BMW and Chinese search giant Baidu ink driver-less car deal

Mark · 10-03-2014, 09:10 AM

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Chinese search giant (or megalith?) Baidu and BMW have officially signed a deal to push forward joint research on driver-less cars. Their goal is to have a semi-autonomous car on the roads in 3 years time which would integrate into Baidu's online services, such as navigation.

BMW says since the cars have been extensivly tested in Germany, they need to now branch out and put them on the road in urban centers in China, specifically Shanghai and Beijing. Of course this would require detailed road and traffic data, which Baidu is perfectly positioned to provide.

Whats the name of the project? 'Vision Zero' to indicate that they want to have 0 accidents.

You can see some of BMWs highlights of their driver-less cars from the 2014 CES (Consumer Electronics Show), which we have highlighted here: http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=931890

Source: BMW, Forbes

BMWPower06 · 10-03-2014, 09:33 AM

Why the hell would BMW partner with Baidu (which apparently doesn't even have a driverless car on the road yet) instead of Google?!

Roundown · 10-03-2014, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWPower06

Why the hell would BMW partner with Baidu (which apparently doesn't even have a driverless car on the road yet) instead of Google?!

Better growth prospects in China, perhaps.

Or, given the not-infrequent multi-day traffic jams in Shanghi and Beijing, local regulation might be more hospitable to testing/implementation.

kevinlevrone · 10-03-2014, 09:37 AM

It was probably Baidu's typical Chinese copycat idea. The US search engine has driverless cars, the Chinese search engine needs driverless cars too

Diver · 10-03-2014, 10:14 AM

The reason for a Chinese partner is autonomous cars are heavily dependent on local data and a local internet connection to that data. Google does not have much access to China.

mvigod · 10-03-2014, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWPower06

Why the hell would BMW partner with Baidu (which apparently doesn't even have a driverless car on the road yet) instead of Google?!

Google pulled out of China many years ago due to their censorship laws. Baidu basically took over the bulk of the market at that point. Google only operates in Hong Kong.

gulshan · 10-03-2014, 02:16 PM

cool. Racing high performance Chinese drones will be fun I guess..

VMRWheels · 10-03-2014, 04:37 PM

Hmmm interesting. My first thoughts were why not Google?.. Didn't know they were only in HK

The_Bear_Yid · 10-03-2014, 05:43 PM

My thoughts are that if BMW can't enforce copyright laws out there then go in to business with someone out there.

IB M · 10-03-2014, 07:54 PM

Doing business in China hard to resist the size of the market but .... hope BMW knows how to bend over.

Efthreeoh · 10-04-2014, 05:51 AM

Wait, I thought the tag line has always been: The Ultimate Driving Machine. LOL. Reason 27 why I'm not buying another new BMW.

Nkc · 10-04-2014, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Wait, I thought the tag line has always been: The Ultimate Driving Machine. LOL. Reason 27 why I'm not buying another new BMW.

Same here. I have no problems buying used ones that at least represented what I feel the brand use to be all about. Never really liked mainstream stuff anyways and bmw definitely is mainstream now.

Efthreeoh · 10-04-2014, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nkc

Same here. I have no problems buying used ones that at least represented what I feel the brand use to be all about. Never really liked mainstream stuff anyways and bmw definitely is mainstream now.

The older I get, the more I come to realize the world is full of idiots and corporations are run by idiots. I've never believed in luck tied to success, but I'm now beginning to think otherwise.

Fraggy · 10-04-2014, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nkc

Same here. I have no problems buying used ones that at least represented what I feel the brand use to be all about. Never really liked mainstream stuff anyways and bmw definitely is mainstream now.

The older I get, the more I come to realize the world is full of idiots and corporations are run by idiots. I've never believed in luck tied to success, but I'm now beginning to think otherwise.

Lol, me too

SCOTT26 · 10-04-2014, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Wait, I thought the tag line has always been: The Ultimate Driving Machine. LOL. Reason 27 why I'm not buying another new BMW.

Autonomous driving will be a feature of the upcoming new 7er.
Its a feature aimed at safety for accident prevention as well as the park assist.
You will still be able to drive the car.

v1p3r · 10-05-2014, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

Autonomous driving will be a feature of the upcoming new 7er.
Its a feature aimed at safety for accident prevention as well as the park assist.
You will still be able to drive the car.

This is actually pretty big news ^ I wonder what level of auto driving the new 7 will have?

Efthreeoh · 10-05-2014, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

Autonomous driving will be a feature of the upcoming new 7er.
Its a feature aimed at safety for accident prevention as well as the park assist.
You will still be able to drive the car.

Oooh, it will be able to steer and brake itself under ideal conditions (congested freeways at 20 MPH), wow. BFD.

I wish I could find the 1980's (around 1987 IIRC) commercial BMW used to run about BMW owners having to put up with all the other less-superior drivers that drove other cars than BMWs. The concept was centered around the idea that BMW drivers could avoid accidents better than everyone else because BMWs had such excellent ACTIVE avoidance capabilities. This was one of the attributes of a BMW that made it the "ultimate driving machine." Or, at least that's how BMW advertised it (maybe it was just bullshit).

Maybe the commercial is in the BMW archives somewhere, Scott26. Maybe you could find it for us and post it. I guess the people that ran BMW back in the heydays of the '80s are all dead, or retired by now.

What's the difference between a Buick that has autonomous driving and a BMW that has autonomous driving? One costs more and is just as boring to ride in.

If you want to travel and text or use the internet, take a train, limo, bus, airplane, or taxi. Sure, complete autonomous driving will be safe because we all know computers, electronics (especially BMW's electronics), and software NEVER screw up. LOL.

Efthreeoh · 10-05-2014, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by v1p3r

This is actually pretty big news ^ I wonder what level of auto driving the new 7 will have?

Level 2 (grab the wheel when your asshole starts to pucker)

dbjb · 10-07-2014, 11:25 AM

Wow there's a lot of hate in this thread! Lol

I must be the minority but I welcome technology like this.

Don't give me wrong, I love driving my car. That said, when you drive from LA to Sacramento in shitty traffic, I don't consider that driving. It's more like crawling. If I could have a computer takeover while I nap thru that bullshit, sign me up!!

10-03-2014, 09:10 AM	#1
Mark Administrator 7070 Rep 4,203 Posts Drives: 1M Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA iTrader: (1) Garage List 2011 BMW 1 Series M ... [8.36]	BMW and Chinese search giant Baidu ink driver-less car deal BIMMERPOST NEWS BMW and Chinese search giant Baidu ink driver-less car deal 18 COMMENTS Tweet Chinese search giant (or megalith?) Baidu and BMW have officially signed a deal to push forward joint research on driver-less cars. Their goal is to have a semi-autonomous car on the roads in 3 years time which would integrate into Baidu's online services, such as navigation. BMW says since the cars have been extensivly tested in Germany, they need to now branch out and put them on the road in urban centers in China, specifically Shanghai and Beijing. Of course this would require detailed road and traffic data, which Baidu is perfectly positioned to provide. Whats the name of the project? 'Vision Zero' to indicate that they want to have 0 accidents. You can see some of BMWs highlights of their driver-less cars from the 2014 CES (Consumer Electronics Show), which we have highlighted here: http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=931890 Source: BMW, Forbes __________________ BMW 1M. BMW M2. BMW M2.
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10-03-2014, 09:33 AM	#2
BMWPower06 A^M=G is nothing w/o the Power of ///M 173 Rep 1,817 Posts Drives: ///M5 & ///M3 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Washington D.C. iTrader: (0)	Why the hell would BMW partner with Baidu (which apparently doesn't even have a driverless car on the road yet) instead of Google?! __________________ Indianapolis Red BMW ///M5
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10-03-2014, 09:37 AM	#4
kevinlevrone Lieutenant 261 Rep 435 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Europe iTrader: (0)	It was probably Baidu's typical Chinese copycat idea. The US search engine has driverless cars, the Chinese search engine needs driverless cars too
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10-03-2014, 10:14 AM	#5
Diver Brigadier General 506 Rep 3,445 Posts Drives: Black '12 135i - Sold Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	The reason for a Chinese partner is autonomous cars are heavily dependent on local data and a local internet connection to that data. Google does not have much access to China. __________________ See my photography at http://ronscubadiver.wordpress.com
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10-03-2014, 02:16 PM	#7
gulshan Private First Class 29 Rep 149 Posts Drives: e92-n54 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: chicago iTrader: (0)	cool. Racing high performance Chinese drones will be fun I guess..
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10-03-2014, 04:37 PM	#8
VMRWheels General 2085 Rep 25,980 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Anaheim, CA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2013 BMW M3 [10.00] 2015 BMW M4 [0.00] 2013 BMW F30 [0.00] 2014 BMW F22 [0.00] 2013 BMW F06 [0.00]	Hmmm interesting. My first thoughts were why not Google?.. Didn't know they were only in HK __________________ VMR\|Wheels \| 714.442.7916 \| sales@velocitymotoring.com \| www.velocitymotoring.com \| facebook \| flickr \| Instagram
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10-03-2014, 05:43 PM	#9
The_Bear_Yid BM Noob 24 Rep 975 Posts Drives: E92 325i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Kent iTrader: (1)	My thoughts are that if BMW can't enforce copyright laws out there then go in to business with someone out there.
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10-03-2014, 07:54 PM	#10
IB M Brigadier General 2867 Rep 4,320 Posts Drives: 2013 M3 6MT Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: North Carolina iTrader: (1) Garage List 2017 BMW M3 [8.50] 2013 BMW M3 [10.00]	Doing business in China hard to resist the size of the market but .... hope BMW knows how to bend over.
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10-04-2014, 05:51 AM	#11
Efthreeoh General 19426 Rep 19,836 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Wait, I thought the tag line has always been: The Ultimate Driving Machine. LOL. Reason 27 why I'm not buying another new BMW.
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10-07-2014, 11:25 AM	#19
dbjb I sweat pheromones 210 Rep 2,103 Posts Drives: e92 335i, retired SLK55 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NorCal iTrader: (25)	Wow there's a lot of hate in this thread! Lol I must be the minority but I welcome technology like this. Don't give me wrong, I love driving my car. That said, when you drive from LA to Sacramento in shitty traffic, I don't consider that driving. It's more like crawling. If I could have a computer takeover while I nap thru that bullshit, sign me up!!
	Appreciate 0 Quote