Chinese internet search firm Baidu has unveiled its first level 5 self-driving robocar with no steering wheel, and an upgraded autonomous driving service named Luobo Kuaipao. The company aims to make the autonomous driving technology commercially viable. Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu, outlined the company’s vision at the annual Baidu World Conference in Beijing. Cars of the future, Li said, will be robocars.
They will have, among other things, the following features: L5 autonomous driving; voice and facial recognition, which can analyze the potential needs of users and proactively offer related services; and self-learning and continuous self-improvement. Featuring automated gull-wing doors and a transparent glass roof, all integrated with external sensors, the robocar if different from the traditional automobile design. The interior features zero-gravity seats and a large curved intelligent display and control pad, with no steering wheel and pedals, he said. Autonomous driving is categorized from L1 to L5; the higher the level, the more intelligent the technology. L5 represents full self-driving with no human intervention or role.
Baidu also launched Kunlun II, its second-generation artificial intelligence-powered chip, which is designed to help devices process huge amounts of data and boost computing power. The chip can be used in areas like autonomous driving. “Baidu has accumulated solid strength in self-driving chips and lidar sensor technology that uses laser light to measure distances and map surroundings,” said Zhang Xiang, Researcher at the Automobile Industry Innovation Research Center, which is part of the North China University of Technology in Beijing. Zhang said fully self-driving vehicles still have a long way to go before they can reach the mass production stage or be used commercially, considering the current technological limitations. Following a few deadly crashes of self-driving cars in China and abroad, industry insiders warned that autonomous driving startups should proceed cautiously, especially when it comes to people’s safety, the China Daily reports.
