Apollo open platform
1Apollo is Baidu's autonomous-driving development platform. Its software and tools support work on how a vehicle senses its surroundings and decides how to move. A working installation still needs a suitable vehicle, computing hardware, calibration and configuration. Start with the job that installation must perform before comparing its capabilities.32
What does Apollo provide for developers?
Baidu announced Project Apollo in April 2017. The current official repository describes localization, perception, prediction, planning and control, with calibration and configuration required for an installation. Those functions form parts of a driving system; they are not a promise that any car can gain them simply by installing an app.23
The official repository, checked on October 26, 2026, includes discussion of Apollo 11.0. That reference does not establish the latest release or the version running in an Apollo Go robotaxi. A fleet installation needs its own connection between software, hardware, vehicle configuration and operating conditions.31
What does a working installation require?
The repository identifies an Apache 2.0 license for its code. It also says that commercialization and productization require integration of a cybersecurity defense strategy. The separate platform disclaimer describes testing use and recommends controlled locations and avoiding severe weather. These documents address different parts of using the platform and should be read in their actual scope.34
For someone considering a development project, the useful question is what exact job the integrated vehicle must do. A low-speed route on a controlled site and a passenger journey through city traffic create different demands. Specify the vehicle, hardware, environment and responsible human roles before comparing capabilities.34
A developer needs to price the whole installation and confirm compatibility with the selected vehicle. The cost and responsibility of turning software into an operating system for a real vehicle depend on the selected implementation. Treat that as an engineering project with a defined scope, not a shortcut to removing the driver from an existing car.34
Where should a passenger begin?
If your aim is to take a ride, begin with Apollo Go's local booking information. Apollo's development documentation serves a different task: understanding and integrating driving technology. Baidu is associated with both, but a repository heading does not establish a service vehicle's software version, hardware or automation level.213
Explore further
Sources and notes
- 1. Baidu second quarter 2026 results
Baidu's August 18, 2026 results discuss Apollo Go as a passenger service. They do not identify an exact release of the open platform as the software in its deployed fleet.
Evidence checked: 2026-10-26
- 2. Baidu 2018 prospectus: the origin of Apollo
Baidu's 2018 prospectus dates the Project Apollo announcement to April 2017. That is the platform's origin, with month-level precision, not Baidu's founding date. The developer reference retains the existing Baidu company identity.
Evidence checked: 2026-10-26
- 3. Apollo official development repository
The repository describes development modules, integration requirements and an Apollo 11.0 version section. It identifies Apache 2.0 for repository code and a cybersecurity integration requirement for commercialization. Neither establishes a complete installed-system price, a selected current vehicle, a numeric SAE level or a fleet build. The broad platform is not treated as a single software application.Inferred
Evidence checked: 2026-10-26
- 4. Apollo open-platform disclaimer
The separate platform disclaimer describes testing use and recommends controlled sites and avoiding severe weather. Its scope should be read alongside the repository license. A deployment region and the responsible driving role for a particular installation remain unconfirmed; this note does not grant road-use, media or trademark rights.
Evidence checked: 2026-10-26
Driving and availability
- Access
- In development Inferred 1
- Software version
- 11.0 1
- What to keep in mind
- Platform disclaimer limits supplied code use to testing and recommends controlled sites and avoiding severe weather. 3
Explore further
Sources
Source checked 2026-10-26
Source checked 2026-10-26
Source checked 2026-10-26