An autonomous self-driving vehicle is tested in a pedestrianized zone, during a media event in Milton Keynes, north of London, on 11 October, 2016. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images
Who Is Winning the Race to Build Self-Driving Cars?
History of Autonomous Cars - How and when it all started
Autonomousvs Automated - What is the difference?
Is there a viable market for Autonomous Vehicles?
What Company has the jump with this technology?
Safety Features
Self-driving cars have been talked about for a while now. When exactly did all the talk begin? Let's explore the history of the awesome technology. These questions and more will be explored in this wiki. Anyone who has ever loved cars has thought about a self-driving vehicle. Imagine how this technology could change the world? However, it may not necessarily be for the better. There are a lot of unanswered questions about self-driving vehicles, and many companies have already been experimenting with these for some time. Do the benefits outweigh the costs? Could these vehicles be implemented into everyday tasks, mail delivery, Taxicabs? Imagine ordering a pizza and it being delivered to your home in a self-driving vehicle. Could they take the place of professional drivers or delivery people?
Almost since the beginning of the Automobile, there has been a dream for them to have the ability to drive themselves. The 1920's and 1930's brought about pioneers in the automation of the automobile and these improvements were nothing more than radio controlled vehicles that had to be followed by another vehicle. They did not travel too quickly, and were similar to a Remote control vehicle that could be purchased at a Radio Shack.The range of control was very similar to that of a modern R/C toy. Jump ahead to the 50's and you had concept vehicles that would travel along the road, following a metal strip either on or underneath the road. This system was problematic due to variations in road surfaces and weather. A strong rain storm would make the sensors hard to read with the technology of the time. You could find yourself in a ditch or worse, this way of navigation was abandoned after a short time.
There are some who may remember a movie from the 80's called "Maximum Overdrive". In a sense this was historic as it featured vehicles that were possessed by something evil. Even Hollywood or Stephen King thought that self driving vehicles may make their way into society. The movie was not very successful and has become sort of a cult classic. Although the movie is not just about vehicles they do play a major role. I thought this would be relevant since we are covering a bit of history.
As we explore the progression of these "Self-driving cars" there are many questions that come up. If these vehicles can be perfected, will there be a market for them? Many car owners enjoy the driving experience and controlling the vehicle and making your own decisions are what makes the experience fun. Are there other areas of society that could use this technology.? Delivery and taxi services could be a couple of possibilities for the use of this technology. What is the difference between Autonomous and Automated vehicles? Do we want a vehicle that except in safety hazards that could then be overridden by the occupants could be in complete control of itself and can make its own decisions?. The last but serious point to bring up in this discussion is the safety factor. In my opinion this is what will make or break that decision. This wiki will explore these questions and hopefully provide some clear answers.
As technology has increased and improved so has the quality of self-driving vehicles. (On May 1, 2012, a 22 km (14 mi) driving test was administered to a Google self-driving car by Nevada motor vehicle examiners in a test route in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. The autonomous car passed the test it was given, but it was not tested to see how they would do in situations like roundabouts, no-signal railroad crossings, or school zones, according to Wikipedia. These cars are out on the road right now to be tested and driven. However, you are not actually driving them. In Europe, Volvo has built a fleet of self-driver to be leased. A study done in the UK showed that people surveyed, viewed the self-drivers as no threat because they can be cut off with no threat of road rage. Volvo will build their fleet with no marking on the exterior so that other drivers will not target them and be tempted to "take them on". Right now the company UBER is testing driver-less vehicles in San Francisco to experiment with them for future transportation options. (In July 2015, Google announced that its test vehicles in its driver-less car project had been involved in 14 minor accidents since the project's inception in 2009. Chris Urmson, the project leader, said that all of the accidents were caused by humans driving other cars and that 11 of the mishaps were rear-end collisions. "Our self-driving cars are being hit surprisingly often by other drivers who are distracted and not paying attention to the road. That’s a big motivator for us." Over the six years of the project's existence, the test vehicles had logged nearly 2 million miles on the road.) sourceWikipedia.
Other markets for this technology could include Taxi cabs, and delivery services. It may not be too long into the future that you will order a pizza online and it will be delivered by a driver-less vehicle. You wouldn't have to tip the driver, but, you will have to walk to the sidewalk to get the pizza. If the weather is bad such as having snow, rain, or wind, a human could deliver to your door for an extra fee.
The way of the future:
Waymo started with Google in 2009, and since then they have developed and tested autonomous vehicles with great success. In 2016 alone they logged 1 Billion simulated miles. They are currently testing on city streets in Kirkland, Washington, Mountain View, CA, Phoenix, Arizona, and Austin, Texas. They have tested 2 million self-driven miles and hope to bring self-driving cars to the masses very soon. Vehicles with no steering wheel or pedals. They promise a safer, more enjoyable commuter experience.
Some people do not feel that the days are numbered for good old manually driven cars just yet. Most experts in the field think that we are still years away from them taking over our highways.The cost of the technology will be astronomical at first, starting at approx $250,000, but if they can build them safe enough and cheap enough for everyone; It may not be too long that you stop at a traffic light and look over at the car next to you and find no one behind the wheel.
In fact reliable autonomous vehicles will change how we commute altogether. Perhaps we won't own cars anymore, it will be like Uber with Autonomous cars, you just ping in your location, a vehicle shows up at your door and drops you off safely where someone else might call it for a ride. Family road trips would be much more comfortable, we could get into our car in Northern California where the seats recline fully, we sleep through the night and wake up in San Diego the next morning for a day at the warm beach. The depth and breadth of future changes are endless and almost unimaginable, much like the smartphone!
The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has also joined this race to create a driver-less car. They have it formatted where it can be restricted to certain uses like the the interstate or where it can be used anywhere.
"TRI is pleased to sponsor significant research projects at top universities in the US and around the world. In 2015 we announced a $50 Million investment in research collaboration with Stanford and MIT. These five year collaborative research agreements allow open-ended research in areas that are important to TRI’s mission, plus more directed research to contribute to corporate goals in the next 3-5 years. Together we seek to advance the state of science and contribute to the research community through new discoveries, data, algorithms, while enabling a new group of young researchers to realize their dreams of completing the PhD degree.
At MIT's CSAIL laboratory researchers are a broad spectrum of research projects from parallel autonomy to self awareness. Stanford's SAIL laboratory is engaged in research projects that include human-computer and human-robot interactions. Other university outreach programs are being explored. Together we intend to advance the state of the science for the community while providing new technologies and platforms for our engineers to use as they build the future world of mobility." (1)
Junior, a robotic Volkswagen Passat, at Stanford University in October 2009
An autonomous self-driving vehicle is tested in a pedestrianized zone, during a media event in Milton Keynes, north of London, on 11 October, 2016. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images
Who Is Winning the Race to Build Self-Driving Cars?
Self-driving cars have been talked about for a while now. When exactly did all the talk begin? Let's explore the history of the awesome technology. These questions and more will be explored in this wiki. Anyone who has ever loved cars has thought about a self-driving vehicle. Imagine how this technology could change the world? However, it may not necessarily be for the better. There are a lot of unanswered questions about self-driving vehicles, and many companies have already been experimenting with these for some time. Do the benefits outweigh the costs? Could these vehicles be implemented into everyday tasks, mail delivery, Taxicabs? Imagine ordering a pizza and it being delivered to your home in a self-driving vehicle. Could they take the place of professional drivers or delivery people?
Almost since the beginning of the Automobile, there has been a dream for them to have the ability to drive themselves. The 1920's and 1930's brought about pioneers in the automation of the automobile and these improvements were nothing more than radio controlled vehicles that had to be followed by another vehicle. They did not travel too quickly, and were similar to a Remote control vehicle that could be purchased at a Radio Shack.The range of control was very similar to that of a modern R/C toy. Jump ahead to the 50's and you had concept vehicles that would travel along the road, following a metal strip either on or underneath the road. This system was problematic due to variations in road surfaces and weather. A strong rain storm would make the sensors hard to read with the technology of the time. You could find yourself in a ditch or worse, this way of navigation was abandoned after a short time.There are some who may remember a movie from the 80's called "Maximum Overdrive". In a sense this was historic as it featured vehicles that were possessed by something evil. Even Hollywood or Stephen King thought that self driving vehicles may make their way into society. The movie was not very successful and has become sort of a cult classic. Although the movie is not just about vehicles they do play a major role. I thought this would be relevant since we are covering a bit of history.
As we explore the progression of these "Self-driving cars" there are many questions that come up. If these vehicles can be perfected, will there be a market for them? Many car owners enjoy the driving experience and controlling the vehicle and making your own decisions are what makes the experience fun. Are there other areas of society that could use this technology.? Delivery and taxi services could be a couple of possibilities for the use of this technology. What is the difference between Autonomous and Automated vehicles? Do we want a vehicle that except in safety hazards that could then be overridden by the occupants could be in complete control of itself and can make its own decisions?. The last but serious point to bring up in this discussion is the safety factor. In my opinion this is what will make or break that decision. This wiki will explore these questions and hopefully provide some clear answers.
As technology has increased and improved so has the quality of self-driving vehicles. (On May 1, 2012, a 22 km (14 mi) driving test was administered to a Google self-driving car by Nevada motor vehicle examiners in a test route in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. The autonomous car passed the test it was given, but it was not tested to see how they would do in situations like roundabouts, no-signal railroad crossings, or school zones, according to Wikipedia. These cars are out on the road right now to be tested and driven. However, you are not actually driving them. In Europe, Volvo has built a fleet of self-driver to be leased. A study done in the UK showed that people surveyed, viewed the self-drivers as no threat because they can be cut off with no threat of road rage. Volvo will build their fleet with no marking on the exterior so that other drivers will not target them and be tempted to "take them on". Right now the company UBER is testing driver-less vehicles in San Francisco to experiment with them for future transportation options.
(In July 2015, Google announced that its test vehicles in its driver-less car project had been involved in 14 minor accidents since the project's inception in 2009. Chris Urmson, the project leader, said that all of the accidents were caused by humans driving other cars and that 11 of the mishaps were rear-end collisions. "Our self-driving cars are being hit surprisingly often by other drivers who are distracted and not paying attention to the road. That’s a big motivator for us." Over the six years of the project's existence, the test vehicles had logged nearly 2 million miles on the road.) source Wikipedia.
Other markets for this technology could include Taxi cabs, and delivery services. It may not be too long into the future that you will order a pizza online and it will be delivered by a driver-less vehicle. You wouldn't have to tip the driver, but, you will have to walk to the sidewalk to get the pizza. If the weather is bad such as having snow, rain, or wind, a human could deliver to your door for an extra fee.
The way of the future:
Waymo started with Google in 2009, and since then they have developed and tested autonomous vehicles with great success. In 2016 alone they logged 1 Billion simulated miles. They are currently testing on city streets in Kirkland, Washington, Mountain View, CA, Phoenix, Arizona, and Austin, Texas. They have tested 2 million self-driven miles and hope to bring self-driving cars to the masses very soon. Vehicles with no steering wheel or pedals. They promise a safer, more enjoyable commuter experience.
Some people do not feel that the days are numbered for good old manually driven cars just yet. Most experts in the field think that we are still years away from them taking over our highways.The cost of the technology will be astronomical at first, starting at approx $250,000, but if they can build them safe enough and cheap enough for everyone; It may not be too long that you stop at a traffic light and look over at the car next to you and find no one behind the wheel.
In fact reliable autonomous vehicles will change how we commute altogether. Perhaps we won't own cars anymore, it will be like Uber with Autonomous cars, you just ping in your location, a vehicle shows up at your door and drops you off safely where someone else might call it for a ride. Family road trips would be much more comfortable, we could get into our car in Northern California where the seats recline fully, we sleep through the night and wake up in San Diego the next morning for a day at the warm beach. The depth and breadth of future changes are endless and almost unimaginable, much like the smartphone!
The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has also joined this race to create a driver-less car. They have it formatted where it can be restricted to certain uses like the the interstate or where it can be used anywhere.
"TRI is pleased to sponsor significant research projects at top universities in the US and around the world. In 2015 we announced a $50 Million investment in research collaboration with Stanford and MIT. These five year collaborative research agreements allow open-ended research in areas that are important to TRI’s mission, plus more directed research to contribute to corporate goals in the next 3-5 years. Together we seek to advance the state of science and contribute to the research community through new discoveries, data, algorithms, while enabling a new group of young researchers to realize their dreams of completing the PhD degree.
At MIT's CSAIL laboratory researchers are a broad spectrum of research projects from parallel autonomy to self awareness. Stanford's SAIL laboratory is engaged in research projects that include human-computer and human-robot interactions. Other university outreach programs are being explored. Together we intend to advance the state of the science for the community while providing new technologies and platforms for our engineers to use as they build the future world of mobility." (1)
References
Harris, Mark (2014-09-10). "How Google's Autonomous Car Passed the First U.S. State Self-Driving Test". IEEE Spectrum. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
Titcomb, James (July 17, 2015). "Google blames careless humans after first driverless car injury". The Telegraph. Retrieved July 18, 2015
"//MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE// (18)". Recorded Releasing. British Board of Film Classification. September 3, 1987. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
https://waymo.com (March 2017)
(1) http://www.tri.global/research/