Chinese tech giant Huawei has become the first mobile device manufacturer in the world to use an artificial intelligence (AI) powered Mate 10 Pro smartphone to drive a car.
Under “RoadReader” project, Huawei has transformed a Porsche Panamera into a driverless vehicle that doesn’t just see, but crucially, understands its surroundings -- utitlising AI capabilities of Mate 10 Pro. This means that the car can distinguish between 1,000s of different objects including a cat and a dog, a ball or a bike and learn to take the most appropriate course of action.
“Our smartphone is already outstanding at object recognition. We wanted to see if in a short space of time we could teach it to not only drive a car, but to use its AI capabilities to see certain objects, and be taught to avoid them” said Andrew Garrihy, Chief Marketing Officer, Huawei Western Europe.
Most autonomous cars currently being developed rely on the computing power of purpose-built chips developed by third party technology providers. However, as part of its ongoing mission to make the impossible possible, Huawei has used technology already available in its smartphones, demonstrating its superior functionality and ability to stand up to even the most advanced technology developed for use in self-driving cars.
Huawei will be showcasing the “RoadReader” project and the vehicle’s capabilities at a two-day event at 2018 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (MWC) from February 26 to 27.
MWC 2018 attendees will be invited to test ‘drive’ the car themselves, teaching it to identify and manoeuvre around certain objects, the company added.
The Mobile World Congress 2018 is biggest mobile industry event and a conference featuring prominent executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world.
