While eyes are focused on the self-driving capabilities of the new car makers, some technology providers are helping other car companies gain equal, if not greater, access to such capabilities.
Qualcomm-backed Chinese autonomous driving startup ZongmuTech helped Changan Automobile and JAC Motors win gold and silver medals, respectively, in the autonomous parking event at the 2021 i-VISTA Grand Challenge in Chongqing.
Xpeng Motors' flagship sedan P7, known for its autonomous driving capabilities, came in third place.
The challenge, which began on August 19, tests and evaluates the abilities of self-driving cars to recognize the environment, analyze decisions, and execute controls in real-world scenarios.
The challenge includes ADAS Challenge, Strongest Car Brain Challenge, Commercialization Process Challenge, Virtual Simulation Challenge and Low-Speed Autonomous Driving Challenge.
The ADAS Challenge is the most popular and is the world's first consumer-engaged autonomous intelligent driving competition to test the reliability of AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) and APS (Automated Parking System) on models on sale.
The APS challenge scenarios include vertical parking, parallel parking, and diagonal parking, each with 50 points, and includes judging of the vertical parking driving cycle.
In the vertical parking challenge, the width of the parking space is only 2.1 meters and limits the width and length of the vehicle that can be run.
The vehicles participating in the APS challenge included Changan UNI-T, JAC Sehol QX, Xpeng P7, Geely Borui GE, Nio EC6, Jaguar, Changan Lincoln Nautilus, VW 2.0T TSI Premium, Lynk & Co, Li ONE, Audi Q8, Beijing Benz, GAC FCA Jeep Compass, Tesla Model X.
Changan UNI-T, JAC Sehol QX, and Xpeng P7 took the top three spots in the APS challenge.
ZongmuTech says the Changan and JAC models use the company's APA system, which uses data collected by surround-view cameras and ultrasonic radar to fuse space search with environmental awareness and combine it with positioning to complete parking.
In addition, the winner of the AEB challenge, Li ONE, uses ZongmuTech's 360 AVM surround-view technology.
ZongmuTech is a Shanghai-based provider of ADS (Autonomous Driving System) and ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance System) technologies, including ADS/ADAS (domain) controllers, cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and ultrasonic sensors.
The startup closed a cumulative $190 million Series D round of funding in June with investors including a fund backed by Xiaomi.
This is one of the first investments made by a Xiaomi-backed fund in the industry chain since the company announced its entry into the car-making sector on March 30.
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