LAS VEGAS, Jan. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) unveiled its latest innovations in autonomous driving at “China Speed” on stage at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, including the release of Apollo 2.0, the latest iteration and most robust version yet of the company’s Apollo open autonomous driving platform. At its press conference, “Baidu World @ Las Vegas 2018” on Monday, Baidu announced its Apollo platform has brought together more than 90 partners, and revealed collaborative progress with global companies such as Udacity, Microsoft and TomTom.
“Apollo is an example of ‘China Speed’, demonstrating the rapid pace of China's innovations and development in the global autonomous driving industry,” said Qi Lu, Group President and COO of Baidu. "AI and innovation are borderless. We’re facing a historic moment with immense opportunities for people around the world, which requires big countries and great enterprises, including China and Baidu, to lead and explore together. We are very pleased to be at the center of this large-scale innovation and stand together with each partner at the forefront of this momentous time.”
"Open platforms and ecosystems are the best way to accelerate the transition of AI technologies toward commercialization," Lu added. "Based upon this idea, Apollo has emerged as the world’s most open, complete, and powerful autonomous driving ecosystem."
Baidu Reveals Apollo 2.0, the Most Robust Version of the Apollo Platform to Date
Apollo 2.0 brings the most complete solution and flexible architecture to partners and developers yet, with an added security solution for autonomous driving, and greatly enhanced capabilities in positioning, perception, planning and control, and cloud simulation. The suite of technologies and solutions makes autonomous driving in simple urban road conditions a reality.
This latest Apollo iteration marks the opening up of all four of the platform’s major modules - cloud services, software platforms, reference hardware platforms and reference vehicle platforms. The Apollo platform is highly dynamic—so far it has amassed more than 165,000 lines of code and approximately 65,000 lines are added each quarter.
Baidu said that it will fully support four main computing platforms -- NVIDIA, Intel, NXP and Renesas in 2018; introduce a more cost-effective sensor solution; support more reference vehicles such as minibuses, SUVs and trucks; and provide a wider range of high-definition map services worldwide.
AutonomouStuff, a U.S. startup supplying autonomous system components, used Apollo 1.0 to create waypoint autonomous vehicles last July and upgraded the vehicles to Apollo 2.0 within one week, enabling daytime and nighttime driving on simple urban roads, fully demonstrating the flexibility and usability of Apollo 2.0.
“Apollo is more than just open-sourcing code and technology – it is evolving from technology innovation to product innovation and enabling more implementation scenarios,” said Jingao Wang, Head of Apollo Platform and Senior Director of Baidu.
At the event, Baidu showcased partners’ applications of Apollo in a variety of mobility scenarios such as passenger vehicles, public buses and shared transport services. Baidu announced that it is working with Access Services, a US public paratransit services provider, to launch a pilot project in Los Angeles to provide short route autonomous vehicle services for persons with disabilities and the senior communities by the end of 2018.
Baidu has previously announced plans to work with partners on mass-producing autonomous vehicles. Chery Automotive, together with Baidu, will mass produce Level 3 autonomous vehicles by 2020, and Baidu also plans to mass-produce driverless buses for designated areas by the end of July 2018 with Chinese bus manufacturer King Long.
Global Partnerships and Talent Programs to Accelerate Innovation
Apollo has gathered more than 90 partners, including some of the world’s leading forces in autonomous driving. Representatives from Apollo’s global partners, including Udacity, Microsoft and TomTom, announced their cooperation plans with Baidu on Monday.
Microsoft Azure will provide intelligent cloud services in markets outside of China for the Apollo platform and its partners, with Apollo’s simulation functions available first on Azure to global customers. TomTom's HD maps will be pre-integrated into Apollo, enabling developers to access TomTom’s latest HD maps data and to accelerate the production of autonomous driving. Baidu and Udacity also jointly announced the launch of Apollo’s autonomous driving online courses, which is designed to lower the research and development barrier to entry in the industry.
“By incorporating Apollo 2.0 into the Udacity online course, Baidu is taking the initiative to help close the global AI talent gap problem,” said Sebastian Thrun, founder and president of Udacity, who also co-founded Google’s autonomous vehicle project.
“Baidu is using AI technology to break geographical boundaries. Apollo belongs to not only China, but to the rest of the world,” said Ya-Qin Zhang, President of Baidu.
Apollo announced its first overseas expansion on Monday into Singapore, following a joint venture and newly established $200 million fund, named “Apollo Southeast Asia,” between Baidu and Singapore technology conglomerate Asia Mobility Industries (AMI). The joint venture will focus on the full spectrum of autonomous driving and intelligent transportation through direct investment into advanced mobility projects, technology exchange, the establishment of research programs, and the commercialization of Baidu’s autonomous driving technologies in the region. Through the fund, Apollo Southeast Asia aims to attract strategic partners to join the Apollo open autonomous driving platform.
Baidu also launched the Apollo Global Institute on Monday, in a bid to further promote the growth of global autonomous driving talent by leveraging Baidu’s technology centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Silicon Valley and Seattle.
To learn more about Baidu’s Apollo technology and product line-up, please visit Baidu’s CES booths at CES Tech East (#25308 in South Hall 2 and #7913 in North Hall).
About Baidu
Baidu, Inc. is the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. Baidu aims to make a complex world simpler through technology. Baidu's ADSs trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "BIDU". Currently, ten ADSs represent one Class A ordinary share.
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