Velodyne Lidar, Inc. recently announced that Idriverplus, one of the first companies in China to launch the commercialization of driverless technology and realize mass production, is using Velodyne’s lidar sensors in a range of autonomous driving products. Velodyne has strategically teamed with Idriverplus to help Idriverplus with its efforts for mass production of commercial autonomous vehicles, which include street cleaners, passenger cars, and logistics vehicles.

Velodyne lidar sensors are being used in all Idriverplus self-driving vehicles, providing rich computer perception data that allows real-time object and free space detection needed for safe navigation and reliable operation.

“We have a vision for the future that autonomous driving is not only a means of transportation, but also a necessity of life,” said Idriverplus CEO Dr. Zhang Dezhao. “Lidar is indispensable in our development of autonomous driving technology. Velodyne Lidar’s products have better performance and stability in practical use, and their accuracy addresses our demanding requirements.”

The Idriverplus street cleaning vehicle, called Viggo, is an unmanned, purely electric solution to intelligently sweep roads. During the cleaning process, Viggo can automatically track and avoid obstacles with stable and reliable performance and monitor real-time vehicle information. More than 100 units are in operation in universities, factories, parks, an amusement park and city streets with deployments in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hebei, Zhejiang, Henan, Hunan and other provinces and cities. Idriverplus also has strategic cooperation partnerships in Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia, and other areas in Asia.

Idriverplus is developing two commercial autonomous car solutions; an SAE Level 4 vehicle that provides autonomous driving in closed parks and some public roads, and an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) solution for automatic parking (AVP) and highway follow-up (HWP). Its WOBIDA product applies self-driving technology to the logistics industry, providing a safer and better distribution experience. Idriverplus’ driverless vehicles have accumulated test mileage exceeding 400,000 kilometers, far surpassing other domestic autonomous vehicle manufacturers. 

“Idriverplus is trailblazing the commercialization of driverless technology in China,” said Wei Weng, executive director APAC, Velodyne Lidar. “Idriverplus autonomous driving products show how Velodyne intelligent lidar sensors are enabling companies to place autonomous vehicles on the road today. They are transforming multiple service sectors by creating powerful autonomous driving solutions.”