As the dominant player in the drone industry, DJI has long shown interest in the autonomous vehicle sector. Back in 2015, they poached Darren Liccardo, the former Director of Engineering at Tesla for Autopilot and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, appointing him as the Vice President of Global Engineering at DJI.
According to recent leaks from micro-blogging platforms, DJI is reportedly testing its own self-driving vehicle in Shekou, Shenzhen. The test vehicle appears to be a Ford Edge SUV, though it seems to be in very early development stages. Currently, the prototype is equipped with only cameras on its exterior, lacking visible laser radars or other sensors. This setup is somewhat reminiscent of AIMotive's approach—an NVIDIA-backed autonomous vehicle company that focuses on a camera-only, cost-effective self-driving solution. AIMotive has already secured permits for public road testing in California.
It seems DJI might be leveraging its expertise in machine vision to collaborate with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and enter the autonomous driving space. However, insiders suggest DJI's ambitions extend far beyond this. They reportedly aim for an "all-in" strategy, covering everything from initial planning to final product execution, and may even consider building their own vehicles.
However, sources close to the matter reveal that Darren Liccardo left DJI after less than a year. Surprisingly, the reason given was that DJI had "overreaching ambitions" but lacked the financial or technical capability to realize them. It’s unclear whether this will impact their future plans in autonomous driving or if they’ll pivot entirely.
While these developments continue to unfold, one thing is certain: DJI’s entry into the autonomous vehicle market could shake things up. The company’s technological prowess and resources could potentially disrupt established players, but only time will tell if they can execute their grand vision.
Regardless of the outcome, DJI's move into autonomous driving reflects the growing convergence between different sectors of technology. Whether they succeed or not, their efforts signal a broader trend where industries traditionally seen as distinct are now overlapping in innovative ways.
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