China is a country that tends to use what it has to get what it wants. The Asian giant has a viable alternative for nearly every tech available in the western world. Interestingly, the companies offering these services are strongly and solidly supported by the Chinese government.
Not to be left behind, Baidu, which is the Chinese search engine and Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur, a car-hailing operator, are partnering to develop driverless vehicles.
According to reports, Baidu will offer Shouqi with its Baidu Map service, while Shouqi will help Baidu develop high-precision maps for self-driving cars.
Baidu will also offer software and hardware solutions such as the “DuerOS” and “Apollo platform” to Shouqi to help it develop autonomous vehicles.
“DuerOS is an AI platform that provides tools for developers looking to quickly build intelligent devices that anyone can interact with, primarily through voice and natural language conversation,” according to Lu Qi, Baidu chief operating officer.”
He added: “The Apollo platform provides a software and hardware solution to specific partners and will help their vehicles navigate the roads using AI technology. In the future, customers will enjoy a smart travel experience brought by the self-driving cars.”
The Chinese internet company is trying to reshape its business around AI and autonomous driving, a strategy that has raised concerns among some investors.
Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur, a subsidiary of the state-owned Shouqi group, operates in more than 50 cities in China.
Baidu recently signed an agreement with BAIC Group to mass produce level 4 autonomous vehicles by 2021. It is targeting mass production of autonomous buses with King Long by 2018.
