Baidu co-founder and CEO Robin Li and CCTV host Beining Sa sit in Baidu’s newly launched robocar at … [+]
Baidu, Inc.
Baidu World 2021 showed how central autonomous mobility is to the Chinese Internet giant. The company, which operates the most popular search engine in China, has dedicated immense resources toward next-generation transportation, first and foremost through its Apollo self-driving car program.
The three hour Baidu World presentation kicked off with CEO Robin Li unveiling the company’s new Robocar. The vehicle has two seats, no steering wheel, gull wing doors, and windshields that double as computer displays.
The vehicle has the feel of a concept car, rather than something that might ever hit real live streets. But the presentation quickly cut to a live demonstration of the car transporting Baidu employees in a suburban-style environment. The number of Robocars in existence, and their true capabilities, are unclear, but they are real enough to at least handle a demonstration route.
After the Robocar sequence ended and the focus shifted back to the main stage, Li hypothesized that viewers might wonder, when could they actually ride in a self-driving car?
The CEO used that jumping off point to introduce Luobo Kuaipao, a new robotaxi platform available in four Chinese cities—Beijing, Guangzhou, Changsha and Cangzhou.
This platform seems to host more traditional Apollo self-driving SUVs, rather than the high-concept Robocars that kicked off Baidu World. Nonetheless, the vehicles are driverless, with have no operator in the driver seat (although chaperones may occupy the passenger seat).
Next, the presentation shifted toward consumer vehicles. Zhenyu Li, general manager of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group, took the stage to discuss the company’s progress in both infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems. Smart parking is a highlight of the features available in passenger cars.
Zhenyu Li also discussed infrastructure that the Apollo team has built to assist with driving, including intelligent traffic lights that communicate both with vehicles and with other nearby lights and signals.
Only at that point, nearly an hour into the event, did Baidu World shift away from mobility.
Subsequent speakers covered topics ranging from smart home devices to Baidu’s second generation Kunlun AI chip to the application of machine learning to improve the form of Olympic high divers.
But pride of place went to mobility and Baidu’s Apollo team, the cutting edge of the company’s artificial intelligence efforts.
