China’s Baidu has signed a three-year sales agreement with Velodyne Lidar, Inc. for its Alpha Prime lidar sensors which will be utilized for autonomous applications. The Alpha Prime, is a next generation lidar sensor that utilizes Velodyne’s patented 360-degree surround view perception technology.
It can help autonomous vehicles navigate roadways at various speeds, travelling in a range of road conditions such as rain, sleet and snow.
Baidu has been a strategic investor in Velodyne since 2016.
Yaoming Shen, Sr. Optical Engineer, Baidu, says: “In fulfilling our intelligent driving mission, Baidu works with innovation leaders like Velodyne to bring a safe, efficient autonomous driving experience to everyone.”
Wei Weng, Executive Director of Asia, Velodyne Lidar, adds: “Velodyne greatly values our relationship with Baidu, a strategic business partner and investor, and we are deeply committed to our combined work in the Chinese market. They are a trailblazer of intelligent driving technology and deployment, and their accomplishments and influence span global markets. Alpha Prime provides safe, efficient navigation for autonomous vehicles.”
Baidu’s Apollo program is an open-source autonomous vehicle software platform.
