Baidu recently officially signed a cooperation agreement with BMW to jointly promote research on highly automated driving technology. Baidu's 3D maps and related data services will be integrated into BMW's vehicle navigation system to provide technical support for autonomous vehicles.
The R&D cooperation will involve many aspects such as vehicle use and driving strategy. The two sides plan to jointly overcome the technical challenges faced by highly automated driving in the Chinese road environment and enhance road driving safety through intelligent technology. According to Yu Kai, vice president of Baidu Research Institute, Baidu is focusing on data collection and is working on the first high-precision 3D environment map in China.