Baidu unveiled Apollo World on November 3, a world model that simulates interactive road environments to train and test autonomous vehicles. The company said the system is already being used to support Apollo Go’s global robotaxi development and can generate up to 100,000 kilometers of simulated driving per day.
Apollo World produces real-time camera and lidar data, while virtual vehicles and pedestrians respond to the autonomous vehicle’s actions. This allows driving systems to practice complete trips through changing traffic conditions and repeatedly test difficult scenarios. The launch comes as robotaxi developers seek to reduce the cost and time required to adapt their technology to new markets. [Reuters]