Drone maker DJI is not making flying cars yet, developing autonomous driving tech
Sanjay · Apr 13, 2021 01:00 PM
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DJI, the world's largest maker of commercial drones, is reportedly stepping into the automotive industry by developing autonomous driving systems.
DJI controls 69% of the global consumer drone market
According to Chinese media, the company has set up a seperate arm called DJI Automotive. But this doesn't mean that DJI will be building their own cars anytime soon, but rather act as 'Tier 1' suppliers (direct to OEM) to carmakers.
The LiDAR system found on the Zenmuse L1 drone
DJI Automotive will be dedicated to creating smart driving systems, including Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors - already found in some of their drones - and packaged solutions for autonomous driving functions.
These are areas where they're well-versed in: aside from their LiDAR-equipped drones, DJI's affiliate company, Livox, supplies such systems to Xpeng - the up-and-coming Tesla rival from China.
The Chinese company is focusing on three key areas in their quest: to make autonomous driving systems 'less forceful', making drivers increasingly aware of autonomous driving convenience (by alerting them of scenarios where the system can be used), and balancing cost, safety, and user experience in their autonomous driving tech.
The company will be showing off some products at the Shanghai Auto Show that takes place on 19-April 2021.
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.
