Baidu is preparing to launch an autonomous car this year. The internet search giant has been working on a variety of innovative ideas including smart bikes, augmented glasses and other hardware centric ideas in the past two years.

Launching the car this year would be an interesting proposition, considering China has not regulated autonomous cars and most automotive companies are holding off on making a car until 2020.

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The world of autonomous cars is still extremely new, with Google, Tesla Motors, Apple and a few traditional automotive companies working on platforms that can sense everything and make snap decisions on the road.

For Baidu to already be in a position to launch an autonomous vehicle is both fascinating and worrisome, considering all the technical difficulties when it comes to collisions, reckless drivers and offline functionality.

Google has even stated its own autonomous platform - which has been in development for more than three years - is still in its early stages when it comes to certain judgements.

Baidu will work with leading automotive manufacturers, according to several executives. China, for the most part, is unconventional in its regulatory process, meaning Baidu might be able to launch the autonomous vehicle while Google would not be put under pressure by the government to abandon the project.

Knowing Baidu, the product announced sometime this year might just be a set of applications for an autonomous vehicle, or a prototype model available in very small quantities to select individuals.

Tagsautonomous vehicles, Self-driving cars