Rivian Buys Third Dimension to Build 3D Test Scenarios from Fleet Video

Rivian acquired Third Dimension, a 15-person software company based in the United Kingdom.

The purchase was first reported by TechCrunch. Rivian has not disclosed the cost of the deal. The acquisition integrates a specialized team into Rivian's autonomy and AI division.

Rivian’s fleet of R1S, R1T, R2, and commercial vans sends back more than 400,000 driving sequences daily from owners who opt into camera data sharing. The vast majority of this footage is routine. Rare events, such as a mattress in a fast lane or a child running between parked cars, are difficult to capture in real time. The new team will use generative AI to rebuild these specific real-world scenes as 3D environments. Engineers can then alter variables in these digital replicas to test the self-driving system without waiting for the event to occur again on an actual road.

Third Dimension was founded in 2024 by Tolga Kart and Piotr Sokólski. Kart previously worked on Autopilot simulation at Tesla and led engineering at Parallel Domain. Sokólski spent four years at Wayve building photorealistic neural simulators. The company raised a $7 million seed round in October 2024 led by Felicis. It originally targeted game studios and the US military before pivoting fully to autonomous vehicle clients.

James Philbin leads Rivian’s autonomy and AI group, which will absorb the entire Third Dimension staff. The deal also expands Rivian’s physical presence in London, where most of the team is based. Philbin stated that simulation is central to training and validating autonomous driving systems. He described the company’s technology as a way to turn real-world data into detailed 3D environments.

Other major players are using similar methods. Waymo unveiled a world model in February that generates scenarios its vehicles have not encountered. Tesla has also demonstrated a neural world simulator for its Full Self-Driving software. Rivian’s approach relies specifically on processing its own customer fleet data to create test cases.

The move aligns with tight deadlines for Rivian’s autonomous vehicle rollout. Uber agreed to invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian in March to support the deployment of R2 robotaxis. Only $300 million is paid upfront. The remaining funds depend on achieving specific autonomy milestones. These include placing 10,000 driverless R2 vehicles on Uber’s network in San Francisco and Miami starting in 2028.

Consumer-facing timelines have shifted in recent months. Rivian’s point-to-point driving feature is expected to reach a small group of invited Autonomy+ owners later this year. Testers for this feature must sign a nondisclosure agreement. CEO RJ Scaringe originally promised eyes-off driving for 2026 in January 2025. That target is now set for 2027. Level 4 capability is planned for 2028 on the Gen 3 hardware shown at the company’s AI & Autonomy Day.