google’s self driving car acknowledgments “6 things i learned from riding in a google...
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Google’s Self Driving Car
Acknowledgments “6 Things I learned from riding in a Google Self-driving Car,
The Oatmeal, http://theoatmeal.com/blog/google_self_driving_car
The Oatmeal, Matt, and Megan Mac GregorHumans are horrible driversWe drink. We doze. We text. In the US, 30,000 people die from automobile accidents every year.1 Traffic crashes are the primary cause of death worldwide for people aged 15-24, 2 and during a crash, 40% of drivers never even hit the brakes.3 We’re flawed organisms, barreling around at high speeds in vessels covered in glass, metal, distraction, and death.
Change for the betterBesides freeing the roads from the dangers
of drunk, sleepy, and generally distracted drivers, autonomous vehicles have the ability to open up driving to a wider portion of the population. We live in a society designed for cars, however there is a large number of the population who are unable to use a car. This technology could transform the lives of the elderly, and the disabled, 45% of whom still work. 4 It could also eradicate the need for parking lots or garages or gas stations.
Figure 1. U.S. Crash Motor Vehicle Scope andSelected Human and Environmental Factor
Involvement
Figure 3. The car had
trouble with scenarios
that humans have trouble with such as navigating pedestrian behavior.
References 1. National highway Traffic Safety Administration, Summary of National
Statistics of Fatality analysis reporting in Motor Vehicles, http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
2. “Preparing a nation for autonomous vehicles; Opportunities, barriers and policy recommendations”, Eno Center for Transportation, October 2013
3. Calvin, “40 Percent of Drivers Never Hit their Brakes During a Crash” Save Breaking; Break Tech Therapy. http://www.safebraking.com/40-percent-of-drivers-never-hit-their-brakes-during-a-crash/ , June 3, 2013.
4. Matthew W. Brault, “Current Population Reports” American with Disabilities: 2010, Household Economic Studies, issued July 2012, p70-131
Figure 2 Google’s self driving car
Autonomous Vehicles
DesignGoogle's new fleet was intentionally designed to look adorable. Psychological studies have been done whereby participants, when asked to harm an inanimate object, were less likely to hurt the object if it had a face.
Google can adjust the level of aggression in the software, and the self-driving prototypes currently tooling around Mountain View are throttled to act like nervous student drivers.
They're intended as moderate-distance couriers, with a max speed is 25 miles per hour. The cars use a mixture of 3D laser-mapping, GPS, and radar to analyze and interpret their surroundings, and the latest versions are fully electric with a range of about 100 miles. The radar allows the car to see through objects, rather than relying on line-of-sight.
One of the possible solutions is to remove the human from the driving equation. Google has been working on this for the past 4 years.
Despite the advantages over a human being in certain scenarios, however, these cars still aren't ready for the real world. They can't drive in the snow or heavy rain, and there's a variety of complex situations they do not process well, such as passing through a construction zone. Google is hoping with enough logged miles and data, eventually the cars will be able to handle all of this as well (or better) than a human could.
Google’s Self Driving Car
Acknowledgments “6 Things I learned from riding in a Google Self-driving Car,
The Oatmeal, http://theoatmeal.com/blog/google_self_driving_car
All images from The Oatmeal
The Oatmeal, Matt, and Megan Mac Gregor
ProblemWe drink. We doze. We text. During a crash, 40% of drivers never even hit the brakes.3 We’re flawed organisms, barreling around at high speeds in vessels covered in glass, metal, distraction, and death.
Change for the betterBesides freeing the roads from the dangers of drunk, sleepy, and generally distracted drivers, autonomous vehicles have the ability to open up driving to a wider portion of the population. We live in a society designed for cars, however there is a large number of the population who are unable to use a car. This technology could transform the lives of the elderly, and the disabled, 45% of whom still work. 4 It could also eradicate the need for parking lots or garages or gas stations.
Figure 1. U.S. Crash Motor Vehicle Scope andSelected Human and Environmental Factor
Involvement
Figure 3. The car had
trouble with scenarios
that humans have trouble with such as navigating pedestrian behavior.
References 1. National highway Traffic Safety Administration, Summary of National
Statistics of Fatality analysis reporting in Motor Vehicles, http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
2. “Preparing a nation for autonomous vehicles; Opportunities, barriers and policy recommendations”, Eno Center for Transportation, October 2013
3. Calvin, “40 Percent of Drivers Never Hit their Brakes During a Crash” Save Breaking; Break Tech Therapy. http://www.safebraking.com/40-percent-of-drivers-never-hit-their-brakes-during-a-crash/ , June 3, 2013.
4. Matthew W. Brault, “Current Population Reports” American with Disabilities: 2010, Household Economic Studies, issued July 2012, p70-131Figure 2 Google’s self driving car
DesignGoogle's new fleet was intentionally designed to look adorable. Psychological studies have been done whereby participants, when asked to harm an inanimate object, were less likely to hurt the object if it had a face.
Google can adjust the level of aggression in the software, and the self-driving prototypes currently tooling around Mountain View are throttled to act like nervous student drivers.
They're intended as moderate-distance couriers, with a max speed is 25 miles per hour. The cars use a mixture of 3D laser-mapping, GPS, and radar to analyze and interpret their surroundings, and the latest versions are fully electric with a range of about 100 miles. The radar allows the car to see through objects, rather than relying on line-of-sight.
SolutionRemove the human from the driving equation. Google has been working on this for the past 4 years.
Artificial LearningDespite the advantages over a human being in certain scenarios, however, these cars still aren't ready for the real world. They can't drive in the snow or heavy rain, and there's a variety of complex situations they do not process well, such as passing through a construction zone. Google is hoping with enough logged miles and data, eventually the cars will be able to handle all of this as well (or better) than a human could.
ProblemWe drink. We doze. We text. During a crash, 40% of drivers never even hit the brakes.3 We’re flawed organisms, barreling around at high speeds in vessels covered in glass, metal, distraction, and death.
Remove the human from the driving equation.
Solution
Designed to look adorable.
Psychological studies have been done
whereby participants, when asked to harm an inanimate object,
were less likely to hurt the object if it had a
face.
Can adjust the level of aggression
in the software
They're intended as moderate-distance
couriers, with a max speed is 25 miles per hour.
The cars use a mixture of 3D laser-mapping, GPS, and radar to analyze and
interpret their surroundings. The
radar allows the car to see through objects, rather than relying on
line-of-sight.
Latest versions are fully electric with a range of about 100
miles.
Change for the betterBesides freeing the roads from flawed
drivers, autonomous vehicles have the ability to open up driving to a wider portion of the population. The lives of the elderly, and the disabled, 45% of whom still work could be
transformed. 4 It could also eradicate the need for parking lots or garages or gas stations.
Alcohol
Total Crashes per year in U.S. 5.5 million% human cause as primary factor 93%
Total Fatal & Inurious Crashes per Year in U.S. 2.22 millionFatal Crashes per Year in U.S. 32,367
Texting
Speeding
Inexperience
Figure 1. U.S. Crash Motor
Vehicle Scope and
Selected Human and
Environmental Factor
Involvement.
Figure 2 Google’s self driving car, which they have been working on for the past four years.
References 1. National highway Traffic Safety Administration, Summary of National Statistics of
Fatality analysis reporting in Motor Vehicles, http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
2. “Preparing a nation for autonomous vehicles; Opportunities, barriers and policy recommendations”, Eno Center for Transportation, October 2013
3. Calvin, “40 Percent of Drivers Never Hit their Brakes During a Crash” Save Breaking; Break Tech Therapy. http://www.safebraking.com/40-percent-of-drivers-never-hit-their-brakes-during-a-crash/ , June 3, 2013.
4. Matthew W. Brault, “Current Population Reports” American with Disabilities: 2010, Household Economic Studies, issued July 2012, p70-131
Google’s self-driving car
The Oatmeal, Matt, and Megan Mac GregorNesbitt Library
Acknowledgments “6 Things I learned from riding in a Google Self-driving Car, The Oatmeal, http://theoatmeal.com/blog/google_self_driving_car.
All Images from The Oatmeal.
Figure 3. The car had trouble with scenarios that humans have trouble with such as navigating
pedestrian behavior.