Apollo the Platform for unmanned vehicles

Apollo is an open platform for unmanned vehicles which code any developer or the company can use. She was provided in July, 2016, but uses technologies which the Baidu company developed for many years. Microsoft, Nvidia and Intel were early partners of the platform also. Baidu calls Apollo "Android for unmanned vehicles". 

2018

Daimler started development of the platform

At the end of July, 2018 the Daimler concern announced the participation in development of the Apollo platform for the purpose of development of technologies and services for unmanned vehicles and implementation of communication opportunities.

Cooperation of Daimler with the Chinese Internet company Baidu it was announced after the German car maker got from the authorities of Beijing permission to tests of autonomous cars on streets of the capital of the People's Republic of China. And became Daimler the first foreign carmaker which got such approval.

Mercedes joined in development of "Android for pilotless cars"

To get permission, Daimler equipped Mercedes-Benz cars with special technical means of the Apollo platform and tested in the National pilot zone in Beijing and Hebei. Drivers who will be in the car had special training.

It is about self-governed machines of Mercedes-Benz of the fourth level: being driving such machine,  the driver does not manage it, does not control its action. As note in Daimler, tests in the conditions of the heavy city traffic will allow "improve technology".

Automotive industry will develop according to absolutely other logic: from vertical integration to an ecosystem on the platform. It means that for global car makers and the technology companies optimal time for joint work and gain of partnership came — said the CEO of Baidu Robin Lee, commenting on cooperation with Daimler.

In addition to joint development of the Apollo platform, the company agreed that communication services Baidu will be integrated with the information and entertaining Mercedes-Benz MBUX system.

According to the head  of Daimler Dieter Zetsche, technology of pilotless driving and automobile communications develop unprecedentedly high rates therefore the company should not only follow these trends, but also create them.^[1]

BMW joined development of Apollo

In July, 2018 the German carmaker BMW Group and the Chinese search system Baidu concluded the memorandum of understanding within which the car maker joins in active development of the Apollo platform and becomes one of board members of the relevant organization. The agreement was signed during the visit of the prime minister of China  Li Keqiang to Germany.

Thanks to consolidation of efforts BMW Group and Baidu we can accelerate considerably approval of specific requirements and technology approaches as soon as possible to realize the concept of pilotless control of motor transport for the Chinese clients — the head on development of BMW Klaus Froehlich said.

As notes news agency Reuters, after several years of development of Apollo in Baidu the company decided to open the technologies in the field of self-propelled vehicles for the partners. Thanks to it in Baidu hope to accelerate creation of robomobiles and to compete with the American companies Tesla Motors and Google which considerably promoted regarding development of machines which management does not require people driving.

BMW joined development of "Android for pilotless cars"

From 2014 to 2016 BMWs and Baidu closely worked on technologies for unmanned vehicles. The companies created motor transport which could make independently decisions on roads in certain situations. In the tested machines cards of high resolution of Baidu and also electronic assistants, like adaptive a cruise control and the automatic valet which provided BMW were used. In November, 2016 announced BMW the termination of joint development of robomobiles, having explained it with differences in opinions on further researches of technologies of automatic overtaking.^[2]

The auto pilot of Baidu got BlackBerry software

On January 3, 2018 the agreement on cooperation of the Canadian producer of software BlackBerry and the Chinese Internet giant Baidu within which the companies begin to work jointly on the software for unmanned vehicles was signed. In particular, Baidu integrates the BlackBerry QNX operating system into the automobile Apollo platform which Baidu uses in the self-governed machines and also provides to other car makers creating the same vehicles.

Besides, Baidu will add to QNX software for the CarLife smartphones, the voice assistant to DeurOS and the card of high resolution for use in the unmanned vehicles. Baidu develops robomobiles within several years and expects to release them on public roads by 2020. Under the terms of the agreement with BlackBerry, the QNX platform will be used in the Baidu robomobiles.

Baidu unmanned vehicles received BlackBerry software

Baidu builds the Apollo system, and signs tens of partnership agreements worldwide, hoping to become leading company on software development for robomobiles. In particular, in September, 2017 the company announced creation of $1.5 billion fund for investments into projects of pilotless cars within the next three years.

BlackBerry QNX is one of the leading platforms for creation entertaining and cartographic a system for cars. Partnership with Baidu is for BlackBerry strategically important step as it gives the chance of the company to offer key functions in the autoindustries important for the Chinese market representing the leading driving force in the automobile world. For Baidu company and its open source software for unmanned vehicles this cooperation means the choice of the main platform which has all necessary safety certificates in the transport industry and the checked reputation.^[3]

Robotics