Jul 16

UK to test driverless cars on public roads before the end of 2013

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UK to test driverless cars on public roads before the end of 2013

While Americans have seen a few driverless cars on the open road, their British counterparts have had to settle for demos on private circuits. They’ll get a better glimpse soon, though, as the UK Department for Transport now expects tests on public streets by the end of 2013. The initial trial runs will be gentle — Oxford University’s Nissan Leaf-based RobotCars will drive only on lightly trafficked roads, with humans tagging along in the event of a crisis. We haven’t yet seen a timetable for more aggressive experiments, but we’re not exactly in a hurry to compete with early autonomous cars during rush hour.

[Image credit: Oxford University]

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Via: BBC

Source: Gov.uk

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Apr 12

Editorial: Self-driving cars FTW, but not for everybody

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DNP Editorial Selfdriving cars FTW, but not for everybody

I drive a two-seat roadster known for its great handling. The last thing I want is for a machine to take the steering wheel out of my hands. My car company isn’t into self-driving cars, but others are: Ford, BMW, Audi. And, of course, Google is moving quickly forward with road-worthy autocars that have accumulated 300,000 miles with only one (human error) accident. The advantages of cars that drive themselves are multiple and compelling.

Automobile intelligence already assists the driving experience by warning of dangerous situations and taking control of parking, which is, for some people, the most difficult maneuver to perform. We are gradually ceding control to our cars. When a completely automated consumer car launches, some drivers will hand over the reins gladly. But for me and other enthusiasts, driving a car isn’t just about reaching a destination; it’s about the journey and operating a beautiful machine. Unfortunately for people who feel that way, the greatest social benefits of self-driving cars would kick in if everyone were herded into a new era of hands-off driving.

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Feb 13

New in-car GPS tech uses motion sensors for accurate, autonomous city driving

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New incar GPS tech could wield motion sensors for extraaccurate city driving

In-car GPS developers have long had to wrestle with the urban canyon effect that blocks or bounces signals downtown: they often have to make best guesses for accuracy when they can’t count on cellular or WiFi triangulation to pick up the slack, like a smartphone would. The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid has nonetheless found a way to borrow a page from mobile devices to get that accuracy back. By supplementing the GPS data with accelerometers and gyroscopes, researchers can use direction changes and speed to fill in the blanks, improving accuracy from a crude-at-best 49 feet to between 3 and 7 feet. The University’s creation doesn’t just minimize the chance of a wrong turn; it could be key to intelligent or driverless cars that have to perform sudden maneuvers all on their own. While the enhanced system is just a prototype without a commercialization schedule, it already slots into just about any car, including the University’s own intelligent car prototype (not pictured here). We may no longer have to lump car GPS units into the same “close is good enough” category as horseshoes and hand grenades.

[Image credit: Steve Jurvetson, Flickr]

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Via: BBC

Source: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

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Nov 15

A Toddler-Driven Power Stroller Means Parents Never Have To Push

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You might think you’ve got the most badass stroller at the playground, but it’s got nothing on Xandon Frogget’s creation which adds motors and a wireless steering system using a Wiimote controller. And thanks to an onboard Kinect sensor, his toddler can even drive it without the risk of crashing into anything. More »

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Oct 26

Future Volvos Will Drive Themselves in Slow Moving Traffic Jams

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In a few short years Volvos-the fancy ones, anyway-will include a cruise-control system that lets your car drive and steer itself through crawling traffic. So if your daily commute involves a long stretch sitting in a jam, you’ll be able to sit back and read a book, get caught up on work, or just keep your hands free for communicating with fellow motorists. More »

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Sep 25

California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads (video)

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California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads video

Google just chalked up one of the more important victories for driverless cars. California Governor Jerry Brown has signed bill SB1298 into law, formalizing the legal permissions and safety standards needed to let automated vehicles cruise on state-owned roads. While the bill lets anyone move forward with their plans, it’s clear from the ceremony that local technology darling Google is the primary impetus for the measure: Brown visited Google’s Mountain View headquarters to put ink to paper, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin oversaw the signing with his Google Glass eyewear on full display. If you’re dying to see driverless vehicles become mainstays of the Golden State, the official act making that possible is already available to watch after the break.

Continue reading California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads (video)

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California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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