ON Semiconductor announced that it is joining Baidu's autonomous driving platform, Apollo.

Under this collaboration, the two companies will develop a plug-and-play compatible imaging solution for autonomous driving based on ON Semiconductor's advanced CMOS image sensors.

Apollo is a platform that supports automotive system designers in developing more efficient autonomous driving systems by providing stable open-source software and hardware systems. In this context, image sensing plays a key role in enabling the Apollo platform to deliver enhanced autonomous driving capabilities.

ON Semiconductor's advanced 3µm-based CMOS image sensor products not only provide a foundation for customers to immediately begin developing vision systems for autonomous driving but also offer exceptional flexibility that allows for easy scalability during large-scale deployments. Furthermore, by supporting High-Dynamic Range (HDR), they deliver sharp and clear single images and video even in low-light and mixed-light environments that closely resemble automotive settings.

This collaboration between ON Semiconductor and Baidu is expected to further streamline and accelerate the design, testing, and implementation of automotive camera applications. In addition, Apollo ecosystem partners have gained the opportunity to prioritize the use of ON Semiconductor's innovative next-generation image sensing technology, along with ON Semiconductor's product and technical support.

Zhenyu Li, Vice President and General Manager of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group, explained, “When selecting a partner for the Apollo platform, we considered a wide range of aspects, including product roadmaps, automotive experience, and technical support for the ecosystem platform, given the importance of cameras used as sensors for autonomous driving. ON Semiconductor was the company that best met the requirements for the Apollo platform’s image sensors.”

Ross Jatou, Executive Vice President and General Manager of ON Semiconductor’s Automotive Solutions business unit, said, “We are very pleased to join Baidu’s Apollo platform. We believe the value that a platform like Apollo will bring to automotive system designers is truly tremendous. This is already being demonstrated by the various industry leaders participating in the Apollo ecosystem.”

He stated, “Image sensors are a fundamental element in implementing ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) across the entire vehicle. As the industry accelerates its progress toward fully autonomous vehicles, the importance of image sensors will grow even further. Providing our image sensor solutions for the Apollo platform once again demonstrates ON Semiconductor’s leading position in the field of automotive image sensing.”