driverlesscar
Latest
How Roborace is building driverless race cars
The lights dimmed and a hush fell over the crowd. The last hour had been building to this. Denis Sverdlov, CEO of Roborace, and Daniel Simon, chief design officer, took a step back as some knee-high panels were taken away and a silky cloth was lifted, revealing a mechanical monster underneath. More than a year after the project's announcement, the pair had finally revealed their first production-grade Robocar: a fully electric, driverless race car built from the ground up for a new breed of motorsport. One where the heroes are programmers, concocting the smartest and most competitive AI drivers.
Roborace unwraps its driverless electric car
The team behind Roborace has taken a big step toward introducing a fully driverless racing competition. At a press conference in Barcelona, chief executive Denis Sverdlov and chief designer Daniel Simon revealed the final design for its track-ready "Robocar." We've seen images of the vehicle before, but they were merely renders; a hint of what the company was working on. The unveiling of a real car, all curves and carbon fiber, is our best evidence yet that the futuristic motorsport will actually happen.
NVIDIA is testing its driverless car tech in California
You might see a car with a familiar logo driving around if you're in California. The state's DMV has added NVIDIA to the list of companies that can test their self-driving technologies on its roads, and according to The Verge, it wasted no time to get the ball rolling. While NVIDIA isn't exactly an auto company, it designed processors for self-driving vehicles and put its own test car together, so it can take its autonomous technologies for a spin when needed. Back in September, it also announced that it's working with Baidu to create an AI platform for driverless cars.
Put your name down for London's driverless pod trials
Driverless pods are headed to the London borough of Greenwich, and the public is invited to sit inside and experience the technology first hand. The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) opened sign-ups today for the first public trials, which will take place inside its UK Smart Mobility Living Lab -- a test area that covers the entire borough. The exact routes are still being finalised, but the focus will be around the Greenwich peninsula, in places where the pods are likely to encounter cyclists and pedestrians. We don't know when the trials will start, however, beyond "later this year."
California wants autonomous cars to have humans behind the wheel
The California DMV has already started preparing for the arrival of driverless cars by writing up draft regulations to govern them. While that's a step forward for manufacturers working on the technology, the proposed rules are rather strict and will force Google (and maybe even other manufacturers) to change its car design. See, the DMV wants a human driver behind the wheel despite driverless cars' capabilities. That driver has to undergo training from car companies on how to use autonomous vehicles and get a special state-issued license.
Formula E is planning the first racing series for driverless cars
It was only last year that Formula E made its debut as the first racing series exclusively for electric cars. Now, after just two seasons of championships, its organizers are already preparing for another first: a driverless racing series. The series, dubbed Roborace, will begin with the 2016-2017 season, with each one-hour event taking place directly before all the "regular" Formula E races, and on the same circuits, to boot.
Apple's late to the car game and that's okay
There have been Apple Car (or iCar) rumors since at least 2007. They usually involve the company teaming up with an automaker to design an iPod- or iPhone-ready vehicle. Nothing has ever come of all the speculation and it's probably for the best. When Apple teams up with another company, the results are rarely satisfying. Remember the train wreck known as the Motorola ROKR? Now it looks like Apple is finally forging ahead with its automotive plans according to reports. But it'll do so on its own and there will reportedly be a production vehicle ready in 2019. If true, it's a bold plan. Not because launching a vehicle in that short of a time frame is impossible. It's that the electric, semi-autonomous vehicle market will be pretty crowded come 2019. But Apple should be fine with that because entering a crowded market with its own twist on a product is what it does.
Google's driverless car ideas include airbags on the outside
Airbags on the inside, that's what cars typically have. That's great for protecting people on the inside a vehicle. But, how about airbags on the outside, for the rest of us? Google's patented the idea for its driverless cars, with a system of inflatable bumpers that would react in the event of an accident. Sensors could detect when a collision is imminent and inflate the bags to hopefully reduce damage to anyone (or anything) involved. That said, typical airbags might not help when installed outside of the car, as any poor pedestrian that the system would aim to protect would likely be bounced off -- which doesn't sound particularly safe. Google has the answer, however: visco-elastic material.
UK to test driverless cars on public roads before the end of 2013
While Americans have seen a few driverless cars on the open road, their British counterparts have had to settle for demos on private circuits. They'll get a better glimpse soon, though, as the UK Department for Transport now expects tests on public streets by the end of 2013. The initial trial runs will be gentle -- Oxford University's Nissan Leaf-based RobotCars will drive only on lightly trafficked roads, with humans tagging along in the event of a crisis. We haven't yet seen a timetable for more aggressive experiments, but we're not exactly in a hurry to compete with early autonomous cars during rush hour. [Image credit: Oxford University]
Editorial: Self-driving cars FTW, but not for everybody
I drive a two-seat roadster known for its great handling. The last thing I want is for a machine to take the steering wheel out of my hands. My car company isn't into self-driving cars, but others are: Ford, BMW, Audi. And, of course, Google is moving quickly forward with road-worthy autocars that have accumulated 300,000 miles with only one (human error) accident. The advantages of cars that drive themselves are multiple and compelling. Automobile intelligence already assists the driving experience by warning of dangerous situations and taking control of parking, which is, for some people, the most difficult maneuver to perform. We are gradually ceding control to our cars. When a completely automated consumer car launches, some drivers will hand over the reins gladly. But for me and other enthusiasts, driving a car isn't just about reaching a destination; it's about the journey and operating a beautiful machine. Unfortunately for people who feel that way, the greatest social benefits of self-driving cars would kick in if everyone were herded into a new era of hands-off driving.
California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads (video)
Google just chalked up one of the more important victories for driverless cars. California Governor Jerry Brown has signed bill SB1298 into law, formalizing the legal permissions and safety standards needed to let automated vehicles cruise on state-owned roads. While the bill lets anyone move forward with their plans, it's clear from the ceremony that local technology darling Google is the primary impetus for the measure: Brown visited Google's Mountain View headquarters to put ink to paper, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin oversaw the signing with his Google Glass eyewear on full display. If you're dying to see driverless vehicles become mainstays of the Golden State, the official act making that possible is already available to watch after the break.
Volvo's driverless road train in Spain is public mainly on the plain (video)
It's been awhile since we saw Volvo's SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project, which was last running out of harm's way on a test track near Gothenburg. Volvo has just taken a big step forward in fostering confidence by conducting its road train on public asphalt. The 124-mile Spanish test both proved that the cars could stay driverless without posing a threat and upped the ante for what the cars could do: the lead truck, an S60, a V60 and an XC60 all moved along at a brisk 53MPH with a tighter gap between vehicles than there was in the original test, at just 20 feet. SARTRE was so successful in the public run that Volvo is now focusing on far less contentious issues -- like making sure fuel use drops by the promised 20 percent. There's still the looming question of making a viable business model, though Volvo's dream if realized will make sure no driverless car has to go solo.
Google's self-driving cars will return to roots, tour California
Thanks to a new law passed in California, Google's driverless cars might soon be stuck in its traffic with all the other hapless commuters. Although they won't hit the highway yet, like they can in Nevada, the bipartisan bill will allow bureaucrats to craft safety and performance standards -- letting the robotic rigs roll (with licensed minders) in the near future. Joining Hawaii, Florida, Arizona and Oklahoma with similar legislation, the state hopes to reduce carnage on the roads caused by human error, and is backed by Google, the California Highway Patrol and various civic, auto and tech clubs. Of course, given that it was birthed in Google's Mountain View X lab, it's only natural that the autonomous EV should be allowed to roam free on its home turf.
Nevada lets Google's driverless car hit the open road, requires it to bring a driver
Driving through Las Vegas can be distracting -- bright lights, sun-powered death rays and international Consumer Electronics Shows have a tendency to catch a geek's eye -- good thing, then, that Nevada's deemed Google fit to test its autonomous automobile on public streets. The state's Department of Transportation was tasked with penning a set of safety standards for self-driving cars last June, and is now letting the cars run amok on city streets, with a few restrictions. Mountain View's three test vehicles, for instance, will need to haul a carpool of at least two passengers before driving down the strip, one person to take the wheel in case of an emergency, and another to monitor a computer screen that details the car's planned route. Test vehicles will also don red license plates and an infinity symbol to mark them as self-driving prototypes. Nevada DMV Director Bruce Breslow says those plates will be green once the vehicles are ready for market, something he hopes to see in three to five years.
Google X lab is full of smart people with crazy dreams and frozen yogurt machines, probably
A Google lab so secret that even some of the company's own employees don't know of its existence? That's Google X -- or it was, before The New York Times ran a profile on the lab's super secret goings-on at an undisclosed location somewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area. Naturally, the paper doesn't have a ton of information about the lab, which some claim is "run like the CIA," though it paints a picture populated by robots who are are learning menial work tasks and how to take photos for Google Maps. There are around 100 concepts in all from the lab that helped give rise to those driverless cars, including social networking dinner plates and internet-connected refrigerators. No word on the lab's production of an adamantium-laced super soldier for the Canadian government, but we're sure it's around there somewhere.
Nevada prepares itself for the imminent rise of driverless cars
Driverless cars are still a way's away from hitting the mainstream, but when they do, the glorious state of Nevada will be ready for 'em. This week, the state passed a new law that will require its Department of Transportation to "adopt regulations authorizing the operation of autonomous vehicles on highways within the State of Nevada." More specifically, the DOT will have to cook up a set of safety standards for self-driving vehicles, and designate specific areas in which they can be tested. Invisible drivers immediately hailed the decision as a watershed victory in their ongoing struggle for civil rights.
Google's driverless car drives interest in driverless cars (video)
Self-driving cars are hardly new. We've seen dozens of automatic vehicles over the years, many of which have seen advances driven (so to speak) by various DARPA challenges. But now that Google's involved -- whoa! -- the mainstream media is suddenly whipped into a frenzy of hyperbolic proclamations about the future. Still, it is fascinating stuff to watch. So click on through if you like having your tech salad tossed with a side of smarmy TV-news voiceover. Trust us, it's delicious.
UK town demonstrates driverless car
We've seen a number of driverless vehicles in our day, but we're still not entirely confident with hopping in one and hoping for the best. Nevertheless, the oh-so-independent CyberCar is being demonstrated in a Northamptonshire town, reportedly utilizing " lasers to avoid obstacles" as it rolls about. Apparently, the idea is to "increase the use of public transport and reduce reliance on cars," as the vehicle is only designed for "short trips at low speeds in an urban environment." The installation will remain in operation until October 5th, after which the future of these wee whips is seemingly still up in the air.
Driverless car invades China, threatens pedestrians
You probably won't see this blazing across the Mojave desert in the next DARPA Grand Challenge, but this driverless luxury car may soon be chauffeuring a select few through the streets of China -- at what expense to other drivers and pedestrians, we're not so sure. The vehicle itself is an FAW Hongqi (Red Flag) HQ3 sedan equipped with two cameras to relay information to an onboard computer, which'll supposedly navigate its way down streets, make turns, and adapt to its environment. In a demonstration at the Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo, the car topped out at a paltry 37 mph, but it apparently has a maximum speed of 93 mph, though we really can't blame them for being a little hesitant to test it.[Via Techdirt]
