GOOGLE DRIVERLESS CAR

EKANSH AGARWAL
1214310067
CS-1,3rd yr

When life becomes so

hectic that

When such hectic turns out

as tragedies

Im

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The Best of Both Worlds

a
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Driverless cars proven in a race

introduction
Driver error is the most common cause of

traffic accidents
India contributes 6 % of the world's road
accident deaths
Cell phones, in-car entertainment systems,
more traffic and more complicated road
systems making it more frequent
By this improving technology our car will
do the concentrating for us.

Agenda

Technologies
Behind

Benefits

Self
Others
General
Society

Adoption
Challenges

Future
Implication

GOOGLE DRIVERLESS CAR

PROJECT
What?

When?

A project dedicated to development of driverless car technology

Informally since 2005

From 2010, by a formal team of 15 engineers from Google

Google currently lobbying for driverless car laws in more states in the US
Nevada as the 1st state having passed such law in mid-2011 (operation of
driverless cars)
Progres Florida and California as the 2nd and 3rd state in early and late 2012
s so
respectively (though limited to only testing purpose)
far?
First and only license issued in Nevada in early 2012 to a Google-owned,
modified Prius

Seeing is believing

What is a driverless car

(robot cars)?
It is a vehicle that can
drive itself from one point
to another without
Assistance from a driver;
in other words, with an
autopilot system
*

Technologies Behind

In order to drive a car, a

system
would need to:
Sensors
Navigation
Motion planning(traffic)
Actuation(operates the
mechanics of vehicle)

Devices involved
Laser sensor on the
roof
(1.5 million
measurements per
second)

Radar sensor in
front and rear
bumpers
GP
S
Self-learning
Program
Settings
of driving

HD camera looking out

and inward from the

Map of the surroundings

No blind spot e.g. pedestrian emerged from

between two parked cars

Constant mapping

Technologies making a system fully

autonomous

Anti-lock
brakes(AB
S)

Electronic
stability
control
(ESC)

Cruise
control

Lane
Departure
Warning
System

Self
Parking

Automated
Guided
Vehicle
Systems

Anti-lock brakes System (ABS)

An ABS generally offers improved vehicle control and decreases

stopping distances on dry and slippery surfaces for many drivers.

Parts of (ABS)
Speed
sensors

Valves

Pump

Controll
er

Automatic Braking
Senses an imminent

distance with
another vehicle or a
velocity related
danger.
Responds by either
precharging the
brakes or by
applying the brakes
to slow the vehicle
without any driver
input.
Detects by radar,
video, infrared,

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

A computerized
technology
improves vehicle's
stability by
detecting and
minimizing skids.
Automatically
applies the brakes.
Helps to minimize a
loss of control.
ESC compares the
driver's intended
direction to the

Components
Wheelspeed
sensors

Steeringangle
sensors

Rotationalspeed
sensor

Electronic Stability Control

Cruise control

Cruise control keeps the car at a constant speed

by taking over the throttle of the car
It also maintain a set distance between it and the
car in front of it

Autonomous Cruise Control

Uses either a radar setup

allowing the vehicle to slow
when approaching another
vehicle and accelerate again
to the preset speed when
traffic allows

Automotive Night Vision

increases a vehicle driver's perception and seeing
distance in darkness or poor weather beyond the
reach of the vehicle's headlights.

Cars currently using A.N.V.

Active systems use an infrared light
source
2002-2007 Lexus LX 470
2009 Lexus LS
2006 Mercedes CL-class
2009 Mercedes E-class
2005 Mercedes S-class
2009 Mercedes S-class
2008 Toyota Crown Hybrid
2002 Toyota Land cruiser Cignus

Lane Departure Warning System

A mechanism designed

to warn a driver when

the vehicle begins to
move out of its lane
Designed to minimize
accidents by addressing
the main causes of
collisions: driving error,
distraction and
drowsiness.

Adaptive Highbeam

Automatically and
continuously adapts the
headlamp range to the
distance of vehicles
ahead or which are
oncoming.
New generation MercedesBenz e-class in spring
2009.

Contd
The range of the beam can

vary between 65 and 300

meters, depending on traffic
conditions.

2011 Audi A8
2010 E-Class
2010 S-Class

Self-parking Cars

System uses sensors all around the car to guide it into a parallel
parking space
Lexus LS 460 L with Advance Parking Guidance System
The driver has to find a parking space,
Position the car next to it, and use the in-cabin navigation
screen to tell the car where it should go.
The parking space needs to be 6 feet (1.8 meters) longer than
the car

Backup Camera & Parking Sensors

Special type of video camera attached to the rear of a

vehicle to aid in backing up.
Parking sensors are proximity detectors which can alert
the driver to unseen obstacles during parking.

Effective and efficient parking

Use of sensor
Measuring parking space available
Determining if there is sufficient space
Steering itself into the space
In essence, automatic search for suitable

parking space within designated area, and

then execution

Beyond vision

Proven

Lombok Street - one of the

steepest and curviest
streets worldwide

Control of vehicle

As automotive technology matures, more

and more functions of the underlying
engine, gearbox etc. are no longer directly
controlled by the driver by mechanical
means.
It is controlled via a computer, which
receives instructions from the driver as
inputs and delivers the desired effect by
means ofelectronic throttle control.
Therefore, the technology for a computer to
control all aspects of a vehicle is well
understood.

Automated Guided Vehicle Systems

Uses FROG (Free

Ranging On Grid)
technology
FROG vehicles are
equipped with a
computer that
contains a map of the
area

1.Reduction in car accidents

Motor-vehicle accidents during 2002-2011 in HK

Source: Annual Transport Digest 2012, Transport department

1.Reduction in car accidents

Major Contributory Factors of road traffic accidents 2011 in HK
2%3%
19%

Driver
Passenger/pedestrian
Vehicles
Accident environment

76%

Source: Annual Transport Digest 2012, Transport department

1. Reduction in car accidents

Automated collision avoidance systems
Less fatalities
Avoid human errors
No sleepy, grumpy, texting humans

2.Optimal speed
Fuel efficient driving
Saves 10-15% fuel
Environmentally friendly

3.Efficient use of highways

Two-second rule

Source: Wikipedia.org

3.Efficient use of highways

Closer car-to-car

distance
Less need for building

4.Increase in productivity

5. City Expansion

6. Application in various industry

Elimination of breaks in between
Lessen the burden of the truck
drivers

Taxi industry??

7. Saving of parking space

Independent

ly seek
parking
Demand for
adjacent
parking
decrease
Conversion
to other land
uses

8. Transportation will no longer be a hindrance

The previously excluded
- The disabled
- The elderly
- Even the kids

Challenges
Cost Issue
Total cost: US$ 300,000
includes:
Laser system - $ 70,000
Hi-tech Equipment - $ 150,000
Estimated market of $ 2 Trillion in the US
alone
OVERVALUED Market?
Is it a US Opportunity?
Or a GOOGLE Opportunity?
Sources: Forbes.com

Challenges

Driverless car still illegal in 50 states

But progress to accepting these cars is happening
Nevada Department of Transportation: developing regulations to
driverless cars with a goal for it to go mainstream

Challenges

Impacts on public transport

industry

Impacts on Taxi/ Public transport industry

Challenges
Environmental Issues
More Cars on the road..

Challenges
Technology &
Maintenance issues

Challenges
Technology & Privacy
Issues

Challenges
Technology & Privacy
Issues

Challenges
Political & Regulatory Issues

Google?
Car Mechanics?
Car Owner?
Passenger?

who is to blame in an accident?

Challenges
Political & Regulatory Issues

Can passengers be intoxicated?

Challenges
Social Issues

WHO can be the driver?

Age Limits?
Driving licenses?

Challenges
Social Issues
The Joy of Driving

Challenges
Social Issues
Psychological Barriers
Radical Concepts

Future Implication

Does the Innovation make the product more

profitable ?

Short Term
- Difficult to make this innovation profitable as the
technology requires expensive sensors, computing
power and software.
- Market is still small needs time to grow
- Issue of economies of scale
Long Term
- Demand is higher. Automated driving means more
people can use cars, and more cars can be fitted
safely on roads.
More profitable because of cost saving
- Cars dont have to be as robust (Less accidents)
- More time as passengers, so they are less aware of
how well a car performs. (Manufacturers change

Use of Wifi (incl. 3G) technology

Critical criteria
(in order of
significance)

Wifi

Bluetooth

Range

300 feet+

~30 feet

Security

Higher
(if configured properly)

Lower

Interconnectivity
with relevant
stakeholders

Higher
(server/network concept)

Lower
(device-to-device concept)

Cost

Higher
(yet acceptable)

Lower

Overall

Better

Worse

Disruptive Innovation

Or sustaining transformational innovation?

Sources
No Hands, No Feet: My Unnerving Ride In Google's Driverless
Car
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2013/03/21/no-hands-n
o-feet-my-unnerving-ride-in-googles-driverless-car/
Google Cars Drive Themselves, in Traffic
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/science/10google.html
Fasten Your Seatbelts: Google's Driverless Car Is Worth Trillions
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2013/01/22/fasten-your-s
eatbelts-googles-driverless-car-is-worth-trillions/
How Google's Self-Driving Car Works
http://jalopnik.com/5851324/how-googles-self+driving-car-wor
ks

Sources
How will driverless cars affect our cities?
http://cityminded.org/how-will-driverless-cars-affect-our-cities
-6526
Look, no hands
http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21576224-one-d
ay-every-car-may-come-invisible-chauffeur-look-no-hands
Fasten Your Seatbelts: Google's Driverless Car Is Worth Trillions
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2013/01/22/fasten-your-s
eatbelts-googles-driverless-car-is-worth-trillions/
How Google's Self-Driving Car Works
http://jalopnik.com/5851324/how-googles-self+driving-car-wor
ks