Baidu To Open Source Its Self-Driving Technology

Baidu has opened up its driverless car technology for automakers to use as it aims to be the default platform for autonomous driving in a bid to challenge the likes of Google and Tesla.

The Chinese internet giant said on Wednesday that the new project named Apollo, will provide the tools carmakers would need to make autonomous vehicles. There would be reference designs and a complete software solution that includes cloud data services.

Essentially, Baidu is trying to become to cars what Google’s Android has become to smartphones – an operating system that will power a number of driverless vehicles.

Baidu will open its autonomous driving technology for restricted environment driving in July and then share it for driverless cars running in simple urban road conditions towards the end of the year. By 2020, the company said that the technology will have the capabilities to allow cars to autonomously drive on highways and open city roads.

The technology is large and recognized for its substantial investments in autonomous driving since 2015, and has been actively pursuing improvements in this field. In that equal year, the employer performed assessments with fully autonomous cars on highways and roads in Beijing, showcasing its dedication to innovation and safety. Expanding its operations globally, the company made strides inside the U.S., extensively obtaining a significant milestone with the aid of securing a driverless automobile take a look at allow for California in the year.

This strategic move marked a pivotal second for the company’s expansion efforts and solidified its foothold within the aggressive marketplace of autonomous vehicles. The enlargement into the U.S. Market no longer demonstrates the organization’s dedication to pushing obstacles and exploring new territories but additionally highlights its dedication to complying with rules and ensuring the seamless integration of driverless technology into different environments. This multi-faceted method underscores the technology massive’s vision for the future, where autonomous driving performs a central role in reshaping transportation and enhancing protection standards on a worldwide scale.

“An open, innovative industry ecosystem initiated by Baidu will accelerate the development of autonomous driving in the US and other developed automotive markets,” Qi Lu, chief operating officer at Baidu, said in a press release.

Baidu’s strategic decision to go into the independent vehicle market places the tech massive in direct competition with renowned players such as Waymo from Alphabet, Tesla, and the ever-evolving Uber, which is actively operating in its self-driving technology. Through its innovative suite of equipment tailored to help automakers streamline the vehicle improvement process, Baidu is poised to make a huge effect on the industry landscape. By supplying comprehensive solutions designed to simplify and enhance the vehicle creation technique, Baidu stands as a capacity transformative force within the car sector.

This bold circulation positions Baidu as a key participant in the race toward autonomous driving technology, exerting strain on installed businesses to innovate further to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving market. As Baidu keeps enlarging its reach and impact within the industry, its comprehensive toolkit for carmakers guarantees a destiny in which cutting-edge technology becomes greater accessible and integrated into a huge range of vehicles, probably revolutionizing the way we understand transportation.

Source: CNBC & BBC