Chinese internet and AI behemoth Baidu has unveiled its second-generation artificial intelligence chip alongside a host of other important pieces of technology related to the automotive industry, including a ‘robocar’.
During the company’s annual Baidu World conference, the new Kunlun2 AI chip was launched. Baidu claims the chip is designed to help devices process huge amounts of data and boost computing power and will be used in areas including autonomous vehicles. It has already entered mass production and arrives after the first-generation Kunlun chip was launched in 2018.
Read Also: Baidu To Build Autonomous Taxis With BAIC Group In China
Baidu made a number of other important announcements during the event. This included the launch of an intriguing robocar. The vehicle is a prototype and looks unlike anything else on four wheels. It comes complete with gullwing-style doors and lacks any traditional controls such as a steering wheel and pedals because, according to Baidu, it is capable of fully-autonomous driving. It also features voice and facial recognition and will be able to analyze internal and external surroundings and make predictive suggestions to serve the needs of its passengers.
While Baidu did not specifically state that this particular robocar will reach production, it has been testing robotaxi services in cities across China, including in Guangzhou and Beijing. Speaking with CNBC, the vice president of Baidu’s intelligent driving group, Wei Dong, said that the technology company wants its robotaxi service to reach mass public commercial availability in select cities within two years.
“We believe that cars of the future will be robocars,” Baidu co-founder and chief executive Robin Li added. “They will drive autonomously, act as both an intelligent assistant and loyal companion, and be self-learning.”
