NXP And Baidu Partner On Apollo Open Autonomous Driving Platform

NXP Semiconductors, a global automotive semiconductor supplier, and Baidu Inc., a Chinese language search provider, has announced a cooperation in autonomous driving. Under the terms of the agreement, NXP will join Baidu’s open autonomous driving platform, Apollo, and will provide semiconductor products and solutions, including millimeter wave radar, V2X, security, smart connectivity and in-vehicle experience technologies.

First announced in April 2017, Apollo is Baidu’s open autonomous driving platform which provides an all-in-one solution supporting all major features and functions of an autonomous vehicle. Baidu refers to Apollo as the Android of the autonomous driving industry, but more open and more powerful, allowing partners to go from zero to one and quickly assemble their own autonomous vehicles and start their product R&D. Apollo has now attracted more than 70 global partners.

Details of the collaboration include:

NXP will provide semiconductor products and solutions for autonomous driving, millimeter wave radar, V2X, security, smart connectivity and in-vehicle experiences
Companies will leverage the NXP BlueBox development platform’s low energy consumption, high-performance and functional safety benefits
NXP and Baidu will collaborate on sensor integration and high-performance processors for deep learning networks
Baidu’s conversational in-car system, DuerOS for Apollo, will incorporate NXP infotainment solutions for faster time-to-market and enhanced performance

“The automobile industry in China continues to advance at an amazing pace,” said Kurt Sievers, executive vice president and general manager of NXP’s automotive business. “NXP is proud to collaborate with Baidu on the success of Apollo platform. We believe that NXP and Baidu have incalculable synergies to bring to the new automotive revolution.”

Li Zhenyu, general manager of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group, said, “The collaboration with NXP is a significant step toward the application of Baidu’s autonomous driving and connected car technologies. NXP’s entry into the Apollo platform will inject momentum into our intelligent and autonomous vehicle ecosystem, creating benefits for the intelligent vehicle industry in China and the world.”