E-Paper
Xiaomi unveils 'Pilot Technology' for its self driving electric vehicle
CEO Lei Jun claims that Xiaomi's autonomous technology employs an internally developed full-stack methodology and that the development thus far has surpassed all expectations.
Lei Jun, the CEO of Xiaomi, launched the first progress report for Xiaomi Pilot Technology for autonomous driving.
On Friday, while sharing video from the trial, he announced on Twitter, “Our Xiaomi Pilot Test vehicle has achieved a safe and smooth driving experience under various conditions.”
According to GSM Arena, Xiaomi's fully internal developed autonomous driving solution is called Pilot Technology. The company has pledged USD500 million (roughly INR 3,981 crore) toward the formation of the R&D team and the creation of what it refers to as the most advanced self-driving technology.
For its R&D team, Xiaomi hired over 500 experts from around the world. To ensure access to the most recent innovations and technologies, the company made a number of acquisitions and strategic investments along the way.
Lei Jun claims that Xiaomi's autonomous technology employs an internally developed full-stack methodology and that the development thus far has surpassed all expectations.
The company is adding another USD300 million (roughly INR 2,388 crore) to its long-term industrial strategic capabilities. This investment entails a direct stake in more than ten already operating businesses that deal with everything from sensors to actuators to controllers in the autonomous driving space. Xiaomi is taking no chances in ensuring that it has constant access to supplies and technology.
In another tweet shared on Friday, CEO Jun said, “Since Xiaomi entered the EV industry 500 days ago, our autonomous driving team has assembled more than 500 members, planned to invest RMB3.3 billion in the first R&D phase, and committed to self-developing full stack algorithms. We aim to become an industry leader in 2024.”
The company uses a full stack strategy, giving it total control over the software and hardware, and developed the autonomous driving algorithm entirely in-house. This strategy enables the business to create wholly proprietary solutions with closed-loop data capabilities. It allows for rapid software and hardware updates that can be user-driven.
The assisted "reserved parking space" or "autonomous valet parking" are intriguing Xiaomi innovations. Even more cutting-edge services are planned to be added by the company, including "automatic robotic arm charging", as reported by GSM Arena.
Xiaomi is working to build a fleet of 140 test vehicles for the Pilot Technology development program's first phase.
