Wabco has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Baidu to collaborate on developing software for Level 4 autonomous driving in hub-to-hub highway applications for commercial vehicles.
This will form an open platform allowing OEMs and fleets to use the companies' safety and AI technology but customise it for specific applications.
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Baidu will provide Apollo, its open autonomous driving software platform, claimed to be proven in the passenger car segment, while Wabco will provide access to its own ADOPT (Autonomous Driving Open Platform Technology).
The two firms will work to combine the required content of Apollo , integrating all the safety and redundancy protocols necessary for road release for commercial vehicles. A saleable product is expected within three years.
The product will be offered to fleets and OEMs allowing them to develop their own software for specific autonomous driving goals using all or some of the jointly developed platform.
"Commercial vehicles will be the first mover in autonomous driving adoption with promising prospects of commercialisation," said Zhenyu Li, vice president, Baidu Intelligent Driving Group.
Cooperation between the Apollo platform and Wabco would minimise repetitive and basic development efforts, and eventually accelerate autonomous driving in commercial vehicles, he added.
