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Baidu Tests a New Way to Train Robotaxis
Mobility1 min read
Baidu's Apollo unit has unveiled Apollo World, a virtual world used to test its driverless ride-hailing service, Apollo Go. The goal is to test self-driving cars safely without relying only on costly real-road tests.
What happened
At its AI Day event in Shenzhen, Baidu's Apollo unit showed Apollo World. It is a computer-made world that copies real streets, cars, and people. Cars and people in it react to the self-driving car, just like in real life. Baidu says it already uses this system to test and check Apollo Go as the service expands into more markets.
Key numbers
- Each new version of the self-driving model needs more than 700,000 kilometers of road testing on average.
- Apollo World was trained on more than 1 billion high-value frames (single snapshots of driving data).
- Apollo Go has logged more than 23 million rides and 240 million fully driverless kilometers.
- In mainland China, all Apollo Go operations are now 100% fully driverless.
How the virtual world works
Apollo World is a 'world model.' Baidu says a true world model has two rules. First, the future follows the past. Second, the world responds when the car acts. The system runs a closed loop: the virtual car's camera and lidar (a sensor that uses laser light to map distances) data feed back into the AI driver. This lets the system test whole trips, not just single moves like turning or changing lanes.
Why it matters
Real-road testing is slow and expensive. A virtual world that can test full trips could help Baidu find problems before its self-driving systems are used widely. Baidu says this matters more as robotaxi companies race to enter new cities, countries, and rules. Waymo, WeRide, and Pony.ai are also expanding abroad.
What to watch
- Whether Apollo World cuts the amount of real-road testing Baidu needs.
- Where Apollo Go launches or expands next, including London, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, and South Korea.
- How rival companies such as Waymo, WeRide, and Pony.ai respond in new markets.
Glossary
- Apollo Go
- Baidu's driverless ride-hailing service, where cars take people on trips without a human driver.
- Apollo World
- A computer-made virtual world that Baidu uses to test self-driving cars.
- world model
- An AI system that learns how the world works so it can predict what will happen next.
- lidar
- A sensor that uses laser light to measure distances and build a 3D map around a car.
- robotaxi
- A taxi with no human driver that carries paying passengers.