A future in which people no longer need to drive their own car is just around the corner. The world famous company Google has come up with an autopilot system that allows the car to drive without a driver. Test models equipped with this equipment have already covered almost 500 thousand kilometers on American roads.
In September 2011, at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Google announced a new project - autopilot that could change the world. This development was presented by Google engineer Chris Urmson and professor of computer science at Stanford University Sebastian Tran.
The main component of the autopilot system is a 64-beam laser light range finder, which is installed on the roof of the car and reads a detailed 3D map from the surrounding area. After that, the device combines the information of the range finder with high-precision maps of the world and makes various transformations that allow the car to move freely on the roads. In the process of driving, the drone not only does not collide with other road users, but also observes all road rules. In addition to the laser light range finder, other sensors are installed on board - cameras, a GPS system, radars, a wheel sensor that tracks movement, and an inertial measurement unit.
Since the efficient operation of Google's drones is highly dependent on the accuracy of the map of the Earth, the company's engineers make sure to drive the test route several times before sending the car to the drone race. This allows you to collect the maximum amount of information about the surrounding area and improve the performance of the vehicle.
It is noteworthy that this device can be "aggressive" on the road. For example, when other cars will not let the self-driving car pass, it can jerk forward a little to show its intentions. The project's engineers understand that without such nuances, the drone is unlikely to be able to drive in the modern world.
To date, a number of Toyota Prius vehicles, on which the new systems have been installed, have already traveled about 500 thousand kilometers. At the same time, robotic machines have never had an accident. It is planned that soon the Lexus RX 450h will join the fleet of unmanned vehicles.
