DARPA’s Urban Grand Challenge: The Ultimate Smart Car

Cars are getting pretty smart these days…maybe event too smart. No one will argue that having your own Kit (of Knighrider fame) would be a bad thing. You’d never be lonely again- always someone …er some car there for you when you need someone to exchange light witty banter with. But at the end of the day do you really want you car to be smarter than you, and a better driver? According to the experts, that’s where things are heading… and quickly.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will be holding their third autonomous vehicle grand challenge this coming weekend and automakers are already chomping at the bit to take first place.

But even “regular” cars that aren’t competing in the race are getting equipped with skills and talents that can match, and in some cases exceed, what we mere humans as capable of. For example, Lexus is coming out with a luxury sedan next year that is equipped with a feature called “gaze detection”. Its recognition system in the car can actually track the driver’s gaze. If he or she gets distracted, and the car is in danger of hitting something, the car will bring itself to a smooth halt. Imagine, it won’t matter how many crappy drivers are on the road anymore, they’ll never die because their car will keep them safe.

Cars are also being equipped with adaptive cruise control, which allows you to drive in stop-and-go traffic, only worrying about keeping the car within your traffic lane. These kind of features will be shown off at DARPA’s autonomous vehicle grand challenge that is right around the corner poised to be the most exciting and promising yet.

During the first two DARPA challenge races, the robots were basically very smart direction takers. Just before the start of the race they were loaded with a list of G.P.S. points and only had to stay within the road boundaries on the outlined course.

But in the Urban Grand Challenge the cars will be given a set of missions to complete in a simulated urban setting (a military training city). They will have to figure out how to get from point A to B and then C, and so forth. In other words, the rules of the entire game have now changed. Last years cars only had to follow coordinates, but this year’s cars have to actually “think” about the route, and have to be able to choose between various alternatives. It can pass other cars. It can wait for traffic and find faster, better routes.

Automakers say that all of these features will eventually work their way into regular cars. That means we can all get back to text-messaging on the freeway with a little less guilt than we’re feeling now. Cool.

Posted by Rebecca Sato

Comments

If you replace "regular" cars to the "smart" cars, how much will it cost? Millions? As much as how high tech these cars are, I don't think "regular" cars will be replaced from these cars. Unless if it was a giveaway...
Another question, will the smart cars prevent global warning? That's the main concern I have.

Posted by: Ryan Rivera | October 31, 2007 at 01:57 PM