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[<i>Road & Track</i> archives donated to Stanford Revs Program]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/10/road-and-track-archives-donated-to-stanford-revs-program/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/10/road-and-track-archives-donated-to-stanford-revs-program/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/10/road-and-track-archives-donated-to-stanford-revs-program/#commentsFiled under:

Road & Track

In the latest example of awesomeness from the Stanford Revs Program, Hearst Publishing is transferring the entire archives of Road & Track magazine to the Palo Alto, California campus for preservation. The program aims to create a researchable catalog of automotive history, and the archives are just the latest step in that effort. Road & Track dates back to 1947, and the combined archives filled 527 boxes weighing in at a total of 10,000 pounds. It took two trucks to ship the archives to Stanford. While the physical collection will be housed at the university's library, the Revs Program aims to digitize every issue and make them available to the public online.

But the archive is more than just old back issues. Revs Program Executive Director Reilly P. Brennan (and former AOL Autos editor in chief) notes the archive includes everything from hand-drawn graphs to receipts detailing everything from road test fuel purchases to dinners with Enzo Ferrari. There's a lot of original photos and art, too. No word on when the project will see all of the issues digitized, but we imagine it will be a minute or two.

Road & Track archives donated to Stanford Revs Program originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archiverevs programroad and trackroad and track archivestanfordstanford revs programstanford universityMon, 10 Dec 2012 16:03:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20398679/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/12/10/road-and-track-archives-donated-to-stanford-revs-program/20398679/article-detail.xml 20398679 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/12/road-and-track-covers_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/12/road-and-track-covers.jpg <![CDATA[Autonomous Audi TTS successfully ascends Pikes Peak]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/20/autonomous-audi-tts-successfully-ascends-pikes-peak/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/20/autonomous-audi-tts-successfully-ascends-pikes-peak/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/20/autonomous-audi-tts-successfully-ascends-pikes-peak/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Audi Autonomous TTS
Stanford University Autonomous Audi TTS - Click above for high-res image gallery

The autonomous Audi TTS built by Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Lab, Stanford University and Audi has taken an important first step toward its ultimate goal: participating in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The self-driving TTS officially completed a test run - all the way to the 14,110 foot summit - earlier this year, clocking a time of 27 minutes, which is pretty good considering that race officials typically expect a human driver to do it in around 17 minutes.

Audi says that the car used a combination of brand-new software, algorithms and hardware to tackle one of the world's most challenging hill climbs. The 12.42 mile course is a gauntlet of tarmac and loose gravel that snakes upward with a number of instant switchbacks. According to Audi, the autonomous TTS managed to hit a top speed of 47 mph during one stretch. Hit the jump for the full press release.


Gallery: Audi Autonomous TTS Pikes Peak


[Source: Audi]

Autonomous Audi TTS successfully ascends Pikes Peak originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiaudi ttsautonmousautonomous audi ttsAutonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peakautonomous vehiclesStanford Universitystanford university audi ttsttsSat, 20 Nov 2010 09:27:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19726581/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/11/20/autonomous-audi-tts-successfully-ascends-pikes-peak/19726581/article-detail.xml 19726581 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/01-tt-630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/01-tt-630.jpg <![CDATA[Volkswagen's autonomous "Junior" reverse power-slides into parking spot]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/11/volkswagen-and-stanfords-junior-autonomously-power-slides-int/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/11/volkswagen-and-stanfords-junior-autonomously-power-slides-int/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/11/volkswagen-and-stanfords-junior-autonomously-power-slides-int/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Click above to watch video after the jump

Automotive technology is rapidly advancing to the point where we eventually won't need to actually drive a car ourselves in most real world scenarios. At the forefront of this development work is Volkswagen and its new electronics lab in Palo Alto, California that's operated in conjunction with Stanford University. VW and Stanford have a long relationship in autonomous vehicle development and are continuing to develop "Junior," an autonomous Passat wagon that was built for the last DARPA Urban Challenge a couple of years ago. We recently got to play passenger in the backseat of Junior for a demonstration and were quite impressed with its parking prowess.

The basic hardware technology that makes Junior work is fairly straightforward: a mix of GPS, radar, laser, optical and inertial sensors. The hard part is creating the software algorithms that allow the system to detect and work through the more esoteric scenarios that arise in the real world.

The videos after the jump show just far those algorithms have come: Junior can now reverse power-sliding into a parallel parking spot. While this particular scenario is probably not something you want your autonomous car to do without your permission, learning how to do it is important. In the real world there are many variables that cannot be programmed into the controls. The Stanford engineers are developing methods to allow the system to blend instructions for basic scenarios with learned responses from situations like this. Check out the videos after the jump. A tip of the hat to James!

[Source: Crunchgear, Youtube]

Continue reading Volkswagen's autonomous "Junior" reverse power-slides into parking spot

Volkswagen's autonomous "Junior" reverse power-slides into parking spot originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 May 2010 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autonomousautonomous carautonomous parkingautonomous power slideautonomous vehiclesAutonomousCarAutonomousParkingAutonomousPowerSlideAutonomousVehiclespassatPower SliderPowerSliderstanfordStanford Universitystanford-universityStanfordUniversityvideovolkswagenvolkswagen juniorVolkswagen Passatvolkswagen passat juniorvolkswagen stanfordVolkswagenJuniorVolkswagenPassatVolkswagenPassatJuniorVolkswagenStanfordTue, 11 May 2010 12:33:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19472502/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/05/11/volkswagen-and-stanfords-junior-autonomously-power-slides-int/19472502/article-detail.xml 19472502 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/screen-shot-2010-05-11-at-11.33.09-amopt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/screen-shot-2010-05-11-at-11.33.09-amopt.jpg <![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 http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19227778/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/11/08/audi-drops-more-photos-and-info-on-shelley-the-autonomous-tt/19227778/article-detail.xml 19227778 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/dsc_2498-copy_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/dsc_2498-copy.jpg <![CDATA[Googlebots to hit the road with Stanford sensing technology]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/22/googlebots-to-hit-the-road-with-stanford-sensing-technology/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/22/googlebots-to-hit-the-road-with-stanford-sensing-technology/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/22/googlebots-to-hit-the-road-with-stanford-sensing-technology/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Google began the latest online mapping craze a couple of years ago when it kicked old school stalwart Mapquest to the curb. Since then Microsoft and Yahoo have jumped into the fray and the gang from Redmond has made a lot of progress with 3-D visualizations of its maps. Google has added features to its maps, but it has largely relied on users to submit 3-D models of buildings using a program called Sketch-Up to supplement its aerial maps.

Now Google has done a deal with Stanford University to use some of the sensing technology from DARPA Grand Challenge winner Stanley and the Urban Challenge competitor Junior to enhance its visualizations. It sounds like Google will be assembling a fleet of vehicles to drive around cities with some of the sensing equipment and feed the information back into Google Maps and Earth. No word yet on whether drivers will be included in the vehicles.

[Source: San Jose Mercury News via Engadget]

Googlebots to hit the road with Stanford sensing technology originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 May 2007 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>darpa grand challengeDarpaGrandChallengegooglestanford universityStanfordUniversityTue, 22 May 2007 18:02:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/901262/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/05/22/googlebots-to-hit-the-road-with-stanford-sensing-technology/901262/article-detail.xml 901262 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/05/stanley_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/05/stanley.jpg <![CDATA[PBS goes NOVA on VW's autonomous Touareg]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/28/pbs-goes-nova-on-vw-s-autonomous-touareg/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/28/pbs-goes-nova-on-vw-s-autonomous-touareg/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/28/pbs-goes-nova-on-vw-s-autonomous-touareg/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Since ESPN passed on airing the DARPA Grand Challenge in its entirety last October, we're grateful that PBS is picking up the slack. The esoterically excellent NOVA program will air "The Great Robot Race" tonight on PBS at 8PM EST, in which the winning VW Touareg named "Stanley" fielded by Stanford University will be showcased along with technological innovations from the other 22 contenders it creamed on its way to the crown.

Autoblog posted a bunch on the race as it was happening, most of which you can find here. Although you can bet our TiVo's are set to tape tonight as we want to see what the future of motorsports looks like with our own eyes.

[Source: Volkswagen]

PBS goes NOVA on VW's autonomous Touareg originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DARPANOVAPBSStanford UniversityStanfordUniversityStanleyTouaregVolkswagenVWTue, 28 Mar 2006 15:33:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/603312/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/03/28/pbs-goes-nova-on-vw-s-autonomous-touareg/603312/article-detail.xml 603312 http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/03/greatrobotrace_thumbnail.jpg http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/03/greatrobotrace.jpg -1 2