Baidu, China’s popular search engine, introduced its paid driverless taxi service on Sunday. It thus became the first company in China to commercialize autonomous driving operations.
No safety driver had sat at the wheel at Baidu’s previous autonomous driving demonstrations in Beijing. In the new system, a safety element was seated in the front passenger seat to deal with any emergency.
Driverless taxi service launched
Baidu continues to make big strides in its driverless taxi service. Currently, up to 10 Apollo robotaxis are serving the public in an area of about 3 square kilometers (1.2 square miles). He picks up and drops off passengers at eight stops at Shougang Park in western Beijing. Each trip costs 30 yuan ($4.60) and is open to passengers aged 18-60.
The park served by Apollo robotaxis is a sightseeing destination and is known as a former site of iron and steel mills for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Although this place is not busy with traffic flow, it is flooded with tourists at certain periods.
Robotaxis automatically brake when they encounter pedestrians passing a red light or curious tourists coming near vehicles for those who want to take pictures. Kelly Wang, who works in the artificial intelligence industry, and her partner said they had a smooth driving experience. Wang also said, ” I would advise people to experience it. There is a strong sense of technology. Because there’s no one in the driver’s seat,” he said.
Apollo go mobile app for robotaxies
Passengers can call the robotaxi service in an app called Apollo Go, which is specifically designed for this service. When the taxi arrives, passengers are required to confirm their identity before boarding. The taxi starts moving after passengers detect it wearing seatbelts.
A passenger named Amy Li, who uses the service, said she still had concerns about autonomous driving. Because driving behavior on the road is complex, he said, and the taxi’s response to it varies.
Baidu, known for its search engines, has been testing autonomous driving on the open road since last year. The Apollo go robotaxi service carries more than 210 thousand passengers in three cities across China and aims to expand to 30 cities over the next three years, the company said in a press release.
