Meet the Robot That’s on a Mission to Leave the Driver Behind
In a blast of futuristic flair, Baidu’s EV sibling Jidu Auto unveiled its first ever “robot” concept car on June 8th—a vehicle that’s basically a high‑tech sci‑fi dream come to life, and the very first object to be shown off by a Chinese Internet giant.
What Makes It “Robot‑ish”?
- No door handles – it’s all smooth, touch‑free glass.
- Full voice control – speak the command, and it obeys.
- Quasi‑autonomous Level‑4: drive itself when it feels the need.
- Equipped with Qualcomm 8295 chips so you get voice‑assisted help even when Wi‑Fi is down.
The ride is being born with a 90 % blueprint swap‑in strategy, meaning the production car will be a near‑clone of the concept and should hit the road in 2023.
Tech Tetris – 2 Lidar, 12 Cameras, 1 Voice‑Assistant
Jidu’s engineering squad is cramming a pair of lidar sensors (think radar but with laser) and twelve cameras into the chassis, all stitched together with the company’s proprietary software and a touch of Baidu‑powered AI. The goal: a fully driverless experience, as the CEO, Joe Xia Yiping, puts it.
Who’s the Target Crowd?
“If you’re a tech nerd craving the absolute next step in mobility, Jidu’s got you covered,” says Luo Gang, Operations Head. The robot will be produced in Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo, a hub already hosting Geely’s manufacturing footprint.
Meet the Brain Behind the Car
- Frank Wu – formerly of Cadillac, now steering design.
- Wang Weibao – ex‑Apple Project Titan, now the mastermind behind the smart‑driving suite.
Price Tag –
¥200,000 (≈ US $28k)
Robin Li, Baidu’s towering CEO, confirms that the first model will be priced just over 200,000 yuan. By comparison, it sits comfortably in the same bracket as some premium SUVs, but with a mechanical twist that screams, “this is tomorrow, wrapped in silicon today.”
China’s Auto‑Ambition: It’s Not Just Baidu
Other tech titans like Xiaomi and Didi Global are also wading into the automotive arena, each hoping to ride the electric wave to new heights.
In short, Jidu’s robot is the first Indy 500 of China’s next‑gen transport: a chassis that does what you say, a head that sees everything, and a mind that’s learning to do the full drivseer’s dance—while you’re chilling in the back seat, sipping your latte, and maybe pondering, “Why am I still here where I should be riding?”
