Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Student wins Intel science fair with super cheap autonomous car tech]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/21/student-wins-intel-science-fair-with-super-cheap-autonomous-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/21/student-wins-intel-science-fair-with-super-cheap-autonomous-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/21/student-wins-intel-science-fair-with-super-cheap-autonomous-car/#commentsFiled under:

Ionut Budisteanu

One of the largest hurdles facing autonomous vehicles is cost. The technology to implement driverless cars is already here. Google, Audi and other companies have proved over and over again that the tech is viable and at least theoretically safe for public streets, but few people feel comfortable shelling out the $75,000 premium it would take to make your car chauffeur you about.

Ionut Budisteanu, a 19-year-old student from Romania, may have found a way to make autonomous driving tech more affordable. Budisteanu won a $75,000 scholarship in the International Science and Engineering Fair for creating a system that uses a cheaper, lower-resolution three-dimensional radar system paired with a webcam in place of the pricey high-definition 3D radar Google uses.

As a result, Budisteanu was able to cut costs from $75,000 to $4,000. His system uses artificial intelligence software to identify curbs, lane markings and other small objects on the road with the webcam while the radar system locates people, cars and houses. In his tests, the system performed as intended 47 out of 50 times. He believes he can improve accuracy with a slightly higher definition radar system while still keeping costs low.

Student wins Intel science fair with super cheap autonomous car tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous cardriverlessionut budisteanuTue, 21 May 2013 10:14:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20575831/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/05/21/student-wins-intel-science-fair-with-super-cheap-autonomous-car/20575831/article-detail.xml 20575831 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/ionut-budisteanu-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/ionut-budisteanu-628.jpg <![CDATA[Autonomous cars found trustworthy in global study]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/19/autonomous-cars-found-trustworthy-in-global-study/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/19/autonomous-cars-found-trustworthy-in-global-study/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/19/autonomous-cars-found-trustworthy-in-global-study/#commentsFiled under: ,

Driverless car study

"Consumers Desire More Automated Automobiles." That's the title of one page of a new study published by Cisco Systems as part of its Customer Experience Report, which focuses on the "automobile buying and driving experience." The study specifically targeted technology and its integration into the cars and trucks of today and tomorrow, and, not surprisingly, roughly half of all those surveyed globally (1,500 consumers across 10 countries, says Cisco) "value the technology adoption reputation of a brand when selecting a vehicle." We also think it's of interest that "83 percent of global consumers prefer to research online for information on a car."

Perhaps the most intriguing bit of information gleaned from the study pertains to driverless automobiles. A full 57 percent "stated they would be likely to ride in a car controlled entirely by technology that does not require a human driver," with Brazil, India and China cited as the countries most willing to trust autonomous technology. When Cicso asked drivers if they'd let their kids ride in driverless cars, however, the figures dropped dramatically - just 46 percent found that idea acceptable.

In the United States, 60 percent of those surveyed said they would trust driverless cars, and that dropped to 48 percent when children were included. Japanese drivers were least likely to trust their lives or their children's lives to automated technology. Scroll down below for a press release from Cisco highlighting more of its findings.

Continue reading Autonomous cars found trustworthy in global study

Autonomous cars found trustworthy in global study originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 May 2013 08:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousciscocisco customer experience reportdriverlesstechnologySun, 19 May 2013 08:55:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20575000/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/05/19/autonomous-cars-found-trustworthy-in-global-study/20575000/article-detail.xml 20575000 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/driverless-cisco_thumbnail.png http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/driverless-cisco.png <![CDATA[Self-driving cars face host of legal hurdles]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/14/self-driving-cars-face-host-of-legal-hurdles/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/14/self-driving-cars-face-host-of-legal-hurdles/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/14/self-driving-cars-face-host-of-legal-hurdles/#commentsFiled under: ,

self-driving car

One group of people eagerly awaiting the arrival of autonomous (self-driving) vehicles are lawyers, according to a recent report on CNET. While the soon-to-arrive vehicles are sure to save countless lives (after cigarettes, motorized vehicles are the second most dangerous consumer product on the market - thanks to human operators), a host of legal opportunities will emerge with regards to product liability, tort law, negligence, foreseeable harm, patent encumbrance, and design defects.

To limit the liability of companies that will supply autonomous technology, laws will need to be enacted to curb their legal exposure. Plus, the systems will need to be locked down so their software cannot be modified or altered by the user - even if that type of action hinders technology advancements and innovation.

Yet there are even more lawsuits threatening self-driving technology. Thinking beyond modified software or errors in coding that causes mishaps are the actions, and legal implications, of humans sharing the roads with self-driving vehicles. What happens when a driver deliberately, and aggressively, interacts with an autonomous car (e.g., attempts to run it off the road or jams on the brakes in an attempt to cause a collision) and human injury is the result? Even more frightening is this question: Who goes on trial when a motorist is killed by a vehicle driven by a robot?

Self-driving cars face host of legal hurdles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous carsautonomous lawsuitsautonomous vehicleslegal actionrobot carsself-drivingself-driving vehicleSun, 14 Apr 2013 11:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20536351/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/04/14/self-driving-cars-face-host-of-legal-hurdles/20536351/article-detail.xml 20536351 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/volvo-autonomous-driving_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/volvo-autonomous-driving.jpg <![CDATA[Google sees self-driving cars in 3-5 years; Washington, insurers not so sure]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/08/google-sees-self-driving-cars-in-3-5-years-washington-insurers/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/08/google-sees-self-driving-cars-in-3-5-years-washington-insurers/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/08/google-sees-self-driving-cars-in-3-5-years-washington-insurers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Self-driving Google Prius test car

In just a handful of years, autonomous car technology has taken amazing strides forward. In particular, the highly visible Google self-driving car effort has garnered loads of media attention for its impressive and fast-evolving technology. In fact, Google is reasonably confident that its autonomous technology can be brought to the marketplace in the next three to five years.

Whether or not the marketplace is in any shape to accept a self-driving car in that timespan is a much trickier question.

A new report by Bloomberg examines the relationship between autonomous tech and the regulations that must certainly come along with it before these kinds of auto-piloted cars show up in a dealership near you. Google maintains that self-driving cars can be made to "drive safer than people do," saving lives in the process. Meanwhile, regulating bodies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have to figure out how the cars will be road-tested for safety and where new standards will be set. How a vehicle's software is able to react to fluid and random driving scenarios, for example, will need to be somehow be tested to meet a high standard of performance.

Reaction from the insurance industry is likely to slow down the arrival of autonomous cars, as well, says Bloomberg. While, as a whole, the insurance companies have claimed to be in favor of self-driving's accident-prevention possibilities, the reality of liability claims muddy the waters. Some insurance experts predict that these issues could cause it to be as long as 15 or 20 years before the way is clear for self-driving cars in the US - decades, in other words, behind the pace of the technology itself.

Check out the full Bloomberg story, with a lot more detail around this complex issue, here.

Google sees self-driving cars in 3-5 years; Washington, insurers not so sure originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous vehiclesgooglegoogle carinsurance information institutenational highway trafiic safety administrationnhtsaself-drivingself-driving carFri, 08 Feb 2013 09:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20452459/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/02/08/google-sees-self-driving-cars-in-3-5-years-washington-insurers/20452459/article-detail.xml 20452459 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/02/google-self-driving-car-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/02/google-self-driving-car-628.jpg <![CDATA[Why Google's autonomous car tech could be worth more than its web business]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/31/why-googles-autonomous-car-tech-could-be-worth-more-than-its-we/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/31/why-googles-autonomous-car-tech-could-be-worth-more-than-its-we/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/31/why-googles-autonomous-car-tech-could-be-worth-more-than-its-we/#commentsFiled under:



According to Forbes, Google may be into driverless cars for more than the party tricks. As part of a three-part series on the tech giant's foray into the automotive sphere, writer Chunka Miu says Google's efforts could have a widespread impact on the nature of transportation worldwide. The company believes it can theoretically reduce traffic accidents, energy consumption and the number of personal vehicles on the road by 90 percent should autonomous models take hold, and those savings could equate to a massive revenue stream as automakers work to adapt the technology to their products.

What's more, the technology could revolutionize the way developing countries design their infrastructure, and Google could theoretically be there to lend a helping hand. Forbes says the autonomous vehicle business could be worth trillions of dollars in the long term, far surpassing the company's current search, advertising and mobile platform operations.

Why Google's autonomous car tech could be worth more than its web business originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous vehiclesdriverlessdriverless cardriverless carsgoogletechnologyThu, 31 Jan 2013 10:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20439887/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/01/31/why-googles-autonomous-car-tech-could-be-worth-more-than-its-we/20439887/article-detail.xml 20439887 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/152766337-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/152766337-opt.jpg <![CDATA[Toyota and Lexus show off advanced safety research vehicle [w/video]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/08/toyota-and-lexus-show-off-advanced-safety-research-vehicle-w-vi/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/08/toyota-and-lexus-show-off-advanced-safety-research-vehicle-w-vi/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/08/toyota-and-lexus-show-off-advanced-safety-research-vehicle-w-vi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Lexus' advanced safety research vehicle - self-driving LS

While Google and Audi explore the possibilities of autonomous vehicles, Toyota and its Lexus division are studying the intermediate step of vehicles equipped with a deep suite of technology that help drivers make the best decisions. Introduced at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Lexus advanced safety research vehicle is an LS sedan fitted with three high-def color cameras to detect objects up to almost 500 feet away, 360-degree Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) lasers that can detect objects up to 220 feet away, three radar units to keep track of other vehicles at intersections, a precision odometer on the rear wheel, GPS that estimates orientation and an accelerometer.

Currently testing at a purpose-built 8.6 acre urban testing ground at the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Susono, Japan the Toyota research vehicle is being used to study how to make better drivers, as well as figuring out how to reduce crashes as the industry's journey through passive and active safety systems progresses. In the event of a crash, new rescue systems are also being tested.

Further investment is being put into the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that would use shortwave signals to harness information from the car and from other vehicles on the road, as well as roadside infrastructure and even pedestrians. Toyota reasons it could then build a picture of interactions and, for instance, alert the driver to a potential collision at a blind intersection.

Toyota's says its research "could lead to a fully autonomous car in the future," but for now, the point is that "a driverless car is just a part of the story. Our vision is a car equipped with an intelligent, always-attentive co-pilot whose skills contribute to safer driving." Improving driver education in this country would probably be a lot cheaper, but hey, we're for anything that helps make the roads safer places to be. There's plenty more tech-speak in the video and press release below.

Continue reading Toyota and Lexus show off advanced safety research vehicle [w/video]

Toyota and Lexus show off advanced safety research vehicle [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2013 lexus lsautonomouscesces 2013lexuslexus advanced safety research vehiclelssafetyself-driving cartechnologytoyotavideovideosyoutubeTue, 08 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20421000/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/01/08/toyota-and-lexus-show-off-advanced-safety-research-vehicle-w-vi/20421000/article-detail.xml 20421000 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/toyotaautonomousces_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/toyotaautonomousces.jpg <![CDATA[Nevada grants Audi third license to operate autonomous vehicles]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/08/nevada-grants-audi-third-license-to-operate-autonomous-vehicles/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/08/nevada-grants-audi-third-license-to-operate-autonomous-vehicles/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/08/nevada-grants-audi-third-license-to-operate-autonomous-vehicles/#commentsFiled under: , ,



A mere eight months after Nevada first licensed Google to test autonomous vehicles on its public roads, the state has granted Audi a permit as well. Including automotive supplier Continental, licensed just last month, brings the total of licensed companies to three (Audi will be recognized as being the first automotive original equipment manufacturer to obtain the special license).

Audi is no stranger to autonomous technology, as it was the automaker's TT research car, developed with the Volkswagen Group ERL and Stanford University, which autonomously completed the 12.42-mile Pikes Peak climb in just 27 minutes in late 2010.

While Audi's next autonomous research car, reportedly an A7, won't be climbing mountains it will be capable of "piloted" parking and driving. The automaker is discussing an autopilot-like system at CES this year. The envisioned system would see operators allowing the vehicle to handle mundane or challenging tasks (like stop-and-go driving or parking in tight spots), while still letting the human take control when needed.

Like the vehicles from Google and Continental, it is expected that Audi's autonomous cars will be identified with a special red license plate bearing an infinity sign.

Continue reading Nevada grants Audi third license to operate autonomous vehicles

Nevada grants Audi third license to operate autonomous vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous audiautonomous vehiclesTue, 08 Jan 2013 11:15:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20420894/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/01/08/nevada-grants-audi-third-license-to-operate-autonomous-vehicles/20420894/article-detail.xml 20420894 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/a74093628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/a74093628.jpg <![CDATA[NHTSA's No. 2 exec joins Google as director of safety for self-driving cars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/19/nhtsas-no-2-exec-joins-google-as-director-of-safety-for-self-d/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/19/nhtsas-no-2-exec-joins-google-as-director-of-safety-for-self-d/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/19/nhtsas-no-2-exec-joins-google-as-director-of-safety-for-self-d/#commentsFiled under: ,



Ron Medford, the former deputy director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has left the federal government to join Google. Medford will take on a new role as the tech giant's director of safety for self-driving cars. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood praised Medford's work with NHTSA, saying, "no one individual has worked harder to protect the safety of the traveling public."

The former deputy directory had a hand in all of the safety issues NHTSA investigated in recent years and helped set new safety rules and regulations. He also played a large role in finalizing 2017-2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements.

NHTSA is currently in the midst of crafting regulations and performance standards for driverless cars, with administrator David Strickland saying the government agency is working on a three-year research project designed to gather data for the task. Google, meanwhile, has already logged some 300,000 miles with its fleet of autonomous vehicles.

NHTSA's No. 2 exec joins Google as director of safety for self-driving cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It won't be much longer until cars are able to drive themselves, but until that day, automakers will continue to incorporate autonomous technologies into future vehicles for the sake of safety and convenience. Just about every automaker currently uses some sort of active vehicle control whether it be for parking, braking or staying in an intended lane, and Volvo continues to be on the forefront of such technologies by demonstrating what it refers to as a traffic jam assistance system.

Volvo says that, on average, US drivers spend more than 100 hours per year in commuting, so it developed this new system to make some of the more stressful parts of commuting in bumper-to-bumper traffic a little easier to deal with. This new system controls the car's brakes, accelerator and steering, allowing it to actually follow the car in front including through bends in the road and around obstacles rather than just being able to keep speed (as with active cruise control systems). Volvo's is a driver-selectable system, too, that is intended to operate in slow-moving traffic at speeds of up to 31 miles per hour.

Volvo is planning to start introducing this technology into production vehicles by 2014 as a part of the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) project which sounds like it should help spread technologies more quickly across its lineup through economies of scale. Traffic jam assistance will use the same radars and cameras currently used by the City Safety and Pedestrian Detection technologies.

Follow on below for a demonstration of how the system works.

Continue reading Watch Volvo's autonomous car system in action, before it shows up in 2014

Watch Volvo's autonomous car system in action, before it shows up in 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous vehiclessafetytraffic jam assistance technologyvideovolvoWed, 24 Oct 2012 19:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20358430/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/10/24/watch-volvos-autonomous-car-system-in-action-before-it-shows-u/20358430/article-detail.xml 20358430 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/volvo-autonomous-driving_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/volvo-autonomous-driving.jpg <![CDATA[Group of smart people claim 75% of vehicles will be autonomous by 2040]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/24/group-of-smart-people-claim-75-of-vehicles-will-be-autonomous-b/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/24/group-of-smart-people-claim-75-of-vehicles-will-be-autonomous-b/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/24/group-of-smart-people-claim-75-of-vehicles-will-be-autonomous-b/#commentsFiled under:

autonomous vehicle

Futurists can be a fun bunch to listen to. From Ray Kurzweil's predictions on The Colbert Report to Michio Kaku's frequent specials on Discovery and The Science Channel, followers of futurists get frequent flashes of fate's final frontiers. Being the auto-obsessive types, naturally we're most curious to see what the future holds for automobiles.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers thinks it knows what kinds of cars we'll be driving in 2040, or, rather, what kinds of cars will be driving us.

"[IEEE members have] selected autonomous vehicles as the most promising form of intelligent transportation, anticipating that they will account for up to 75 percent of cars on the road by the year 2040."

That's right, folks. According to this panel of experts, by 2040 we'll be leaving our homes (in the sky) and settling comfortably into the recliners of our autonomous automobiles. May as well take a nap, eh? After all, there won't be any traffic lights to contend with, says IEEE. Think that's something? How about this little prediction, then: Not only may you not own a car in 2040, you may not even have to have a license. What is the world coming to?

More predictions can be found at IEEE's official website.

Group of smart people claim 75% of vehicles will be autonomous by 2040 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousdriverlessfuturistfuturistsieeeinstitute of electrical and electronics engineersMon, 24 Sep 2012 17:45:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20328949/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/09/24/group-of-smart-people-claim-75-of-vehicles-will-be-autonomous-b/20328949/article-detail.xml 20328949 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/bmwautonomousvehicle_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/bmwautonomousvehicle.jpg <![CDATA[Apple testifies in court that it once considered making a car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/04/apple-testifies-in-court-that-it-once-considered-making-a-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/04/apple-testifies-in-court-that-it-once-considered-making-a-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/04/apple-testifies-in-court-that-it-once-considered-making-a-car/#commentsFiled under: ,

Apple license plate

In the ongoing court battle between Apple and Samsung over copyrights and patents, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing took the stand yesterday. The majority of his testimony was centered around tablets and smartphones, and what defines intellectual property, but at one point he revealed a big nugget. Schiller told the court that Apple had been considering other projects well before smartphones, including a camera, and designing a car.

Schiller also claimed that Samsung copied, stole, and ripped-off Apple's designs in creating their own smartphones.

While Google is the tech giant most heavily involved in the automobile business with its autonomous car, it is unclear what direction Apple would have taken. Perhaps a new system of touch screen gestures to control the car. We can't be sure, other than to speculate based on a single comment from a lengthy testimony on tablets and smartphones.

Apple testifies in court that it once considered making a car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple carapple icarautonomousgoogle caricariphonesmart carSat, 04 Aug 2012 17:35:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20293429/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/08/04/apple-testifies-in-court-that-it-once-considered-making-a-car/20293429/article-detail.xml 20293429 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/08/apple-license-plate-opt-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/08/apple-license-plate-opt-opt.jpg <![CDATA[Autonomous driving and race car driver brains get the Ted Talks treatment]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/17/autonomous-driving-and-race-car-driver-brains-get-the-ted-talks/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/17/autonomous-driving-and-race-car-driver-brains-get-the-ted-talks/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/07/17/autonomous-driving-and-race-car-driver-brains-get-the-ted-talks/#commentsFiled under: , ,

TEDTalks

Like it or not, autonomous vehicles are coming. Between Google's various efforts and the constant evolution of automaker prototypes, it's only a matter of time before computers take the wheel. Don't get us wrong, either. That's not entirely a bad thing. While U.S. traffic fatalities have fallen to their lowest number since 1949, the reality is 32,310 Americans lost their lives in traffic incidents last year alone. That number marks a decline of around 26 percent since 2005, and analysts believe much of that fall is due to drivers traveling fewer and fewer miles.

So, what if people weren't forced to drive at all? What if a computer, which can't be distracted, never grows tired and is always at peak performance, took over the mundane task of dragging warm bodies to work every morning or off to vacation every summer? Where would our traffic fatalities be then?

In the latest TEDTalks video, Chris Gerdes speaks about how he's been part of a team that's seen Audi tackle Pikes Peak and build autonomous drift cars. But researchers have found something interesting by studying real race car drivers in the cockpit. Namely, human drivers continue to be better at instinctual manipulation of a vehicle than their autonomous counterparts. Pretty cool. Check the video out below.

Continue reading Autonomous driving and race car driver brains get the Ted Talks treatment

Autonomous driving and race car driver brains get the Ted Talks treatment originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous vehiclesdriversrace car driverracingtedted talkstedtalksvideoTue, 17 Jul 2012 19:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20278362/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/07/17/autonomous-driving-and-race-car-driver-brains-get-the-ted-talks/20278362/article-detail.xml 20278362 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/07/tedtalks-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/07/tedtalks-628.jpg <![CDATA[GM study watches drivers of autonomous vehicles [w/video]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/25/gm-study-watches-drivers-of-autonomous-vehicles-w-video/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/25/gm-study-watches-drivers-of-autonomous-vehicles-w-video/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/25/gm-study-watches-drivers-of-autonomous-vehicles-w-video/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Cadillac test driver in autonomous vehicle

Like it or not, autonomous vehicles are on the way, and much is being done to study their integration into the world's transportation networks. As part of its own development of driver assistance systems, General Motors has begun to look driver behavior behind the wheels of self-driving vehicles; innovations like Cadillac semi-autonomous Super Cruise are designed to "ease the driver's workload" on the highway, but it will be good to know what drivers plan on doing to occupy their time.

The main finding so far is that "Staying aware [is] considered key to autonomous vehicle operation," which would seem to make the most basic kind of sense, but the additional assessment is that "driver attentiveness can be improved through advanced driver assistance and safety features." Basically, the more your car does for you, the more it will need to be able to do in order to ensure everyone's safety.

The driver aids that will be available on the 2013 Cadillac ATS this year and the 2014 XTS next year continue the march toward self-driving cars, which some predict might come as soon as this decade. Scroll down to watch a video and see a press release on GM's studies on human behavior behind those I, Robot wheels.

Continue reading GM study watches drivers of autonomous vehicles [w/video]

GM study watches drivers of autonomous vehicles [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atsautonomousautonomous vehiclescadillacdriver aidsdriver assistancegmself-drivingself-driving carsuper cruisextsMon, 25 Jun 2012 13:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20264760/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/06/25/gm-study-watches-drivers-of-autonomous-vehicles-w-video/20264760/article-detail.xml 20264760 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/06/gmautonomousstudy_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/06/gmautonomousstudy.jpg <![CDATA[Google approaching automakers to help build self-driving cars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/google-approaching-automakers-to-help-build-self-driving-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/google-approaching-automakers-to-help-build-self-driving-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/google-approaching-automakers-to-help-build-self-driving-cars/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Google Inc. wants self driving cars on the road sooner rather than later.

It knows its autonomous vehicles work - engineers have already put its fleet of self-driving vehicles through 250,000 miles of testing. And they're planning to put another 750,000 testing miles on their expanding fleet.

Now, executives are approaching car makers about building the self-driving vehicles, according to The Detroit News.

"From giving the technology away to licensing it to working with Tier 1s, Tier 2s, working with the OEMs, building a car with them, everything is open and we're trying to figure out which paths make the most sense," said Google project manager Anthony Levandowski last week at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit. "We're talking to basically every car company to see what their level of excitement is and how do we work with them."

A Google spokesperson later added, "We're talking with lots of auto companies about a variety of topics, but we haven't decided how we may make our technology available to consumers. As Anthony said at the SAE conference in Detroit, 'all options are open.'"

Levandowski says Google is racing forward to get self-driving vehicles on the road as soon as possible. It has begun talking to insurance companies to figure out how much it might cost to insure a self-driving car, according to CNET. One of the sticky issues: If a self-driving vehicle causes an accident, is the driver responsible or the company that made the vehicle?

Google officials say they expect to mathematically prove that computer-driven vehicles are safer than those operated by humans, thus insurance prices should be lower. No word yet if that logic will fly, but insurance companies do love math, algorithms and actuary tables...

Google approaching automakers to help build self-driving cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousdriverlessdriverless-cargooglegoogle carTue, 01 May 2012 18:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20227455/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/05/01/google-approaching-automakers-to-help-build-self-driving-cars/20227455/article-detail.xml 20227455 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/google-execs-autonomous_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/google-execs-autonomous.jpg <![CDATA[Watch Cadillac's new semi-autonomous Super Cruise in action]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/30/watch-cadillacs-new-semi-autonomous-super-cruise-in-action/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/30/watch-cadillacs-new-semi-autonomous-super-cruise-in-action/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/30/watch-cadillacs-new-semi-autonomous-super-cruise-in-action/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Cadiilac's Super Cruise

Cadillac is trying to make a name for itself on the safety and technology front, recently introducing its new Safety Alert Seat and outfitting new models with a suite of safety equipment that arguably puts it among the leaders in the industry. We got a chance to sample some of this last month, but we were also allowed to "drive" a semi-autonomous SRX test mule equipped with what Cadillac is calling "Super Cruise."

Nominally an improvement on adaptive cruise control, Super Cruise is actually a more sophisticated system that uses a camera communicating with the car's GPS to "see" the road ahead. It goes one step further than currently available systems, however, automatically centering the vehicle in the lane using its electric power steering system. Unlike other active lane-departure systems that use a car's brakes to help prevent it from veering off the road, the system General Motors is developing allows for precisely setting the vehicle's position within the lane. The test mule we sampled had steering-wheel-mounted buttons that would allow you to "nudge" the car from side to side by a foot at a time without upsetting its course. Super Cruise also communicates with the vehicle's other active safety systems to help prevent and mitigate crashes.

Super Cruise is designed only for use on the highway, to "ease the driver's workload."

Super Cruise is designed only for use on the highway, to "ease the driver's workload," with drivers still required to steer in city traffic and for more complicated maneuvers like passing. GM officials acknowledged the difficulty in deploying a system like this, a technology that if used improperly may encourage inattentive driving. Supposedly the system will only be functional under the specific circumstances for which it is designed, much like today's in-car entertainment systems will not play video on the front screen unless a vehicle is in Park. Currently the system is somewhat limited by external factors, like weather and the need for distinct lane markings. If visibility is low or the road doesn't have at least one clear lane demarcation, Super Cruise won't function. However, GM says it will improve the vision abilities of the system as it readies the technology for the marketplace.

GM says that Super Cruise could be introduced into production vehicles in just a few years, "by mid-decade." While on the one hand, its ability to help improve the safety of our roads is laudable, we can't help but express our frustration at the march of technology headed inevitably towards removing the physical act of driving from the motoring equation.

Scroll down to watch some video of us aboard the Super Cruise-equipped test mule and read the full press release.

Continue reading Watch Cadillac's new semi-autonomous Super Cruise in action

Watch Cadillac's new semi-autonomous Super Cruise in action originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adaptive cruise controlautonomouscadillaccadillac srxcruise controldistracted drivinggeneral motorsgmself-driving carsemi-autonomoussrxsuper cruisevideoMon, 30 Apr 2012 19:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20220374/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/04/30/watch-cadillacs-new-semi-autonomous-super-cruise-in-action/20220374/article-detail.xml 20220374 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/cadillacsupercruise-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/cadillacsupercruise-opt.jpg <![CDATA[Google adds hybrid Lexus RX450h to autonomous fleet]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/18/google-adds-hybrid-lexus-rx450h-to-autonomous-fleet/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/18/google-adds-hybrid-lexus-rx450h-to-autonomous-fleet/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/18/google-adds-hybrid-lexus-rx450h-to-autonomous-fleet/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Google Autonomous Lexus RX450h

The Google self-driving-vehicle fleet has grown by one. According to Wired, the tech giant has added a black Lexus RX450h to its autonomous stable. The hybrid SUV was spotted out on the road for testing wearing a new roof-mounted sensor array that's significantly more streamlined than the gear found on the company's autonomous Toyota Prius models. Google says it is constantly testing its driving algorithms on a wide range of vehicles in order to refine the technology, and that the RX450h is merely the latest step in that process.

Google first began unleashing its driverless cars onto public streets in 2010 using a fleet comprised of six Prius hybrids and one Audi TT. The company's work has spurred the California legislature to draft a bill requiring the California Highway Patrol to outline safety standards for autonomous vehicles. Wired reports the legislation passed the state's Senate Transportation Committee with an 8-0 vote and is now headed to the Senate Rules Committee. Nevada has already passed a similar law.

Google adds hybrid Lexus RX450h to autonomous fleet originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous vehicledriverlessgooglegoogle autonomous vehicleslexuslexus rx450hrx450hWed, 18 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20217413/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/04/18/google-adds-hybrid-lexus-rx450h-to-autonomous-fleet/20217413/article-detail.xml 20217413 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/google-autonomous-lexus-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/google-autonomous-lexus-628.jpg <![CDATA[Watch Google's autonomous car drive a blind man to Taco Bell]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/30/watch-googles-autonomous-car-drive-a-blind-man-to-taco-bell/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/30/watch-googles-autonomous-car-drive-a-blind-man-to-taco-bell/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/30/watch-googles-autonomous-car-drive-a-blind-man-to-taco-bell/#commentsFiled under: ,

Google autonomous car

Do you consider yourself a driving enthusiast? If so, does the thought of handing control of your car over to a series of computers scare you to death? We understand. But perhaps it's time to remember that those of us who love to drive aren't the only ones who want to use the road.

As you'll see in the video after the break, autonomous cars hold out hope for some men and women who are simply unable to drive themselves. Take, for instance, Steve Mahan, who lost 95 percent of his vision over the course of several years, leaving him clinically blind. Obviously, Mahan isn't able to drive.

What Mahan can do, however, is sit behind the wheel of an autonomous car, in this case, a Toyota Prius converted to operate sans driver by Google. And when he does, he directs the car to take him to Taco Bell before picking up his dry cleaning.

Questionable food choice aside, we hope that one day in the not-too-distant future people like Steve Mahan will be able to regain the kind of mobility made possible by the automobile that most of us take for granted. Just so long as we can share the road in our old-fashioned drive-it-yourself cars, too. See the video after the break.

Continue reading Watch Google's autonomous car drive a blind man to Taco Bell

Watch Google's autonomous car drive a blind man to Taco Bell originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous carautonomous vehiclesdriverlessdriverless cargooglesteve mahanFri, 30 Mar 2012 12:32:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20204384/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/03/30/watch-googles-autonomous-car-drive-a-blind-man-to-taco-bell/20204384/article-detail.xml 20204384 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/steve-mahan-driverless-google_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/steve-mahan-driverless-google.jpg <![CDATA[How autonomous cars are about to change our future]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/27/how-autonomous-cars-are-about-to-change-our-future/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/27/how-autonomous-cars-are-about-to-change-our-future/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/27/how-autonomous-cars-are-about-to-change-our-future/#commentsFiled under: ,

New Technology Aims To Take Your Hands Off The Steering Wheel

autonomous car

The biggest hurdles to autonomous cars will be legal, not technical.

Most car enthusiasts hate the idea of cars that can drive themselves. But autonomous cars will get here faster than most people realize. Slowly but surely, automobiles are doing more of our driving for us. It's only a matter of time before they take over completely.

Just look at how much control we've already ceded to the computers under the hood. Anti-lock brakes, which are consistently better at threshold braking than mere mortals, are pretty much standard equipment. So are traction control and stability control. We now have blind spot detection, lane departure warning, active lane control, and even self-parking.

Now comes the next step. Mercedes-Benz and Audi recently demonstrated Traffic Jam Assist, which uses adaptive cruise control and automatic steering to completely take control of a car up to 60 kilometers an hour (about 37 mph). Google has racked up tens of thousands of miles on its fleet of fully autonomous Toyota Prius hybrids on California roads. The technology will be showroom ready before the end of the decade.

The biggest hurdles will be legal, not technical. For example, who's at fault when one of these cars gets in an accident? And how will the police pull over an autonomous car if they need to? But we'll resolve those issues, and when we do, autonomous cars will have a bigger impact on society than when the first horseless carriages appeared over a century ago.

John McElroyJohn McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit" and daily web video "Autoline Daily". Every month he brings his unique insights as a Detroit insider to Autoblog readers.

Continue reading How autonomous cars are about to change our future

How autonomous cars are about to change our future originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Autoline on Autoblogautonomousautonomous cardriverless cargooglegoogle carjohn mcelroyTue, 27 Mar 2012 16:55:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20202076/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/03/27/how-autonomous-cars-are-about-to-change-our-future/20202076/article-detail.xml 20202076 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/autonomous-car_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/autonomous-car.jpg <![CDATA[Cadillac XTS to feature safety tech developed from autonomous vehicles]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/12/cadillac-xts-to-feature-safety-tech-developed-from-autonomous-ve/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/12/cadillac-xts-to-feature-safety-tech-developed-from-autonomous-ve/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/12/cadillac-xts-to-feature-safety-tech-developed-from-autonomous-ve/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Cadillac XTS tech

Five years ago, GM engineers, a variety of partner companies, and Carnegie Mellon University built a Chevrolet Tahoe that autonomously traversed 60 miles of urban traffic in less than six hours, taking home the DARPA Urban Challenge win. Later this year, some of that technology will make its way to production in the 2013 Cadillac XTS.

The list of active safety systems in the XTS is easily on par with what the Germans offer, including adaptive cruise control, intelligent brake assist, forward collision alert, automatic collision preparation, lane departure warning, blind spot alert and a heads up display (hit the jump for the full, exhaustive list).

The incorporation of all these systems is something GM is calling "sensor fusion," which combines multiple inputs and serious processing power to, in the words of Bakhtiar Litkouhi, GM Research and Development lab group manager for perception and vehicle control systems, "provide advisory, warning, and control interventions to help drivers avoid collisions and save lives."

It's also the first step in bringing both semi-autonomous and fully autonomous vehicles to market, something Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are all actively working on.

Get a brief primer on the philosophy behind sensor fusion in the video and accompanying release below the fold.

Continue reading Cadillac XTS to feature safety tech developed from autonomous vehicles

Cadillac XTS to feature safety tech developed from autonomous vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2013 cadillac xtsautonomousautonomous vehiclescadillaccadillac xtsxtsSun, 12 Feb 2012 13:33:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20169283/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/02/12/cadillac-xts-to-feature-safety-tech-developed-from-autonomous-ve/20169283/article-detail.xml 20169283 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/02/gmsensorfusion-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/02/gmsensorfusion-628.jpg <![CDATA[BMW takes its autonomous 5 Series onto the autobahn]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/26/bmw-takes-its-autonomous-5-series-onto-the-autobahn/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/26/bmw-takes-its-autonomous-5-series-onto-the-autobahn/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/26/bmw-takes-its-autonomous-5-series-onto-the-autobahn/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Last May we went for a high-speed run around Laguna Seca in BMW's Track Trainer, a modified 3 Series that can click of two-minute laps without the driver touching the controls. Now, BMW has packed a 5 Series with the next iteration of the technology and taken it on to the open road.

This latest ConnectedDrive experiment uses much of the same tech, but beyond the radar and camera systems on the 3er, it includes new ultrasonic scanners and lasers to re-read the road surface, lines and surrounding vehicles. We say "re-read" because like the system we sampled at Laguna, this version needs to have the road data downloaded into the car before it can drive sans human intervention.

Still, out on the autobahn it appears to work well, slowing for traffic, accelerating up to speed and performing lane changes when necessary. It's still too early to tell if the system will ever gain widespread adoption - particularly given the need for advance road data - but the 2013 BMW i3 will be equipped with a new Traffic Jam Assistant system that will steer, accelerate and brake the city car up to 25 mph in congestion, so the functionality is on its way, just not at autobahn speeds. Check out the demo in the video below the fold.

Continue reading BMW takes its autonomous 5 Series onto the autobahn

BMW takes its autonomous 5 Series onto the autobahn originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous vehiclesbmwbmw 5 seriesbmw autonomousThu, 26 Jan 2012 08:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20155776/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/26/bmw-takes-its-autonomous-5-series-onto-the-autobahn/20155776/article-detail.xml 20155776 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/bmw-autonomous-cap-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/bmw-autonomous-cap-628.jpg -1 2