Baidu's New EVs Have An AI That Can Scan Your Face To Make Payments

With the dramatic rise of Tesla in the past few years proving just how attractive electric vehicles (EVs) are to the consumer market. Auto-makers across the world are visibly trying their best to introduce their own spin to this emerging market.

But auto-makers aren’t the only ones who are interested in developing EV techs, however.

Tech companies are also putting themselves into high gear equipping new EVs with the most advanced technologies they could offer. And recently, the Google of China - Baidu - has written its name into the list.

Baidu is China’s largest Internet search engine and it is also the key player within the country in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. In other words, it is a locally brewed version of Google right from within the heart of China. The company has expanded its portfolio by releasing the first electric vehicle that comes pre-equipped with an AI-regulated operating system. Partaking also in the development and production of the car is Cherry Automobile, also a domestic car-maker from China.

The electrically-powered SUV’s name is Exeed TX, and it appeared on the Chinese market just the year before. Baidu’s EV came with DuerOS, an AI operating system that’s packed with useful features that more or less transformed the car into a mobile smartphone. Features such as Augmented Reality (AR) navigation is available, as well as face-scanning payment, remote control of smart home appliances,… can be found in the car.

According to the company from its WeChat’s post, the OS is meant to heighten the user’s experience of the car into “a new level”. The user has complete control over the numerous settings in the car. A personalised greeting will be generated once they entered, automatic seat and lighting adjustments are just a few of the things that the car can do.

Exeed TX’s upgraded version is scheduled to officially go on sale sometime next month in China’s domestic auto market. It is Baidu’s attempt to attracting the attention of young buyers who want to have the cutting edges in their personal transport.

The company has been working on automobile’s technologies for quite some time now, needless to say, it has racked up an impressive portfolio. An example of this would be the open-sourced autonomous driving platform called ‘Apollo’.

Aside from its partnership with Cherry Automobile, the company has also struck a partnership with WM Motor - a startup that specializes in EVs. Baidu has funded the startup with some 3 billion yuan ($446 million). With the generous capital, the two firms hoped to achieve some breakthroughs in smart cars and autonomous driving researches in the future, culminating in the production of the first AI-regulated production models in as soon as 2021.