Baidu News: Leading Chinese Search Engine Announces Self-Driving Car Team as Analysts Await Critical Quarterly Report
On Thursday, Baidu will release its quarterly report that many analysts and critics are waiting to claw on and amid all the controversies surrounding the February figures that saw a significant drop on the group's stocks, China's leading search engine announced the creation of a team that will work on its autonomous car.
According to Market Wired, the company announced on Friday that it has created a development team in Silicon Valley that will work for the purpose of coming up with a self-driving vehicle that could possibly turn the tide for the declining corporation.
The new team was formed as part of the Autonomous Driving Unit (ADU) program. The company is now looking for experts who can work on technical domains such as robotics and computer vision. The assembly is expected to grow to over 100 people including engineers and researchers who will develop and test the product.
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According to The Verge, rumors about Baidu's self-driving car have been around for the past two years. Some reports suggest that there are plans to collaborate with BMW and Samsung to come up with the autonomous vehicle.
General Manager of the ADU Jing Wang said, "Baidu is fully committed to making self-driving cars a reality." The announcement came as analysts around the world anticipate the quarterly report that Baidu will release on Thursday.
Despite the issues on stock growth, it seems the search giant is focused on building its kingdom outside its Internet search providing services. The ADU is hiring automotive experts who can help in helming the car that will make transportation easier for consumers. Wang said, "Autonomous vehicles will save lives and make transportation more efficient. Baidu's Silicon Valley car team will play a significant role in building the car of the future."
Fool News notes that Baidu has gained the attention of analysts after it revealed in February that its stock has gone down to $139.61 compared to last year's $189.04 last year. With the efforts to strengthen its realm outside its search base, critics are expecting improved figures on Thursday's account.
