Clearpath adds mapping expert to advisory board
Brian McClendon spent 10 years at Google
KITCHENER — Brian McClendon, former vice-president of mapping at Google and Uber, has joined the board of advisers of Clearpath Robotics.
McClendon is advising the company on mapping technologies, software architecture and engineering leadership for its Otto Motors division, which makes self-driving vehicles that carry materials around big industrial buildings.
“We have always looked at our company as a maker of self-driving vehicles that operate in warehouses and factories,” said Ryan Gariepy, a cofounder and chief technology officer of Clearpath.
Large industrial buildings are similar to cities, he said. Both have roadways for vehicles, pedestrians, and people working nearby.
“Finding someone with an immense understanding of mapping and data, who is arguably one of the pioneers of the 21st century in large-scale mapping and data collection, is very significant for us,” said Gariepy.
During his 10 years at Google, McClendon became vicepresident of Google Maps, Google Earth and Google Street View. He joined Uber in 2015 as vice-president of mapping, and left in 2017 to become a research professor at the University of Kansas.
He was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2015, and the United Nations recognized McClendon as a “Champion of the Earth,” one of the international body’s top environmental prizes.
McClendon is the latest highprofile addition to Clearpath’s board of advisers. Marc Tarpenning, a co-founder of Tesla Motors, joined the board in 2016. He advises the company on electric vehicle technology.
In the past two years, Clearpath has sold hundreds of Otto units. McClendon’s expertise on mapping and big data will help Clearpath’s customers understand where processes need changing and how Otto units can be better deployed.
“And how a factory or warehouse changes when a majority of traffic in that facility is autonomous,” said Gariepy.
It could take decades before a majority of vehicles on city streets are self-driving cars. But that change can happen within a few years for big warehouses and factories, he said.
Clearpath employs about 200 people at facilities in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. Its head office in Kitchener is for operations, customer support, manufacturing and engineering. Its site in north Waterloo is for research and administration. The Cambridge building is used for systems engineering and testing.
“We are always hiring,” said Gariepy.
Most recently, Clearpath has been hiring sales representatives, account executives, and customer support staff.
“And, of course, we are always on the lookout for good engineers,” said Gariepy. “Particularly with backgrounds in machine learning, self-learning vehicles, and artificial intelligence.”