Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Audi drops more photos and info on "Shelley", the autonomous TT-S]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/08/audi-drops-more-photos-and-info-on-shelley-the-autonomous-tt/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/08/audi-drops-more-photos-and-info-on-shelley-the-autonomous-tt/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/08/audi-drops-more-photos-and-info-on-shelley-the-autonomous-tt/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Autonomous Audi TT-S "Shelley" - Click above for high-res image gallery

We first heard about the latest autonomous driving project from Stanford University and the Volkswagen Group a couple of weeks ago. Audi has released some more information on the car, a TT-S coupe that, like its predecessors, Stanley and Junior, has a name: Shelley. Shelley's being developed to climb Colorado's Pikes Peak without any driver intervention during the annual hill climb next July. (Stanley and Junior were created for the DARPA Grand Challenge and Urban Challenge.)

Audi and Stanford's Dynamics Design Lab have managed to dramatically reduce the size of the equipment necessary for the car and its control system to detect the surroundings and respond accordingly. That it can all fit into the compact TT's body while sprouting just a trio of sensors from roof is quite an accomplishment. One of the goals of this year's effort is to have the car perform the way it would with a professional rally driver at the wheel, including drifting on the gravel. As of its name, "Shelley" refers to the nickname of Michelle Mouton, the most successful female rally driver of all time and the first woman to win at Pikes Peak, a feat she accomplished behind the wheel of the legendary Audi Sport Quattro in 1985.


Gallery: Audi autonomous TTS - "Shelley"


[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi drops more photos and info on "Shelley", the autonomous TT-S

Audi drops more photos and info on "Shelley", the autonomous TT-S originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiaudi ttaudi tt-rsaudi tt-saudi ttsAudiTtAudiTt-rsAudiTt-sAudiTtsautonomousAutonomous drivingautonomous vehiclesAutonomousCarAutonomousDrivingAutonomousVehiclesmichelle moutonMichelleMoutonpikes peakpikes peak hill climbPikes Peak International Hill ClimbPikesPeakPikesPeakHillClimbPikesPeakInternationalHillClimbshelleystanfordStanford Universitystanford-universityStanfordUniversitySun, 08 Nov 2009 10:42:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: More autonomous VW action from Stanford]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/video-more-autonomous-vw-action-from-stanford/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/video-more-autonomous-vw-action-from-stanford/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/video-more-autonomous-vw-action-from-stanford/#commentsFiled under: , ,


VAIL Autonomous valet parking demo -- Click above to view the video after the jump

You didn't think having an Audi TTS climb Pike's Peak was the only thing that Stanford's Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory was working on, did you? No, they're also working on something closer to home -- or the restaurant or club -- with a project to get cars to find spots and park themselves.

A "mostly stock" VW Passat wagon equipped with some computer gear in the trunk and -- paging Dr. Evil -- lasers. The extra bits are off-the-shelf (or some shelf, at least), and one write-up says that VW's computers could control the car without Stanford's added electronics package.

The caveats are that right now the car can't detect obstacles like people, and it needs a detailed map of the parking lot where it's trying to find a spot. Details, details. For now, follow the jump to enjoy another glimpse at one possible future, brought to you by VAIL.

[Source: Bot Junkie]

Continue reading VIDEO: More autonomous VW action from Stanford

VIDEO: More autonomous VW action from Stanford originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous vehiclesAutonomousVehiclesresearchrobotstanfordtechtechnologyvideovolkswagenvolkswagen automotive innovation laboratoryVolkswagenAutomotiveInnovationLaboratoryvwTue, 27 Oct 2009 18:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Stanford to run driverless Audi TT-S up Pikes Peak next year [w/VIDEO]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/26/stanford-to-run-driverless-audi-tt-s-up-pikes-peak-next-year-w/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/26/stanford-to-run-driverless-audi-tt-s-up-pikes-peak-next-year-w/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/26/stanford-to-run-driverless-audi-tt-s-up-pikes-peak-next-year-w/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Stanford's autonomously drifting Audi TTS -- Click above to view video after the jump

If you read AutoblogGreen regularly, then you already know that Volkswagen and Stanford University have taken their relationship that began with developing autonomous vehicles to compete in the government-sponsored DARPA Grand Challenge competitions to the next level. VW has committed over $5 million to open the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab on Stanford's campus with the intent of taking their research further regardless of whether the government is offering a carrot or not.

The two organizations are kicking off their new commitment to autonomous vehicles in a big way. Already under development is a the third-gen autonomous vehicle will make past DARPA Grand Challenge winners Stanley and Junior look obsolete by comparison. Based on an Audi TT-S, the new vehicle eschews all the outwardly visible hardware and has one expressed purpose: to tackle the Pikes Peak Hill Climb just like a real rally driver, four wheel drifts and all.

While still in the early stages, the team of researchers from Stanford have already performed tests with the autonomous TT-S at the Bonneville Salt Flats where the car was free to roam while being driving at the limit without a driver. They've also reportedly visited Pikes Peak with the car and ran it up the hill, albeit slowly.

Follow the jump to check out video of Stanford's autonomous TT-S being tested, including a nifty little trick where it traces Audi's corporate logo in the salt. It's just a teaser for now, but we gotta admit the idea of watching an empty TT-S tackle Pikes Peak is tantamount to finally getting that flying car we were promised. Thanks for the tip, Marcial


Gallery: Stanford driverless Audi TT-S Pikes Peak Hill Climb car


[Source: YouTube | Photos by jurvetson | CC2.0]

Continue reading Stanford to run driverless Audi TT-S up Pikes Peak next year [w/VIDEO]

Stanford to run driverless Audi TT-S up Pikes Peak next year [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you're really looking forward to the day when your car says, "You just relax, Dave, and let me do the driving," it just got a little bit closer. GM and Carnegie Mellon University have announced a 5-year, $5 million Collaborative Research Laboratory (CRL) to do work on autonomous vehicles.

Carnegie Mellon's Tartan Racing entrant in last year's DARPA Urban Challenge, Boss (pictured), was the first across the line. The winning partnership and the $2 million winners check made it a natural fit for the two to combine on further research now that the major technical issues have been mostly addressed. The two parties also have another CRL, separate from the autonomous research, that has been going on for eight years.

The autonomous research will be focused on developing the underlying technologies for autonomous vehicles. According to Professor Rajkumar, "Autonomous vehicles will change the face of transportation by reducing deaths and injuries from automobile accidents and increasing the convenience and comfort of vehicles." Until they become self aware and decide to take over the Skynet system, at least...

[Source: GM]

GM and Carnegie Mellon get together on driverless vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomous vehiclesAutonomousVehiclescarnegie mellonCarnegieMellondarpadarpa urban challengeDarpaUrbanChallengedriverless vehiclesDriverlessVehiclesgmFri, 20 Jun 2008 08:28:00 EST<![CDATA[I'm sorry, Dave - more autonomy in the name of safety?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/28/im-sorry-dave-more-autonomy-in-the-name-of-safety/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/28/im-sorry-dave-more-autonomy-in-the-name-of-safety/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/28/im-sorry-dave-more-autonomy-in-the-name-of-safety/#commentsFiled under: , ,



"Open the pod bay doors, HAL."
"I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that."

That type of belligerence might be coming to your car under the guise of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. Many cars can already be had with the necessary hardware like GPS navigation systems that help a vehicle determine its position, and stability control that can already fire individual brakes to effect course corrections. Is the next step writing the software to interconnect those systems into an active safety net? This would effectively enable the car to steer you out of trouble if it compares your trajectory with the nav system and determines you're off-course.

Passive safety systems have seemingly hit a wall, and the mass that all that crash safety adds must be either offset through the use of more exotic and expensive materials, or the result is a stupendously heavy vehicle. The next step will be active safety, a baby-step that has already been made with stability control and active cruise control. Current maps in navigation systems aren't adequate for driver aids, as they're mainly bird's-eye-view positional representations. Once maps with more data become available, the possibility of your car bringing all its situational awareness equipment to bear so that it can execute lane changes and warn you about a blind hairpin curve coming up might not be such fantasy.

[Source: Automotive Design Line]

I'm sorry, Dave - more autonomy in the name of safety? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adaptive cruise cont...AdaptiveCruiseCont...automotive x-prizeautomotive-x-prizeautomotivex-prizeautonomousautonomous vehicleautonomous vehiclesAutonomousVehicleAutonomousVehicleshal 9000Hal9000mapmappingmultitaskmultitaskingmultitasking-helpersnavigationnavigation systemNavigationSystemsafe drivingSafeDrivingsafetystability controlStabilityControlFri, 28 Mar 2008 19:02:00 EST