Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
SELF-DRIVING CARS
by Daniel Collins
BRIEF HISTORY OF SELF-DRIVING CARS
General Motors sponsored a self-driving car that was exhibited in the 1939 World Fair.
In the 1980’s DARPA funded an Autonomous Land Vehicle that could follow roadways at speeds up to 30 km/h.
GM currently has small self-driving, battery powered cars called EN-Vs in research and development.
SENSOR TECHNOLOGY USED IN CARS TODAY
Electronic Stability Control Blind Spot Alerts Active Cruise Control Self-Parking Vehicles
GOOGLE’S VIEW
“It’s a bug that cars were invented before computers. Your car should drive itself. It just makes sense.”
Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google
GOOGLE’S SELF-DRIVING CAR BACKGROUND
Brainchild of Sebastian Thrun In 2005 the Stanley Car won the Second
Grand Challenge of DARPA. The car drove 132 miles in the desert.
Licensed earlier this month for testing on Nevada’s streets.
Nevada’s Autonomous Vehicle License Plate
GOOGLE’S SELF-DRIVING CAR BACKGROUND CONT’D
Cars have logged over 140,000 miles with limited driver assistance
Seven cars have each driven over 1,000 miles with no human intervention
7-10 years from production
LOOKS
Currently using 6 Prius’, an Audi TT, and a Lexus RX450H
Rotating cylinder on top of the car – called a Lidar
Video camera mounted to the rear-view mirror
Position estimator mounted to rear left wheel 4 radar sensors – 3 mounted in the front, one
in the rear The hardware is in the trunk of the car
Toyota Prius
Lexus RX450H
Audi TT
HOW IT WORKS
Uses radar, laser technology, sensors, and imagery to navigate the car
Notifies the passengers when approaching a turn or crosswalk
To take control of the car, you simply turn the wheel, touch the brake, or press a red button
Follows GPS programmed route Can be programmed to mimic personal
driving styles
Interior of a car during development
What the car sees
Hardware inside the Toyota Prius
BENEFITS OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
Faster Reaction Times 360° Vision Wouldn’t Become Distracted or Sleepy Doesn’t Speed Eliminates Human Error Reduces Number of Cars Needed
POTENTIAL LEGAL ISSUES
Under current law, a human must be in control of a car at all times
Who would be responsible for a wreck, the driver, or the software?
What if a “driver” really wasn’t paying attention through a school zone, assuming the robot has it under control?
Despite these issues, Google has been licensed for testing in California and Nevada as long as a driver and engineer are present in the vehicle.
WORKS CITED
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/science/10google.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
http://www.wbir.com/news/article/219841/141/Googles-self-driving-car-could-be-on-streets-in-5-to-10-years
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/googles-self-driving-car-is-this-the-next-generation-of-autos/2012/05/09/gIQAteiMDU_story.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/robo-cars.html
http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/09/google-automated-cars/
http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,3253,l%253D255539%2526a%253D255539%2526po%253D1,00.asp?p=n
http://www.slashgear.com/google-driverless-cars-prompt-robo-safety-worries-09227344/
http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/10/autos/google-driverless-cars-safety/index.htm
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Where was Google’s Self-Driving Car recently licensed for testing? Nevada
What does the rotating cylinder (Lidar) on top of Google’s Self-Driving Cars do? Generates a 3D map of the surrounding
environment What are the benefits of self-driving cars?
360° vision, faster reaction times, doesn’t become sleepy or distracted, eliminates human error, could reduce the number of cars needed, and allows cars to travel safely when closer together.
