g o o g l e self-driving cars
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G o o g l e Self-Driving Cars. By: Shiv Patel ITMG 100 09 4/16/13. Background Information. Sebastian Thrun and the Stanford Racing Team created Stanley in 2005 Stanley is a Volkswagen Touareg that the team made into a self-driving vehicle - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Google Self-Driving CarsBy: Shiv PatelITMG 100 09
4/16/13
Sebastian Thrun and the Stanford Racing Team created Stanley in 2005
Stanley is a Volkswagen Touareg that the team made into a self-driving vehicle
Stanley won the DARPA Grand Challenge, an off-road race between autonomous cars
A couple of years later, Google decided to try to create a self driving car for everyday use
Background Information
Google assembled a group of 1o vehicles to convert into self-driving automobiles
These vehicles consisted of the Toyota Prius, Audi TT, and Lexus RX450h
Together these vehicles have driven over 300,000 miles without an accident while on autopilot
Expected release time 3-5 years (see link below) http://www.extremetech.com
/extreme/147940-google-self-driving-cars-in-3-5-years-feds-not-so-fast
Background Information
Google equips each autonomous car with about $150,00o worth of equipment
This includes a $70,000 LIDAR (Light Imaging Detection and Ranging) system with a Velodyne 64-beam laser
It is a remote sensing technology that measures the distance to a target with a laser light and a backscattered light.
Used in police speed guns
Technology
The car has 4 radars on the front and rear bumpers
These radars are used to “see” nearby objects such as other cars or pedestrians
A camera on top to read traffic lights GPS system to navigate the car Wheel encoder
Technology
Ability to eat, read, talk on the phone, do homework, study, watch TV, and much more while the car drives itself
Possible reduction of car accidents as 90% of them are due to human error
Possible reduction of traffic and pollution Elderly and disabled people able to get around
on their own In one of Google’s tests, a man who is 95% blind
was able to “drive” to Taco Bell and the dry cleaners all by himself
Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles
This is only the basic design of self-driving cars
There is so much potential for more For example, the autonomous car could be
designed to drive itself, even without a driver.
Imagine if each family in America could cut down to only one or two cars because their cars are able to drop them off in one location and then return home to pick up a different family member.
Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles
Google is still trying to overcome issues including difficulty for the sensors to picks up lane lines and road signs in the snow
Questions about navigating through road changes that are not updated in its map
Driving through construction areas or areas in which drivers are being guided by hand signals
Roadblocks and Concerns
It is unknown how insurance policies will be designed for self-driving vehicles
Arguments can be made for more expensive policies and for lower costing policies than normal cars
The cost of the current technology on each vehicle is about $150,000, which is not something the average consumer can afford
Google needs to make the product affordable before it hits the market
Roadblocks and Concerns
All of the current laws are designed for cars driven by people
Google is already facing many questions of how the self-driving car will adapt to these laws
They have had some success in the legal battles
On June 29, 2011, Nevada became the first state to pass a bill allowing these cars
California, Texas, and Florida followed soon after
Roadblocks and Concerns
There are many companies researching and developing autonomous cars
Oxford University is the only competitor close to Google in the field
The team at Oxford has designed a Nissan Leaf into a fully electric, self-driving vehicle
Other companies interested in autonomous vehicles include Continental Automotive Systems, BMW, and GM
These companies are still behind as they have yet to report testing data
Competition
Autonomous Vehicle Comparison
Cost of Technology
Miles Driven
Able to Drive on all Roads
Expected Release
Google $150,000 300,000 + Yes 3-5 years
OxfordUniversity
$7,620 Unknown No, only on main roads in GPS
3-6 years
Competition
This project is huge and could make an impact in each of our lives
Billions of people around the world drive and millions are injured in car accidents
If this technology is improved and becomes widespread, it can make the world a safer place
Significance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdgQpa1pUUE
Video Clip
Blodget, Henry. "Google's Problems With Its Self-Driving Cars." Yahoo! Finance. N.p., 5 Mar. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.
"Google's Self-Driving Car Passes 300,000 Miles." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 Aug. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.
Howard, Bill. "Google: Self-driving Cars in 3-5 Years. Feds: Not so Fast.” ExtremeTech. N.p., 8 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.
Olarte, Olivia. "Human Error Accounts for 90% of Road Accidents." Driver Risk Management Solutions. N.p., 3 Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2013.
Vance, Ashlee. "Google's Self-Driving Robot Cars Are Ruining My Commute.” Bloomberg BusinessWeek Technology. N.p., 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.
Works Cited