China Unicom, Baidu and Huawei jointly carry out autonomous driving demonstrations using 5G technology, bringing the Internet of Vehicles one step closer to implementation

On September 27, China Unicom, Baidu and Huawei conducted a demonstration of autonomous driving and remote driving based on 5G network technology at the China International Information and Communication Exhibition. This demonstration of autonomous driving verified the large bandwidth and low latency capabilities of 5G networks, taking 5G networks one step further in the application of autonomous driving and remote driving.

Baidu provided the autonomous driving and remote driving fleet for this demonstration, China Unicom deployed 5G test networks in Daoxiang Lake and other places in the northern part of Haidian District, Beijing, and Huawei provided 5G communication equipment. Relying on the high bandwidth and low latency of the 5G network, this demonstration realized the data transmission of control information and high-definition monitoring video between the intelligent driving platform and the fleet.

In the demonstration, the autonomous driving fleet provided by Baidu completed the industry's first seamless switch between the autonomous driving system and 5G remote control. When the intelligent driving platform receives the information "encountering a temporary construction obstacle and requiring manual control to pass", it can immediately start remote driving. This free switching based on the 5G network can be applied in scenarios such as accident emergency rescue, harsh environments, and dangerous environments, which will greatly improve the operational efficiency of the autonomous driving fleet and prepare for large-scale road use in the future.

Tao Ji, technical director of Baidu's autonomous driving, said: Remote control of vehicles will become the standard for large-scale commercial operation of autonomous driving. In this demonstration project, the first end-to-end 5G network based on the 5G core network in China achieved on-demand switching between remote driving and autonomous driving modes, which is of great significance for the large-scale deployment and operation of autonomous driving combined with 5G demand and solution verification.

Through 5G remote control, in "boundary situations" that autonomous driving has not learned, it can freely switch to human remote control mode, handle complex driving scenarios more accurately, and significantly reduce the research and development costs of autonomous driving technology.

5G remote assistance will also improve the operational dispatch efficiency of large-scale autonomous driving fleets. In the future, remote customer service may be added to meet passenger demands in real time, providing passengers with a safer and more considerate in-car experience.

On September 14, Baidu announced that it will officially open source its vehicle-road collaboration solution by the end of 2018, opening Baidu Apollo's technology and services in the field of vehicle-road collaboration to the industry. Baidu's autonomous driving business has officially entered a new stage of mutual collaboration between "smart cars" and "smart roads."

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.