Mar 18
Autonomous cars are coming soon, people, maybe as soon as 2015 if you live in California. And with them will be a whole set of new rules and regulations when it comes to driving. Or, ahem, not driving.
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Oct 11
Maybe you thought that self-driving vehicles were a little bit further away, but check out this prototype machine gun, that will dispatch enemies from afar, without needing anyone to drive it.
The HDT Robotics Self-Driving Machine Gun uses a M240 machine gun and it can fire at a target at almost 500 feet away. Such a robot could help clear the way for soldiers to safely enter a battlefield, assuming it’s able to tackle the terrain us puny humans can. The prototype was demonstrated for the US Army, and you’ll notice that they have it chained up “for safety purposes.” Perhaps they learned a lesson from ED-209.
It can be a scary thought, having unmanned vehicle firing at enemies. So long as they remain firmly under human control, I guess it can’t be all bad.
[via Computerworld]
Oct 01
Now that Nissan’s partially automated Leaf has the proverbial green light to traverse some of Japan’s roadways, we figured we’d place our lives in the hands of various computer systems in order to have one whisk us around a test track at CEATEC. This year’s autonomous Leaf demo was a step up from last year, with our test vehicle trained to not only stay between the lines, but also pause and evaluate the situation when faced with a fellow car.
An on-site representative informed us that off-the-shelf PC components are being used to calculate its motions at the moment, and yes, it’s a Windows-based system underneath (for now, anyway). A suite of prohibitively expensive lasers keep the car from veering outside of its lane, while onboard processing determines whether a stopped or slowed vehicle is passable or not. The company has tested the automated Leaf at speeds as high as 70 kilometers per hour, but we barely broke 15 on the track. Speaking of which, you can catch a bit of footage from our ride just after the break.
Mat Smith and Richard Lai contributed to this report. %Gallery-slideshow99622%
Filed under: Transportation
Sep 27
Partially automated Nissan Leaf prototype approved for use on Japanese roads
Posted in: Today's Chili
Looking forward to Nissan’s 2020 autonomous vehicle push? Then get pumped: the company has just been given approval to test some of its automated driving systems on Japanese streets. Nissan has been issued a license plate to use with a Nissan Leaf kitted out with the firm’s Advanced Driver Assist System on, which will allow the vehicle to change lanes, pass cars, exit freeways and cruise down the road without driver assistance. Although the plate is technically just a normal license plate (unlike the distinctive red plates Nevada issues to automated vehicles), but marks the first time Nissan will be able to test these features on a public road. More importantly, the company says, it allows it to further develop the technologies that will eventually go into its fully automated vehicles. It’s a baby step, but at least it’s progress. Check out the company’s official announcement at the jump.
Filed under: Transportation
Aug 27
Google’s not the only one trying to build self-driving cars, despite the fact that it gets a ton of attention for all those autonomous autos roaming Bay Area streets. Many manufacturers are interested in taking human error out of the driving equation, and now Nissan aims to do so by 2020. That’s right, folks, Nissan Executive VP Andy Palmer stated today that the plan is to sell multiple affordable models of fully autonomous cars by 2020. And, to meet that goal, the company is constructing a facility to test self-driving systems that’ll be up and running in 2014. Nissan’s development timetable falls right in line with some of its competitors, but talk is cheap — time will tell if Nissan can deliver on both its autonomous and affordability promises.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Wall Street Journal
Source: Nissan
May 08
One of the most successful and intriguing electric vehicle makers is Tesla. Compared to the likes of Ford or GM, Tesla is certainly small potatoes. However, the company has been successful in producing some the best performing and longest driving electric vehicles on the market. The latest and greatest vehicle from Tesla is called the Model S.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently said that his company is considering including driverless technologies in its vehicles and has been discussing autopilot systems with Google.
Google is one of the biggest technology firms in the world that is working on driverless cars. Musk believes that the next step is something more like an airplane’s autopilot system than a self-driving car.
The difference between self-driving systems and autopilot style systems is significant. Google’s autonomous vehicles are able to drive between two specific locations with no human intervention. Autopilot style systems allow the vehicle to take over from the driver in certain situations, such as in traffic or when driving down the highway – like cruise control on steroids.
There’s no word on if or when autopilot systems will find their way into Tesla’s vehicles, but the discussions are certainly indicative of where the automotive industry is going.
[via Bloomberg]
May 07
Bloomberg: Tesla’s Elon Musk discussing self-driving car partnership with Google
Posted in: Today's Chili
What’s next for Tesla’s Model S? Road safety and assistance tools may be on the docket, including self-driving technology that Elon Musk refers to as “autopilot,” according to a Bloomberg report. The CEO has reportedly been in talks with Google about assistive tech — the feature could be similar to what we’ve seen in Mountain View’s recent self-driving demos, though a system developed in-house by Tesla is more likely. Bloomberg states that some automakers, such as Nissan, think autonomous vehicles could be a decade away, so don’t expect a next-gen Model S to navigate roads on its own.
Meanwhile, a hidden configuration page in current vehicles reveals some additional features, including Blind Spot Detection, Adaptive Cruise and Lane Departure Warning. All three are currently disabled, but they could bring at least some additional automation to the all-electric car. It’s unlikely that the required hardware is installed within sedans already on the road, but those features are clearly on the company’s radar, giving us hope that some of the concerns we outlined during our review may soon be addressed.
Filed under: Transportation, Google
Source: Bloomberg
Mar 13
Hitachi ROPITS transport robot takes you where you choose on your tablet (video)
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Those who need assisted transport have few options for getting around city sidewalks beyond a wheelchair. Hitachi thinks its ROPITS (Robot for Personal Intelligent Transport System) could provide a slicker approach — and make those of us on foot rather jealous, quite frankly. Steering the single-seater is just a matter of picking a destination on a smartphone or a tablet and letting the pathfinding system figure out the rest. The robot can even come to the owner, if that’s too much of a trek. ROPITS won’t be much of a risk to pedestrians at a 3.7MPH traveling speed, but it should be a good citizen with both a stereo camera and laser rangefinders to avoid collisions and gauge its position better than GPS alone. If Hitachi’s ongoing testing proves the viability of the concept, we may never have to worry about how we’ll get around the neighborhood.
[Image credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, YouTube]
Filed under: Robots, Transportation
Via: Asahi Shimbun
Source: Hitachi (PDF, translated)
Mar 12
Hitachi Ropits Self-Driving Vehicle
Posted in: Today's Chili
Credit: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images
Hitachi has revealed a tiny single-seat vehicle called Ropits; that’s Robot for Personal Intelligent Transport System. Ropit is a robot vehicle that can pick up and drop off passengers independently. Just punch in the destination and it will take you there. The vehicle is meant to travel on sidewalks and Hitachi had demonstrated its capability in the city of Tsukuba today. There will be more tests to come. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Flying Cars Better Off With Robot Chauffeurs?, PhotoBot robotic camera takes pictures on its own,
Nov 15
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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