BeiDou empowers Wuhan's ICV business

Baidu's robotaxi crossing the Chunsun – the landmark of the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ). [Photo provided to en.whkfq.gov.cn]

During the rush hour on June 26, Zhou Yuqing, a Wuhan local, placed an order to hail one of Baidu's robotaxi to go to the Junshan New City of the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ), like she did many times before. Several minutes later, the taxi appeared.

Equipped with the BeiDou Navigation Satellite Systems, the robotaxi is much improved in positioning precision, with the measurement error within several centimeters.

"The satellite positioning is not sufficient for providing accurate positioning information. We also need the so-called differential GPS reference station to augment the accuracy", said Professor Zhang Hongping with the national satellite navigation system engineering technology research center.

According to Zhang, the academician Liu Jingnan's research team from Wuhan University established the first provincial-level regional ground augmentation demonstration system for BeiDou in Hubei as early as 2013.

On the 811-kilometer (503.93-mile)-long intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) open testing roads in Wuhan, relevant BeiDou positioning infrastructure has been implemented. In addition, the city has laid out 10 BeiDou differential GPS reference stations.

Wuhan set the goal that by 2025, the city's new energy and ICV output is set to exceed 600 billion yuan ($83.58 billion), and the BeiDou business scale is estimated to reach 100 billion yuan.