: Clearpath Robotics and OTTO Motors. Visit www.clearpath.ai for more information.
About OTTO Motors
OTTO Motors, a division of Clearpath Robotics Inc., designs, manufactures and operates self-driving vehicles to automate material movement inside busy factories and warehouses. Using self-driving technology much like the Google Car, the easy-to-use OTTO vehicles move inventory in a safe and flexible manner throughout the indoor supply chain. Customers include Fortune 100 brands like General Electric, John Deere, and Toyota. For more information, visit www.ottomotors.com.
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