Driverless vans set off on intercontinental trek from Italy to China (video)

You might not have expected the future to look like your granddad's groovy camper van, but take a closer look here and you'll find that this is indeed nothing like your forefather's people carrier. The VisLab team from the University of Parma have taken a fleet of Piaggio Porter Electric vehicles, strapped them with an array of cameras, lasers and other sensors, and topped them off with solar panels to keep the electronics powered. Oh, and lest we forgot to mention: the vans are (mostly) autonomous. VIAC (or VisLab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge) is the grand name given to their big demonstration: an 8,000-mile, 3-month tour that will ultimately find them arriving in Shanghai, China, having set off from Milan this Tuesday. You can follow the day-by-day development on the blog below, though we're still being told that practical driverless road cars are a measure of decades, not years, away.

[TheTechLife Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:10AM]

AWESOME! I will be far to lazy to drive in a few decades.

[Alex Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:52AM]

@TheTechLife
Apparently hitting the 'o' key twice is enough of a challenge.

[Flustercuck Posted Jul 23rd 2010 4:50PM]

@Alex

Lol

[TMoney4Life Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:11AM]

No surprise why this hunk is driverless.

[Xenoni Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:17AM]

Wow I will be able to finish the sleep on the way to work .. Usually it takes me two hours

[Flustercuck Posted Jul 23rd 2010 4:50PM]

@Xenoni

Two hours? ouch

[GoGoGotcha Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:18AM]

You won't even have to drive, WHEN YOU'RE LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVERRR!

[VAVA Mk 2 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:20AM]

Skynet approves.

[maxbalboa Posted Jul 23rd 2010 10:02AM]

@VAVA Mk 2
I Up'ed your comment. Come on, you can do it VAVA Mk 2.

[VAVA Mk 2 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 10:17AM]

@maxbalboa

Thanks :D

[JOBN Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:25AM]

Soon the cars will be smarter then us and realize that animals can't drive. What they left out of the story is that they are heavily armed. What do expect a beauty like that to do in traffic? Wait? Haha. It makes its own path.

Seriously when will people realize that technology will kill us all. Haven't there been enough movies.

Wait..what am I typing this comment.

Crap...I think my phone is watching me...

OWWW!

My finger is bleeding.....

IT HAS A TASTE FOR BLOOOOOODDDDDDD!

[TMoney4Life Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:48AM]

@JOBN
http://www.hulu.com/watch/44586/family-guy-malfunctioning-robot

[hmmwv Posted Jul 23rd 2010 10:40AM]

@JOBN If it's really smart it'd drive itself to Rome Int'l airport and into the cargo hold of a DHL flight going to Shanghai.

[tmarks11 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 10:53AM]

@hmmwv hopefully it doesn't use the google maps version to navigate.

It might take the "jump in the black sea and swim 425 miles" seriously...

[Firehazel Posted Jul 23rd 2010 4:08PM]

@JOBN until technology can become COMPLETELY autonomous(meaning that robots can make robots, upgrade, and matain themselves), then I will start worrying. They can't do everything without some kind of human interference.

[Shalabi Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:25AM]

I would just be happy with a highway auto-drive mode here in the US. Its so boring that I usually just start commenting on engadget stories to pass the time.

[MrCheeks Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:30AM]

Transporting Miss Daisy.

[Leindurstit Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:33AM]

Needs spiked bumpers.

[jonbruc Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:33AM]

We need to get people to stop driving cars, not cars driving around without people in them.

[EdgeOne Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:41AM]

For nations that aren't contributing to global warming fast enough

[The Albatross Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:43AM]

Exactly what is preventing me from jumping on the roof and getting a free ride to China? I mean, aside from diabolical communism?

[Infinity Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:45AM]

I am happy they have at least people on board! What happens when it has busted tires, or it drives in a countly seriously needing spare parts, they will be easily dismounted to constituent parts. :-))

[MP5 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 9:53AM]

They will be reverse engineered the moment they arrive in Shanghai.

[khe0ps Posted Jul 23rd 2010 10:26AM]

am I the only one to find this actually dangerous? this thing can't possibly be safe in all situations. Now it may not be more dangerous than a random russian driver with more alcohol than blood in his circulatory system but its bound to happen that this things will roll over a someone. Unless it stops if it detects anything moving nearby - then it would probably take a few years before getting to Shanghai.

[tmarks11 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:32AM]

@khe0ps watch teh video clip.

They will be travelling in convoy, and the lead vehicle will be a normally driven vehicle. The two following "driverless" vehicles will have a "technician" onboard who is ready to start driving if things get out of control.

This is more in the nature of a publicity stunt then a scientific test.

[A25i Posted Jul 23rd 2010 10:40AM]

That thing looks like it belongs in Australia, not Shanghai.

[adrian13 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 10:52AM]

Alright KITT, pick me up!

[FiLunder7 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:29AM]

There is a small problem... In Russia many roads exist only on a map.

It may be a little surprise for those guys.

[BKKKevin Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:39AM]

What is that steel plate with the holes in it below the bumper?... Last minute addition of a pedestrian guard?...

[Tegdagne Posted Jul 23rd 2010 12:26PM]

It's electric

[Hoo Posted Jul 23rd 2010 12:34PM]

Woo I tipped this :D

[sphbking Posted Jul 23rd 2010 12:45PM]

I noticed they skipped India
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjrEQaG5jPM

[kapryt Posted Jul 23rd 2010 2:12PM]

Driverless vans?

What about wireless cars?

Pretty sure Nikola Tesla had that one figured out with the original Tesla Motors!
http://www.styrofoamsoup.com/conspiracy/the-original-tesla-motors/

[THEGODOFAPPLE Posted Jul 23rd 2010 2:22PM]

Sexy!... no way I'm letting this thing drive me around. I'm scared now!

[Elduderino2412 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 3:56PM]

Flipping off a driverless van after it cuts you off, probably isn't very gratifying.

[bigcow05 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 6:57PM]

The guy on the Macbook is running KDE! And those little orange EV vans are cute, does anyone know the make/model?