VW GTI '53+1' - Look Ma, no hands!
Named in honor of Herbie the Love Bug, the famous number 53, Volkswagen's GTI '53+1' is car that requires no human nanny. It's a fully automatic car that can negotiate twists, turns and straights at the edge of its performance envelope, all without the aid of a driver's touch. The '53+1' uses radar and laser sensors as electronic eyes, much like many of the entrants in the DARPA Grand Challenge, to read the road ahead, and a satellite navigation system to pinpoint its position to within an inch.
The '53+1' was let loose on a race circuit and reportedly can reach its top speed of 150 mph with no driver on board. To prove the system's abilities, Volkswagen allowed guests at an event to design different road courses using cones and then watched as the driverless GTI ran through them. It even ran through courses faster than the company's own engineers could manage.
While the linked article is sparse on the down-and-dirty details of how the system works, it appears that it's set up to recognize only cones, or at least simple objects on an uncluttered road course. Still, the next DARPA challenge takes place in an urban setting and Stanford, winners of the last challenge with an autonomous Touareg, are planning to use a Passat this time around. If these two ever team up, in the near future we'll be able to order a Rabbit with a Twincharger engine, DSG and Auto Pilot. Now that's innovation.
[Source: Daily Mail]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tom 7:54AM (7/03/2006)
You could easily replace Donald Rumsfeld with one of these.
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Steve 8:22AM (7/03/2006)
I'm not sure I like that. Who wants mega robot cars AND drivers?
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Scot 10:06AM (7/03/2006)
I guess that this means "Driver's Wanted" is out the window?
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Alan 10:38AM (7/03/2006)
Early prototype, yes, but with adaptive cruise control and lane-drift warning systems common on some luxury cars, it probably isn't too long before we get some form of "self-driving" car. I don't think we will see 100% self-driving cars anytime soon, but there are some practical applications. For instance, I think Ford is prototyping a Volvo that can parallel park itself.
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Joey (Kev) 11:29AM (7/03/2006)
This system was designed to allow for axact comparisons when testing different vehicles and their configurations. It is not intended to work like the DARPA Challenge though I read it draws from ideas thought up by the Stanley crew from Stanford.
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donny 5:16PM (7/03/2006)
Anyone else notice that that GTI has 4 doors?
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Bernie Schibulla 3:32AM (7/06/2006)
Re: 4.
Volkswagen showed automatic parallel parking on the same event. The system will probably be available next year.
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Peter Giannetto 10:46AM (7/27/2006)
This sort of thing could benefit the disabled and make taxi's a thing of the past, I'm Epileptic and have always dreamed of owning a car but obviously could never drive but at least I could own a car of my own if this baby was unleashed. I love it
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Sam 4:04AM (8/30/2006)
Donny: If you were really into VWs you would know that the test was taken in Europe and that it's a 2006 GOLF. Gtis have 2 doors and Golfs have 4. derrrrrrr Cause the 2006 Golfs haven't come into The States, just the GTIs.
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Aamar 2:33AM (5/18/2007)
added with my
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Aamar 2:03AM (5/18/2007)
added links with my side www.//pakcar.com
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