Apolong (unmanned bus)

2021: Start of production of autonomous minibuses

In early August 2021, Baidu announced the launch of Apolong II, a new generation of multi-purpose autonomous minibuses that began running in the Guangzhou Huangpu area.

Apolong II is equipped with advanced autonomous driving technologies and innovations of an intelligent cabin to improve the quality of service and movement of passengers. Thanks to these significant improvements, Apolong II can comprehensively meet the diverse needs of the market by providing customizable multi-purpose autonomous transportation solutions for public transport, mobile police, medical facilities, as well as for commercial industries, marking a milestone in the ongoing evolution of intelligent transport in the 21st century.

Compared to its predecessor, Apolong II received a large-scale modernization, including 155 system updates that allow you to work on open roads, since the area of ​ ​ operational design (ODD) has been expanded. Apolong II processing power tripled to 372 Tops. Its sensor system is improved and includes two 40-channel LiDAR sensors that combine millimeter wave radars and three-dimensional cameras. The updated sensor system can now detect an object up to 250 meters, and positioning accuracy and overall responsiveness have reached new levels, which are measured in centimeters and milliseconds, respectively. Apolong II can successfully cope with difficult situations on open roads, such as unprotected left turns, lane changes and various scenarios for crossing the roadway.

Baidu has begun production of minibuses that do not need a driver

Apolong II uses Baidu (V2X) and 5G technologies for remote driving, as well as dual redundancy for safety and reliability. Thanks to seamless coordination between the vehicle and the road, the problems associated with smart driving of individual cars can be reduced by 54%, and emergency braking situations at intersections can even be reduced by 90%. Cloud management based on 5G also allows the autonomous minibus to move safely and smoothly in various extreme conditions.

In addition to the exquisite possibilities of autonomous driving, Apolong II also boasts advanced solutions for an intelligent interior. To begin with, an intelligent 55-inch display with a transparent window was installed, developed jointly by Baidu and BOE Technology, which clearly demonstrates road conditions and working autonomous driving technologies. Apolong II passengers can also use this HD screen for voice activation and control of the on-board DuerOS assistant, gaining access to navigation functions to study the surroundings in search of recommendations for passengers to restaurants or other nearby entertainment.

Guangzhou Huangpu District is considered a reference city for a new intelligent transport infrastructure and is at the forefront of innovative autonomous driving technologies. Apolong II will be used for multi-purpose commercial purposes and will provide citizens with the maximum experience of using smart transport, being deployed in public parks, airports, business areas and residential areas of the Huangpu district in Guangzhou.^[1]

2018: Commencement of mass production

In early July 2018, the Chinese IT company Baidu began mass production of unmanned buses and announced their imminent entry into the commercial market.

A bus called Apolong, created on the Apollo 3.0 platform, is able to bypass obstacles and curtail without driver participation. It has a fourth class of autonomy. This means that the presence of a human operator is not required for maneuvers on city streets.

Apolong unmanned bus

At the initial stage, the vehicle will be operated at tourist facilities, airports, industrial parks and other closed and semi-closed areas with a speed limit of 20-40 km/h. An unmanned bus can transport up to 14 people at a time.

In early July 2018, Baidu announced that in the near future Apolong will appear in Beijing,  Shenzhen, the new region of Xong'an in Hebei Province, the city of Pintang and Wuhan. By the time of the announcement, the company had produced 100 buses.

At the same time, Baidu announced a collaboration with the SB Drive project of the investment company Softbank to deliver a version of Apolong buses in Tokyo and other cities of Japan in early 2019.  In addition, it is planned to sell self-propelled buses in other countries.

2018 is the year of commercialization of unmanned vehicles in China, "says Baidu CEO Robin Li. - By the number of Baidu buses coming off the production line, we can judge that the development of autonomous driving has taken a big step forward, ensuring that the entire industry rises to a new level - from "zero" to "one."

Baidu participates in numerous car development and testing projects with automatic control systems, collaborating with Lifan and BAIC, among others. For several years, Baidu intends to invest about $1.5 billion in programs related to unmanned technologies.^[2]

Notes