You probably have been hearing about all the research underway in developing and testing autonomous or self-driving vehicles. Most of current work has been aimed at technology that augments a human driver in controlling of the vehicle, sort of like the autopilot used in an airliner. These cars allow the driver to take over at anytime. Since today's computers and other electronics are quicker than the human brain, they could also provide control in an emergency situation.
Google, which has been experimenting with its autonomous driving technology since 2010, has unveiled a truly driverless car. Indeed, there are no provisions for a human driving. There is no steering wheel, mirrors, or brake and accelerator pedals like found in ordinary cars, even other autonomous vehicles. Since it doesn't need a driver, it could provide for transporting kids to and from school, people without a driver’s license, or seniors with infirmities that no longer allow them to drive.
The prototype Google car can accommodate two passengers plus a guide or service dog The interior of the vehicle has been kept simple and practical for testing purposes. There are two comfortable passenger seats with seatbelts and spacious leg room, plus a small storage compartment behind the seats. The only controls are stop and start buttons in the center console and a navigation system for selecting and displaying the planned route.
Unlike previous driverless cars that have been essentially ordinary cars retrofitted with autonomous systems, these cars include video cameras and radar sensors linked to a detailed mapping system. This allows the car to navigate through urban streets and traffic without the assistance of a driver when desired. In contrast, the Google car is designed from the ground up to be completely driverless.
The Google car features special software and sensors that feed information into an onboard computer that drives the car. The sensors can "see" beyond blind spots and detect other vehicles, objects, pedestrians and landmarks within a 360-degree radius over a range of about the length of two football fields.
In a normal car there is power steering and power brakes. If power assist fails, the car can still be steered and braked, albeit with significantly greater muscle effort. But what happens if there is no steering wheel or brake pedal? Google has accounted for this by using two redundant motors for steering and braking so they still work to safely steer and brake. Or in worse situations, you can hit the off button.
Even though quite tiny, the Google car provides collision protection for both its occupants and pedestrians. This includes a foam exterior and flexible windshield. During the testing phase of this new technology, Google has capped the vehicle's top speed to 25 mph in order to minimize any potential danger. Even at 25 mph, driverless cars like the Google one could be ideal in gated, 55+ communities where golf carts and neighborhood electric vehicles are already very popular. Totally driverless cars that can travel in heavy urban traffic and interstate speeds represent a much greater challenge.
Google is quite serious about driverless cars and thus will build a further 100 self-drive cars within the year. It also plans a small pilot program in California in the next couple of years. If successful, it plans to work with partners to bring this technology into the world safely.
