Car Without Driver Technology

Since decades ago, people dreamed of automobile technology that can run itself without the driver. The fact is that the dream is getting closer which is characterized by a number of research carried out worldwide car manufacturers and research institutes. Even the General Motors's head of Research and Development, Larry Burns boldly predicted in 2020 without driver cars are mass produced.

Technology without a driver's car has been in development since 2004, spearheaded the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to sponsor a robotic vehicle racing as far as 260 miles in the Mojave Desert, United States.

In 2012, the technology is growing with the release of a car without a driver's license that allows the driver to operate on a highway Nevada, United States, provided that two people should be in the vehicle. One person sitting in front of the steering wheel and a passenger. Here are five cars without the driver being developed at this time:

1. Google Self Driving Car

Google is the company best equipped to market the technology without a driver's car. Google design technology has been tested on seven different vehicles with mileage of 200,000 miles (321,000 kms).

To run a car without a driver on the highway, the system combines information gathered from Google Street View with artificial intelligence software that combines input from video cameras inside the car, a LIDAR sensor on top of the vehicle, radar sensors on the front of the vehicle and a position sensor attached to one of the rear wheels that helps locate the car's position on the map.

Google self driving car. (Picture from: http://autoreleasedate.net/)

Inside of Google self driving car. (Picture from: http://licence2speed.blogspot.com/)

Simply put, the workings of this technology relies on sensors and cameras mounted on the car and on the front. Useful to detect if there are pedestrians, cyclists, or other cars around the car. With the help of equipment, the car will keep a safe distance. 

Google's cars use the software to operate the vehicle, distance monitoring equipment, and tools to set goals based on GPS.

2. Jalandhar Lovely Professional University's Car

In India, Jalandhars Lovely Professional University (LPU) students to develop a car without a driver on the basis of four passenger electric golf cars. When tested, the car managed to travel as far as 1,000 km.

Using a battery-driven golf cart, internet data card, mobile phone, laptop, C+ language programming and a micro-controller board, four students from Jalandhar design a remote-controlled car.

This prototype golf cart without a driver was developed by four students of electronics, communications and mechanical engineering. 

LPU Chancellor Ashok Mittal and students posing with mobile operated driverless car. (Picture from: http://www.thehansindia.info/)

They apply their knowledge in the field of wireless communications and set up the basic control of the vehicle.

3. Volvo SARTRE

Volvo collaborated with British technology firm, Ricardo, for cars without a driver's test in Barcelona, ​​Spain. A total of four vehicles, consisting of a Volvo XC60, a Volvo V60, and a Volvo S60, and one truck which are convoy to travel as far as 200 km .

Test vehicle is part of the SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project, which complements the car with cameras, radar sensors, and lasers.

Volvo-SARTRE. (Picture from: http://inhabitat.com/)

Drove without drivers with an average speed of 85 km/h and continued to maintain a distance of 6 meters between vehicles.

4. Continental AG

Continental AG is developing a car that can drive itself using the Volkswagen Passat. In the car mounted radar sensors, video cameras, and computers that can drive itself in a variety of road conditions.

"It’s not science fiction anymore, we were already out of the lab to test it," explains Christian Schumacher, Director of the North American Continental engine systems. Through that feature, later utilized to help the driver get stuck in traffic jams.

Volkswagen Passat Driverless Car. (Picture from: http://automotivepreview.com/)

Volkswagen Passat Driverless Car Interior. (Picture from: http://automotivepreview.com/)

Driverless car. (Picture from: http://www.automotto.com/)

Continental to conduct various tests, such as the speed of the car, set goals, brakes, and keep the car still run at a constant speed of 60 km/h.

Continental AG claims will cost only 100 dollars for the installation of sensors and video cameras.

5. BMW Driverless Car

BMW, a German automotive company try automatically steering technology for the programmed car to cross the street between the City of Munich and Nurenberg.

BMW use cruise control system to monitor traffic, navigation satellites, early warning devices, and the rear-camera to run the vehicle.

BMW has successfully trialled a driverless car from Munich to Nuremburg on a high-speed autobahn without any driver input. (Picture from: http://news.drive.com.au/)

BMW says this Driverless Car technology will evolve further and the navigation system will be capable of detecting obstacles around the car as a public work around the road, speed limit warnings, and school zones. *** [OVI | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 29062012]

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