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driverless technology
Autonomous cars, once a fantasy in movies and on TV, are now technologically possible. GPS, sophisticated sensors, and navigation databases will allow driverless vehicles to operate on the same roads we have today. It's inevitable that technology will eventually allow cars to outperform their former drivers. This will drastically reduce the fatality rate and provide new experiences that will enrich our lives.
The autonomous driverless car will not be implemented overnight, however, nor will it completely replace current forms of personal vehicles. Even when it is proven safer than human driving, not everybody will be instantly convinced. The new technology will slowly evolve in human-driven cars. . . and its already happening. Today's cars are available with distance sensors, parking aids and other human overrides that we believe will evolve into an autonomous mode much like cruise control.
Once the technology has proven its capabilities and has been welcomed by the masses for its convenience and safety, the traditional layout of cars will start to change. Front seats will swivel to create a social setting and may even collapse to become beds for overnight driverless travel. Eventually, the steering wheel will be eliminated and cars will start to look drastically different inside and out.
Are driverless cars going to completely replace manually driven cars?
Not likely. Recreational driving will keep the speed demons alive. Manually driven cars will incorporate technology that communicates with driverless cars to prevent accidents and create a smooth flow of traffic. Even with human-driven cars sharing the road with autonomous cars, it may be possible to virtually eliminate accidents. Today, you can still drive a horse and carriage on some roads if you’d like to. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to enjoy your vintage Chevy Volt in the year 2050.
Below are some explorations, examples and information about driverless technology and more. This is not an exhaustive list, just a small sample of what is out there . . . From KITT to ROBOCARS . . .
darpa
The DARPA Urban Challenge was held on November 3, 2007, at the former George AFB in Victorville, Calif. Building on the success of the 2004 and 2005 Grand Challenges, this event required teams to build an autonomous vehicle capable of driving in traffic, performing complex maneuvers such as merging, passing, parking and negotiating intersections. This event was truly groundbreaking as the first time autonomous vehicles have interacted with both manned and unmanned vehicle traffic in an urban environment.
http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge/index.aspt
Heathrow PRT self driving transporter pods
Self Driving 4 person transporter pods that hold 4 people.
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2007/10/heathrow-airpor/
VW selfdriving concept car for 2028
http://media.volkswagen2028.com/etc/medialib/vwcms/virtualmaster/vw2028/flash.Par.0005.File.html
An Interesting Experiment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Suugn-p5C1M
Brad Templeton, a Robocar futurist
http://www.templetons.com/brad/robocars/
2getthere vehicles
2getthere is a Dutch company that markets and develops Automated People Mover Systems for personal and group transportation
http://www.2getthere.eu/.
WIKIPEDIA
driverless car
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driverless_car
grouping vehicles into "platoons"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platoon_(automobile)
KITT
While driverless cars served in movies like Batman, Total Recall and Minority report, none had as large a role as KITT in the Knight Rider series.
http://knightrideronline.com/
electric motors in wheels
An article from greencar.com about integrating electric motors into wheels. The less space the drivetrain takes up, the more space there will be for passengers..
http://www.greencar.com/articles/could-wheel-motors-next-big-thing.php
electric motors and suspension in wheels
An article from treehugger.com about a wheel that integrates an electric motor and suspension. Imagine what can be done with all of the extra space!
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/11/active-wheel-affordable-electric-car.php
GM Hy-Wire concept
The GM Hy-Wire is a working concept vehicle from 2002 where all of the mechanical components of the car are housed in an 11" thick chassis called a "skateboard". This includes motor, drivetrain, steering, etc. All controls are "drive by wire". This results is an extremely spacious interior.
http://www.adrianchernoff.com/pages/HyWire.html
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