Chinese autonomous driving start-up ZYT plans to introduce a new AI driving system at the Beijing auto show in April, Reuters reported, citing the company’s chief executive.
ZYT CEO Shen Shaojie told Reuters the system is already a better driver than he is on Shenzhen’s crowded streets.
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The company, a spin-off from Chinese drone maker DJI, plans to demonstrate what it calls a “mobility foundation model” at the show.
Shaojie said the system marks a cost-saving shift from how autonomous driving technology is typically built and trained.
Instead of using dedicated “modules” to identify cars, pedestrians or traffic lights – and then training software around the geography and traffic patterns of a specific market – Shen told Reuters the ZYT model can figure out how to drive on its own.
He said the “foundation” AI was trained not only on road-driving video, but also on footage from drones, robots, household vacuum cleaners, motorcycles and even people carrying a moving camera.
Shen said this training mix allows the system to operate across vehicle types and geographies in ways conventional systems, tuned for particular road types and conditions, cannot.
He added it could also make the technology relevant for controlling the movement of future autonomous robots or other devices.
It reflects intensifying competition in AI-powered driving systems involving Tesla and a range of Chinese automakers and suppliers, including Xpeng.
ZYT is also competing with Huawei’s smart driving unit and Momenta.
DJI retains a stake in ZYT through an affiliate, and has been operating under US sanctions due to what US agencies have described as national security concerns.
