http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 8:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
Smaller, more efficient engine, more power and speed to boot :)]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
theres no escape, robotics cars will chase us down in the future, next to all the terminators... pew pew peeeewwww!]]>Oct 27th 2009 5:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 27th 2009 1:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 27th 2009 2:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
I just feel that this brain power and funding would be better used on alternate fuels, more efficient public transportation, flying cars, hover boards, etc...

- Dan ]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
I look forward to the day that I am standing at the automated car stop. ]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
Currently, there are many inefficiencies, which could be eliminated by having a networked system or auto driven cars. Imagine, a car which can interact with other cars, find the fastest path, drive at much faster speeds and reduce waste. There wont be a need to stop at traffic lights anymore, since the cars can get to the intersection at a perfect time, where it can just go forward. This way, energy wasted when braking and accelerating can be conserved and a new generation of 'green' cars will arise.

This might sound like science fiction, but I cannot wait for the day people don't need to burn extra, unnecessary fuel, braking and accelerating. Also, a computer will be able to handle higher speeds much better than a human, allowing for faster cars and shorter rides.

Just my two cents. :)]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/There would be no more traffic, there would be no red lights, there would be no accidents (except in the rare software failure), likely speed limits will go away.
Computers can do simple tasks much better than humans. Driving is a simple task and I would like to surf the web in the morning on my morning commute. Plus if you want your flying cars you better believe cars are going to get faster?! Of course they will! We can't trust human reaction times on any speed over what we have now. There are people bred to drive cars faster but it simply can't be done for a normal person.

Automated cars are the next step. We need to take the human element out of transportation to make it more efficient.]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/By the time all cars drive autonomous and we don't need traffic lights I hope there isn't actually an issue with 'burning fuel', because it would seem quite ridiculous to use such a primitive propulsion system, especially 250 years from now.
It's like people from the past hoping for robots to shuffle coal in the steamengine in the future.
]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
For instance lets say that this technology continues to develop (which it probably will).... as does alt energy for cars (example electric cars), then the lessons and things learned here can be applied to making (electric/hydrogen/hybrid/ or ....) more efficient.


Let me give a more detailed example. Lets say we get electric cars off the ground rolling; alt energy technology is there, demand is there, so on and so forth. Well people still need to do simple things like park, calculate logistics, so on and so fourth. Now lets say they combined the "valet parking" concept with the electric car.

You solved multiple problems by increasing efficiency and advancing the technology. Now you can incorporate the another concept or piece of technology you learned from something else... (example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPsawyK81XY )]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
Not to mention being able to safely follow closer to to the vehicle in front of me.]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 11:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 27th 2009 3:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 27th 2009 6:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Um, people WALK. Your future presumes there won't be pedestrians.

@matt
Not to be a pessimist (and I don't have anything against the whole car-driving-itself thing), but can you imagine a future where terrorist hackers get into networked cars and create one giant pile-up?

@Macfrog2's "Currently the current lanes are about as wide as two cars to help correct for driver error."
I'm guessing you've never been in NYC, much less driven on the FDR. The FDR is especially FUN. ]]>Oct 27th 2009 11:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/I do the same annoying three button presses on my Climatronic to get it to do what I want it to do. It doesn't really matter what language it runs on since it can't influence power, braking, and steering. As for the ECU, Bosch doesn't use Java for their ECUs and I trust Garrett's manipulation.

@briankun:
I do and have no interest in coding in Java for any platform. Every Java binary I've used, I can immediately tell that it was written in Java. Poor performance and dodgy stability. I can't trust it to mission critical uses and I surely wouldn't trust it to anything where my life was at stake.]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
//Variable "Passenger" is an exception. Exception thrown of Car.]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
With that said, I am sure I could be a much better programmer in it. ;) Now, I'm no roboticist, but I have a vague feeling it may well be just a stock photo...for I fail to see a use of strings in a driving program.]]>Oct 26th 2009 10:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/I see such car three times a week...keep driving around with ure musclecars though, they look kinda nice...kinda =DDD]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/

FAIL]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/

I spelled continuous wrong. FML]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 10:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/
http://www.gulker.com/blog/wp-content/2007/05/smart_car.jpg
now that is parallel parking!]]>Oct 27th 2009 9:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 7:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/]]>Oct 26th 2009 6:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 6:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/stanford-builds-robotic-audi-for-racing-robotic-volkswagen-for/Oct 26th 2009 7:36PM