Baidu Apollo launches Apollo ADFM large model, sixth-gen unmanned Robotaxi at Apollo Day 2024

Beijing (Gasgoo)- On May 15, Baidu Apollo held the Apollo Day 2024 event in Wuhan, showcasing a decade of significant advancements in autonomous driving. The event highlighted breakthroughs driven by large models, new passenger safety standards, and the world's largest autonomous unmanned vehicle operation network.

Photo credit: Baidu

At the event, Baidu Apollo introduced the world's first Level 4 autonomous driving large model, the Apollo ADFM (Autonomous Driving Foundation Model). Additionally, the company launched the sixth-generation unmanned Apollo Go Robotaxi, priced at around just 200,000 yuan and equipped with Baidu's latest intelligent system.

Photo credit: Baidu

The Apollo ADFM represents a significant leap in autonomous driving technology. It enhances safety and generalization capabilities, surpassing human driving safety by over ten times and covering complex urban scenarios, said Baidu Apollo. Leveraging this model, Baidu's Apollo Go Robotaxi service has successfully navigated Wuhan's intricate road conditions, providing nearly half of the city's residents with convenient autonomous mobility service.

In the Level 2+ intelligent driving domain, leveraging the Apollo ADFM, Baidu Apollo's visual-only urban navigation assistance product, the ANP3, will upgrade to ASD (Apollo Self-Driving). The ASD system will be firstly deployed onto Baidu-backed Ji Yue’s vehicles. This advancement enables intelligent driving wherever Baidu Maps is available.

Photo credit: Baidu

Baidu Apollo also launched the new Apollo Go self-driving vehicle equipped with the sixth-generation autonomous driving system. This vehicle integrates the Apollo ADFM model, hardware products, and a robust safety architecture, featuring ten layers of safety redundancy and six MRC safety strategies.

Photo credit: Baidu

By April, Baidu Apollo had accumulated over 100 million kilometers of autonomous driving distance without major accidents. The sixth-generation Apollo Go self-driving vehicle, costing 60% less than its predecessor, will see its first batch deployed in Wuhan immediately, with a fleet of 1,000 units expected by year-end.

Photo credit: Baidu

As the Apollo Go Robotaxi service completes its autonomous vehicle operation network, operating costs will drop by 30%, and service costs by 80%, thanks to ongoing efficiency optimizations, Baidu said. This cost management strategy, along with expanded service coverage, has driven a ninefold revenue increase and significantly reduced losses.

Baidu Apollo aims for Apollo Go to achieve breakeven in Wuhan by the end of 2024 and profitability in 2025, positioning it as the world's first commercially viable autonomous ride-hailing platform.