Samsung Self-Driving Cars To Begin Testing In South Korea After Winning Ministry Approval

Samsung was granted permission by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to test run self-driving cars, Yonhap News reported.

Samsung’s autonomous vehicle is apparently under development and based on deep-learning technology, the report said. The approval Monday by officials will allow the company to test the self-driving vehicle on the roads.

Read: Apple, Tesla Write Letter To Persuade California State To Change Proposed Self-Driving Rules

Samsung wants to develop top-of-the-line sensors and computer modules backed by artificial intelligence and deep-learning technologies. That technology would improve vehicles’ self-driving capabilities, even in bad weather conditions, the report said.

Samsung will test a Hyundai Grandeur sedan, which will carry laser scanning devices and radar, all made by other companies, the Korea Herald reported.

Samsung previously operated a car department, Samsung Motors, which it sold 17 years ago. The company said Monday it was not re-entering the car industry after reports about the ministry’s approval.

“The test run approval does not mean that Samsung is making a self-driving car. The pilot run is being carried out for software and solution development for an autonomous car, nothing more,” a Samsung official told the Herald. “The test has nothing to do with devices development, but [is being carried out] to test software and algorithm under development by Samsung.”

Apple Vs. Samsung

The company’s entrance into the self-driving car industry pits it against rival Apple. Apple reportedly has been working on its own autonomous car venture, Project Titan.

The iPhone company has been secretive about Project Titan, but reports suggest Apple is ramping up its efforts. The company recently hired three engineers who previously worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and an engineer who worked on the space agency's autonomous vehicle for exploration on Jupiter's moon, a report said in April.

A few weeks ago, Apple got approval to test self-driving cars in California, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles’ webpage showed.

However, another report said Apple is focusing on its CarPlay connectivity and infotainment platform, rather than autonomous technology, similar to the move the Samsung’ official described Monday.

Besides Apple and Samsung, numerous companies are looking into developing their own autonomous vehicles.

Read: Apple Self-Driving Technology: 5 Facts You Need To Know

Tesla is set to release its Model 3 autonomous vehicle. CEO Elon Musk released a video of a possible release candidate for the vehicle taking its first drive in March. Tesla is expected to begin delivering the car for reservations by mid-2018 or later, the Tesla website said.

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, also has a self-driving car unit, Waymo. The company is accepting early applicants for its self-driving car trial program in Arizona, a report last week said.

Meanwhile, Uber is testing its autonomous cars in various U.S. cities, but the ride-hailing company is in a legal battle with Waymo. The Alphabet unit said Uber received confidential Waymo documents from a former employee. Uber has denied the claims.

Ford is also working on autonomous vehicles. Ford gave a glimpse of its next generation Fusion Hybrid self-driving car last December. The company said it plans to put self-driving cars on the road by 2021 for ride-hailing services.