Chinese tech-firm Baidu has revealed a new taxi model that can drive around the cities by itself using modern technology. According to details, Baidu Apollo RT6 can self-drive without any input from the driver.
China’s laws pertaining to self-driving vehicles necessitate a driver’s presence in a self-driving vehicle. However, the tech giant foresees that its technology will become sharp enough to drive without a driver.
According to details, the taxi uses 38 sensors to make self-driving possible including:
- Eight light-detection and ranging (Lidar) sensors
- One 6mm (0.2in) wave radar
- 12 ultrasonic sensors
- 12 cameras
The technology items, however, warrant a rather hefty price tag. Baidu Apollo RT6 is currently valued at around the equivalent of Rs. 8.3 million, which is still less than previous Baidu models.
Addressing this concern during an official conference, co-founder and CEO of Baidu Robin Li said that people are “moving towards a future where taking a robo-taxi will be half the cost of taking a taxi today.” He added that the company is finding cheaper, more efficient solutions, which will significantly reduce the development cost.
This massive cost reduction will enable us to deploy tens of thousands of [automated vehicles] across China.
Baidu’s autonomous taxis are running across 10 cities in China, with over one million rides in service since the company’s launch in 2020. The company seeks to expand its operations across the country in the foreseeable future.
