Alibaba-backed startup AutoX launches fifth-generation self-driving system

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 6, AutoX, a Chinese self-driving startup funded by Alibaba and others, launched its fifth-generation self-driving system, the AutoX Gen5, which has already gone into volume production, according to the company.

The startup's Chinese name, “Antu” (meaning “safe journey”) was announced in the meantime, signifying that AutoX was “born for safety”.

AutoX launching AutoX Gen5; photo credit: AutoX

According to the company, the AutoX Gen5 is armed with up to 50 high-definition automotive-grade sensors, including 28 cameras capturing a total of 220 million pixels per second, six high-resolution LiDAR offering 15 million points per second, and 4D millimeter-wave radars with 0.9-degree resolution encompassing 360 degrees around the vehicle.

At the launching ceremony, the startup also released the core computing platform of the AutoX Gen5, namely AutoX XCU, which is purportedly China's first Level 4/5 super computing platform for RoboTaxi. Thanks to the platform, the AutoX Gen5 is capable of a whopping computing power of 2,200 TOPS.

AutoX launched its first-generation self-driving system in 2017 and then rolled out a new generation per year. Compared to the Gen1 based on 360-degree cameras, the Gen 5 utilizes high-definition sensors and automotive-grade electrical/electronic architecture to achieve fully driverless running, said the company.

AutoX RoboTaxi fleet; photo credit: AutoX

In January 1, AutoX announced that its Robotaxi service, with no safety drivers on board, would be available to the general public in Shenzhen. The company has been operating test robotaxi service in Shanghai as well, but uses safety drivers.