BEIJING (CHINA) – SZ DJI Technology Co, the leading drone maker of China, is building an engineering team to work on self-driving technologies, according to sources.
The Shenzhen-based company has been hiring engineers for auto electronics, autonomous driving, and in-car software positions according to it’s website.
Sources said DJI plans to sell driver-assist technology such as lidar sensors, a key component in self-driving cars and packaged solutions for autonomous driving functions. The details are yet to be made public.
DJI which has been developing lidar technology and cameras for years, said it had no new announcements at the moment.
DJI dominates the global small drone business with a 69% market share, according to consultancy DroneAnalyst. Research firm Frost & Sullivan estimated the market would be worth $8.4 billion last year. The firms move comes as several hardware and software tech firms are racing to tap into the auto industry’s autonomous future.
In December, the company was added to the U.S. Commerce Department’s entity list, allegedly over its technology being used to facilitate human rights abuses in China.