Just after the long holiday, the streets of Beijing ushered in a new scene-Baidu's self-driving taxi service is fully open in Beijing! This is a landmark event for autonomous driving.
According to the official news of Baidu Apollo Apollo Smart Driving, from October 10th, users in Beijing can use Baidu Maps and Apollo GO APP to make a one-click call to experience Baidu's autonomous driving taxi service Apollo GO for free.
In the previously released semi-annual report, Baidu has revealed that Baidu Apollo's autonomous taxi operations in Beijing, Changsha and Cangzhou have expanded to more complex road conditions such as downtown streets. In addition, Apollo Park, which covers an area of 13,500 square meters and is the world's largest test base for autonomous driving and vehicle-road collaboration applications, was completed in Beijing.
According to the latest news, the total length of the Robotaxi test area opened in Beijing this time is about 700 kilometers, covering dozens of sites in the life circle and business circle of Yizhuang, Haidian, and Shunyi. Beijing is also the third city where Apollo GO Robotaxi has opened up regular services after Changsha and Cangzhou.
Apollo self-driving fleet
Call Apollo Robotaxi through Baidu Maps
In addition to Baidu Maps App, Baidu Apollo also launched an independent App "Apollo GO" as a direct entrance to experience self-driving taxis-not only can intelligently recommend nearby pick-up points for users, but also display the user's navigation route to the recommended starting point. Guide users to reach the boarding point faster. At the same time, Apollo GO also optimizes the selection of the destination. In addition to the stations in the list, it also supports the free choice of destinations on the map.
Official event notification
In December 2019, Baidu Apollo obtained Beijing's first batch of self-driving vehicle manned test permits and was awarded 40 manned test licenses.
In the just-concluded Baidu World 2020 conference, Apollo completed the world's first fully driverless live broadcast in Beijing Shougang Park. According to the prediction of Baidu founder and chairman Li Yanhong, autonomous driving will be fully commercialized in 5 years. Li Yanhong said that through calculations, the construction of intelligent transportation infrastructure based on vehicle-road coordination will be able to increase traffic efficiency by 15% to 30%, thereby contributing 2.4% to 4.8% of GDP growth.
Today, Baidu's autonomous driving has accelerated on the road, and more players are also rushing to join this technology competition.
On October 12, the China Electric Vehicles Association of 100, China Automotive Data, and Tencent will officially release the "China Autonomous Driving Simulation Blue Book (2020)" jointly written by the three parties. The book systematically introduces the current situation of autonomous driving simulation technology and applications, and looks forward to it The future development direction of the simulation test platform.
Virtual simulation has also become a new high ground for industry players to compete in the second half of the autonomous driving breakout game with the promotion of technology as the core goal . Domestic technology companies such as Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba, and Huawei have successively invested in the research and development of autonomous driving virtual simulation technology, achieving rapid iterative updates of technology. At the same time, the state has issued a series of policies to list virtual simulation as a key technology for autonomous driving research and development, and major intelligent network connection test sites have begun to gradually build and improve virtual simulation test capabilities.
With the commercial launch of autonomous driving and the acceleration of its scale, more listed companies have formed alliances with top players and become members of the autonomous driving circle of friends.
Gaohong shares (000851) announced in May that it intends to sign the "Baidu Apollo Intelligent Transportation Ecological Cooperation Framework Agreement" with Baidu. The company's latest response on the investor interaction platform stated that Baidu Apollo has adopted Datang Gaohong in the vehicle-road collaboration project. The company actively cooperates with many car companies and automotive electronics manufacturers, but it usually takes 1-2 years for the modules to go from formal supply to mass production vehicles.
Screenshot of the framework agreement announcement
Qianfang Technology (002373) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Baidu. The company is a partner of Baidu's Apollo unmanned vehicle to jointly explore vehicle-road synergy. In the Baidu Apollo Autonomous Driving and Vehicle-Road Collaboration Project in Cangzhou and other places, the company's deployed RSU and other products and solutions are deeply integrated and coordinated with Baidu's solution, realizing the implementation of information early warning, traffic data services and other functions.
Gosuncn (300098) and Baidu have reached a strategic partnership in the field of intelligent transportation ecology. With years of experience and advantages in the field of Internet of Vehicles and intelligent transportation, the company has mastered 5G, C-V2X, big data, artificial intelligence and other core technologies. Combining Baidu's Apollo autonomous driving technology and the leading advantages of the city brain, the two parties jointly provide overall solutions for vehicle-road coordination, intelligent information control, intelligent network connection, and autonomous driving to jointly promote the market.
Recco Defense (002413) stated through the investor interaction platform that the company's product is the first domestic millimeter wave radar product to join Baidu's Apollo hardware development platform, and it is also the first domestic millimeter wave radar to be adapted to Apollo.
Luchang Technology (002813) is one of Baidu's first batch of unmanned driving partners, and has reached strategic cooperation with Internet giants such as Tencent, Baidu and Alibaba.
Experience Baidu unmanned car
In the morning of the 12th, Sina Technology arrived at the north of Daoxianghu Metro Station, an autonomous driving car-hailing spot in Haidian District, to experience the ride.
Apollo Go first experience
15 minutes to call the car, 9km in 20 minutes
The selected experience point is in the north of Daoxianghu Subway Station. After getting off at Daoxianghu Subway Station of Line 16, you need to walk 1km to reach the limited boarding point.
It is understood that the route of the north boarding point of Daoxianghu Metro Station is part of the open autonomous driving test road in Haidian District. On June 30 this year, the first phase of the autonomous driving test road in the 100 square kilometers autonomous driving demonstration zone in the northern district of Zhongguancun Science City, Haidian Fully open, the test roads have been expanded from 3, 19.4 kilometers to 52, 215.3 kilometers. Unmanned vehicles such as Xiaoma Zhixing, Baidu, Didi, Audi, and BAIC that have obtained the Beijing Municipal Autopilot Manned Test License can be used. Run on Beiqing Road, Wenyang Road, Wenbei Road and other roads.
After arriving at the boarding point, it was found that the number of Apollo fleets was relatively limited. There were about 4 Baidu self-driving vehicles circulating in the area of Daoxianghu Metro Station North-Wenyang Road Metro Station B-Daoxianghu Hotel in Haidian District. In the middle, you can see the Pony Zhixing autonomous driving test vehicle passing by.
During the period, Sina Technology used Baidu Map and Apollo Go at the north boarding point of Daoxianghu Subway Station to make a car appointment at the same time (up to 2 people can be selected). The car will arrive in about 15 minutes and the car will arrive at the station in about 1 minute. .
After getting on the bus, the safety officer asked the passenger to sit in the back row due to the toolbox placed in the front passenger seat, and then the safety officer confirmed the passenger's mobile phone number, and the passenger used the car-hailing app to scan the QR code on the rear display of the front seat Confirm the start of the trip.
At the same time, the security officer will ask passengers not to take photos and video, and there are related reminders in the vehicle.
According to the display on the inside of the car, from the north of Daoxianghu Metro Station to Wenyang Road Metro Station, the test ride is 9km and takes 20 minutes. The maximum speed does not exceed 60km/h. You can see the purpose on the screen in front of the passengers Information such as location, speed, route, road conditions, and estimated time, as well as the location of surrounding cars and pedestrians.
However, the actual driving route from the north of Daoxianghu Metro Station to Wenyang Road Metro Station is only about 2.2km. The trial route was specially set up and there was a certain detour.
During the test ride, Sina Technology observed that the safety officer placed his palms up under the steering wheel while the vehicle was running, holding the square plate imaginarily, but did not control the vehicle during the entire process. The vehicle was driving smoothly and always kept a safe distance when following the vehicle. There were no overtaking or violation of traffic regulations during the test ride, and no dangerous situations such as vehicles or pedestrians suddenly crossing the road. The starting and braking were relatively smooth. Said that the ride experience is more comfortable.
After arriving at the destination, you also need to use the App to scan the code to confirm the end of the itinerary, and passengers can evaluate the itinerary in the App.
Passenger: It feels okay, but limited point-to-point operation is very inconvenient
According to the observation of Sina Technology, there are not many passengers who come to experience the two bus stops at the north of Daoxianghu Metro Station and Exit B of Wenyang Road Metro Station.
Among them, the waiting time for each user to call the vehicle is different. Several passengers called Apollo GO after waiting for 5 minutes, while another passenger called through Baidu Map or Apollo GO from 10 to 11 without interruption. response.
At 10:11 on the 12th, a passenger was waiting for Apollo GO to pick up the order at the designated boarding point in the north of Daoxianghu Metro Station. The passenger said that he had called for an order before, but the security officer called to indicate that the vehicle was a little farther away from the passenger and suggested that the passenger place the order again.
"Actually, it's not too far. Actually, I just waited two minutes. I couldn't call after I canceled." After waiting for nearly 10 minutes, the passenger was ordered again, and the auto-driving safety officer immediately The passenger was contacted by phone, indicating that he would arrive immediately. According to the taxi page displayed by the passenger, the self-driving car is a black Lincoln, which is 3.4 kilometers away from the boarding point and is expected to arrive in 6 minutes.
Another passenger who just got off the Baidu Robotaxi told Sina Technology that he took the Wenyang Road subway station to the north of Daoxianghu subway station. The whole journey felt okay. Basically, no one was involved. Sometimes it was safe to turn. The operator’s hands will hold the steering wheel.
The second passenger who got off the bus told Sina Technology that he saw three Baidu self-driving cars parked at the Wenyang Road subway station. There were not many vehicles on the whole road and he kept touching the steering wheel.
"Currently it is a limited place to get on and off the train. Point-to-point operation is very inconvenient. The travel distance from Wenyang Road Metro Station (Daoxianghu Metro Station) is quite long, and it takes longer than the subway to travel 20 minutes. Actually. I can usually take a taxi and take a closer route. Baidu may choose this route for testing because there are few people."
The third passenger told Sina Technology that he had a problem of positioning deviation during the car-hailing process. The map showed that his location was at the end point, but the passenger's location was at the start point.
"The first time I experience it, it feels okay. The autonomous driving of this car is basically mature, and the safety officer will assist in key situations such as cornering. However, the speed is very slow, and it feels only 30km/h."
The third passenger also mentioned that the tasteless part of the trial ride was that after arriving at the destination from a stop, it would be more difficult to call an Apollo GO back to the pick-up point and it would take a long time.
In the end, the passenger called a Didi back to the boarding point.
"The prerequisite for the promotion of autonomous driving is that everyone textbook-style compliance with traffic rules"
"Fully autonomous driving may take 20 years, and it will take 10 years at the fastest."
When referring to the fully automatic driving to the safety officer, the third passenger said. He believes that autonomous driving is a trend, but it takes a long way to go before it is fully realized.
A Didi driver told Sina Technology that, judging from the road conditions in Beijing, the current situation is not very reliable, "I am bold, but I still dare not ride."
He believes that pedestrians must abide by traffic rules after self-driving cars are on the road, otherwise it will be difficult for unmanned vehicles to move. "Because some pedestrians and takeaway cars do not abide by traffic rules, especially when they pass traffic lights, they don’t care about traffic rules at all. Self-driving vehicles sense When you get to the pedestrian, you can only stop and go, and wait, unlike our human drivers, who can get there as soon as possible."
The Didi driver said, “Unless pedestrians obey all traffic rules, textbook crossings, and all cameras are in place. Otherwise, it will be difficult to move. Some special locations, such as the old alley, are even more impossible.”
However, he also admitted that the power of high technology is unimaginable. "Of course, we have to believe in high technology. In the early days of video phones, I didn't expect it at all. I took a Motorola V8088 and found it to be quite powerful. Later, I didn't expect that there would be video phones to see people through video connections."
At present, self-driving taxis are ushering in a positive trend for carrying passengers on the road, but the overall progress is slow and facing many challenges, such as technological breakthroughs, costs, extreme weather, policies, and handling complex road conditions. Self-driving taxis can only meet part of the demand in the next few years.
At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference last month, Baidu proposed a "5G cloud driving" driverless supporting service, based on 5G, smart transportation, V2X and other new infrastructure facilities, to make up for the driverless system. For example, in the face of temporary road changes or traffic control, after receiving a request for help, "5G cloud driving" can take over the driverless car and change to parallel driving to help the vehicle solve problems. The cloud driver can do a lot Car service.
However, the maturity of the current 5G cloud driving technology needs to be verified, and it will take a long time for the public to experience autonomous vehicles without safety officers.
In general, from this experience, Baidu’s open Apollo GO is still based on experience. Due to long waiting time for car-hailing, slow driving, limited point-to-point operation, and the number of vehicles that cannot meet demand, it has not yet risen to solve the problem of travel. The level of demand.
Baidu Apollo continues to promote the "progress bar" of autonomous driving, but breakthroughs are still needed for mature technology, and it is still too early to realize travel services.
Edit | Chen Jinglan
Proofreading | Zhong Miaoli
Audit | Huang Xiaoming
Source | Shanghai Securities News, Sina Technology, and 5G industry circles.
Overview of 35 key technologies of "stuck neck"!
List of China's third-generation semiconductors!
Top companies in various fields of Internet of Vehicles!
exclusive! Mid-year performance inventory of 59 car networking companies
My name is "5G Industry Circle"
Long press to scan code to follow
The latest 5G information is here!