Self-driving Cars

1. Self-driving Cars by Daniel Collins

2. 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.

3. Sensor Technology Used in Cars Today • Electronic Stability Control • Blind Spot Alerts • Active Cruise Control • Self-Parking Vehicles

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

9. Toyota Prius

10. Lexus RX450H

11. Audi TT

12. 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

13. Interior of a car during development

14. What the car sees

15. Hardware inside the Toyota Prius

16. 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

17. 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.

18. VIDEO (link)

19. 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

20. 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.