Photo: Baidu
Baidu is determined to succeed on the global freight market, with the unveiling of a new smart truck. The Chinese giant’s renowned AI technology and Apollo autonomous driving platform will be incorporated into an advanced truck that blends intelligence with a futuristic, innovative design.
The joint venture company established by Baidu and Lionbridge in 2020, called DeepWay, was intended to manufacture smart heavy-duty trucks for freight transportation. Its first-generation model was recently unveiled as a truck that delivers upgraded performance, high-level autonomy and an optimized interior.
Xingtu, the robot-truck, boasts a computing power of over 500 Tera operations per second (TOPS), and an ultra-long range detection of more than 1 km (0.62 miles). It’s designed to support Level 3 self-driving on high-speed freight routes, and eventually go up to Level 4, in the following years. Besides a “highway intelligence system (HIS)”, Xingtu also features ten cameras, three infrared detectors and several radars.
DeepWay equipped its truck with a 450-kWh battery pack that enables a 300 km (186.4 miles) range on a single charge, with the truck loaded to maximum capacity (49 tons). The batteries are supposed to be easy to swap in less than six minutes, and require just one hour to charge. The chassis was designed to lower wind resistance, which helps reduce energy consumption. Together with the lightweight battery, this contributes to optimizing the transportation time and cutting overall operation costs.
This new autonomous truck was also designed with the driver’s comfort in mind. Based on the idea of separating the driving and living spaces, for improved comfort, the smart cabin offers more room and is equipped with “ultra-comfortable” seats and beds. The driver also has access to an infotainment system with a wide touchscreen, and a voice assistant.
According to Baidu, DeepWay will manufacture this “smart new energy heavy-duty truck” in the near future, with the plan of bringing Level 4 self-driving technology to the China freight market.
Xingtu, the robot-truck, boasts a computing power of over 500 Tera operations per second (TOPS), and an ultra-long range detection of more than 1 km (0.62 miles). It’s designed to support Level 3 self-driving on high-speed freight routes, and eventually go up to Level 4, in the following years. Besides a “highway intelligence system (HIS)”, Xingtu also features ten cameras, three infrared detectors and several radars.
DeepWay equipped its truck with a 450-kWh battery pack that enables a 300 km (186.4 miles) range on a single charge, with the truck loaded to maximum capacity (49 tons). The batteries are supposed to be easy to swap in less than six minutes, and require just one hour to charge. The chassis was designed to lower wind resistance, which helps reduce energy consumption. Together with the lightweight battery, this contributes to optimizing the transportation time and cutting overall operation costs.
This new autonomous truck was also designed with the driver’s comfort in mind. Based on the idea of separating the driving and living spaces, for improved comfort, the smart cabin offers more room and is equipped with “ultra-comfortable” seats and beds. The driver also has access to an infotainment system with a wide touchscreen, and a voice assistant.
According to Baidu, DeepWay will manufacture this “smart new energy heavy-duty truck” in the near future, with the plan of bringing Level 4 self-driving technology to the China freight market.
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