Baidu Announces New Open Platform To Help Speed Up Development of Self-Driving Cars (theverge.com) 27
Chinese tech giant Baidu has announced a new autonomous vehicle platform called Project Apollo, which aims to help speed up the development of self-driving cars. "Baidu says the platform encompasses both hardware and software, providing partners with the tech and open-source code needed to help their own vehicles perceive obstacles, plan their routes, and otherwise move around our world," reports The Verge. From the report: Baidu says it will first open up Project Apollo for cars operating in restricted environments in July, before offering it to vehicles driving in simple urban road conditions later this year. That's ahead of a gradual rollout of self-driving features that should see cars operating fully autonomously on highways and regular roads by 2020. The release comes as Baidu moves to position itself at the forefront of the autonomous vehicle industry. The Chinese company has aimed for the ambitious goal of getting a self-driving car to market by 2018, and is challenging rivals such as Google on its home turf, building a team of engineers based in Silicon Valley and scoring relevant permits so it can test vehicles in California.
Now with a new, free feature!! (Score:4, Insightful)
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So it's a stealth hatchback?
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Indeed, It's an open and shut case- I mean Trunk.
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bus drivers also act as sub security guard and fair enforcement. Now with an auto drive bus they can be more of a security guard / fair enforcement person and not need to keep there eyes on the road.
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In many places in the US bus drivers are told not to enforce fare payment. A $2.00 fare is not worth a driver's life.
Self driving by 2018? (Score:2)
A new platform....relevant xkcd (Score:3)
Apollo? No Chinese mythology gods? (Score:3)
I think it's kind of funny that they would choose a Greco-Roman cultural figure for their project name. Were there no gods of Chinese mythology available?
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"Project Clint Eastwood" doesn't appeal to me either.
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I think it's kind of funny that they would choose a Greco-Roman cultural figure for their project name. Were there no gods of Chinese mythology available?
I think Baidu was looking for an association with a "moon-shot" like Google, and called it Apollo as to not confuse it with the Chinese moon program (Chang'e), which unlike the Apollo program is still ongoing.
ez pz (Score:2)
Open-Source (Score:2)
Sure, all the spyware jokes are funny, but this really sounds cool to me. A well funded open source project, with hardware available, could allow for some neat experiments. Plus it just adds to the competition and I want my self driving car ASAP.