[230623] #RoboSense #Aurora #Cruise  

1. Baidu launches commercial fully driverless ride-hailing service in Shenzhen

• • Baidu has obtained a license to operate its fully driverless ride-hailing service in Shenzhen, making it the fourth city in China to offer this service.
  • Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis will operate in Shenzhen from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, covering an area of 188 square kilometers.
  • Users can access the service through the Apollo Go app, mini-program, Baidu Maps, and Baidu App.
  • This licensing expansion extends Baidu’s commercial fully driverless ride-hailing services nationwide and paves the way for future expansion across China.
  • Baidu plans to deploy 200 additional fully driverless robotaxis in 2023, aiming to establish the world’s largest fully driverless ride-hailing area.
  • Apollo Go has received positive feedback from users, with an average user rating of 4.9 out of 5 and a significant increase in active users and user engagement.
  • By the first quarter of 2023, Apollo Go had provided over 2 million rides, solidifying its position as the world’s largest autonomous ride-hailing service provider.

2. Aurora Releases Open-Source Autonomous Driving Dataset

• • Aurora Innovation has released the Aurora Multi-Sensor Dataset, a large-scale multi-sensor dataset for autonomous vehicle localization.
  • The dataset contains rich metadata, including semantic segmentation, and covers various weather conditions, times of day, and traffic conditions.
  • It is significantly larger than other publicly available localization datasets and can be used for the development and evaluation of autonomous vehicle localization approaches.
  • The dataset was previously introduced as PIT30M at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2020.
  • Aurora aims to contribute to engineering research and development in the autonomous systems field by making this data available to the academic community.
  • The data was captured in Pittsburgh, PA, between January 2017 and February 2018 by Uber Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), which was acquired by Aurora in January 2021.
  • The dataset includes data from a 64-beam Velodyne HDL-64E LiDAR sensor and seven cameras with a 360º view around the vehicle.
  • The Aurora Multi-Sensor Dataset is hosted on Amazon S3 and is intended for non-commercial academic use under a Creative Commons license.

3.  RoboSense Shares Leading Safety Practices in LiDAR Industry at 2023 International Automotive Safety & Security Congress

• • RoboSense delivered a keynote speech and participated in a panel discussion at the 2023 International Automotive Safety & Security Congress in Shanghai.
  • The company shared its safety practices and experiences in LiDAR technology, focusing on the role of LiDAR in autonomous driving systems and overall vehicle safety.
  • RoboSense has developed a modular product design approach for its M-Series LiDAR, ensuring a comprehensive safety technology system.
  • The safety system covers functional safety, anticipated functional safety, network security, and perception safety.
  • RoboSense complies with industry standards such as ISO 26262, ISO 21434, UL 4600, ISO 5469, ISO 21448, and ISO 34502.
  • The company has a team of highly experienced professionals with expertise in safety design and analysis, holding relevant certifications.
  • RoboSense is committed to advancing LiDAR safety practices and driving innovation in the integration of LiDAR technology in intelligent driving systems.
  • RoboSense aims to set industry standards, ensure the safe and reliable integration of LiDAR technology, and promote innovation in the field.

4. Cruise rolls out Android app for robotaxi service

• • Cruise, a self-driving car company, has launched an Android app for its robotaxi service.
  • The app allows users to hail a self-driving taxi directly from their Android smartphones.
  • Users can input their destination, view estimated arrival times, and track the vehicle’s progress in real-time.
  • The app also includes features such as a passenger safety checklist and an emergency button.
  • Cruise’s robotaxis are currently operating in San Francisco, and the app is available to residents in the city.
  • The Android app release follows Cruise’s launch of an iOS app earlier this year.
  • The company plans to expand its robotaxi service to other cities in the future.

5. LiDAR technology to monitor forest fires… AICT to develop early detection system

• • The Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology (AICT) has been awarded a government-funded project for the development of a Lidar-based mid- to long-range forest fire early warning technology.
  • The research team includes Prof. Noh Young-min of Pukyong National University, Prof. Choi Woo-seok of Sejong University, Samwoo TCS, and Otis.
  • The project is part of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Cooperative Technology Development Project for Disaster Safety, with 4.6 billion won in funding until 2026.
  • Current methods for preventing forest fires, such as forest fire monitors, CCTVs, and drones, face limitations in early detection and long-distance response.
  • AICT plans to develop a new forest fire early detection system based on fine dust scanning lidar technology.
  • The lidar technology can scan a wide range of 360 degrees, detect wildfire smoke in light fog, and cover a large area at once.
  • The goal is to increase the measurement radius to 10 kilometers and develop unmanned, remote, and automated monitoring equipment.
  • The system will enable early detection of smoke, tracking of ignition points, and rapid response for effective initial fire extinguishment.
  • AICT aims to install the developed system in northern Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do provinces and conduct empirical research in cooperation with relevant organizations.
  • The research is expected to help prevent, control, extinguish, and respond to large forest fires and make the technology available to national and local governments.