Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.
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40 unmanned systems inside Spring 2014 Automated vehicles are coming, but they might not be exactly what we expect. I nterest in automated vehicles is surging, fu- eled by visions of computer-directed cars able to independently thread their way through a traffic jam before safely dropping off their otherwise-occupied passengers and find- ing their own parking place. Also called "autonomous," "self-driving," or "driverless" vehicles—automated vehicles use onboard computers to take over at least part of the driving task. The potential exists for such vehicles, equipped with satellite navi- gation and other positioning technologies, to track their own location and find their way once a passenger enters a destination into the navigation system. After that initial human intervention, the vehicle cannot only deter- mine the best route but also drive there by applying propulsion, brakes, and steering and avoid obstacles using sensors, such as laser, radar or camera systems. While the idea of letting a computer do the driving is attractive, there are still many un- knowns. Not only are there questions about the need for extensive infrastructure that will likely limit everyday adoption, it's also diffi- cult to predict how these vehicles will mix with human-driven cars, and how consumers will weigh the high cost of this convenience along with security concerns when deciding if a self- driving vehicle is right for them. Given these unknowns, the reality of how automated vehicles will change the driving experience may not line up with the vision of driverless cars seamlessly weaving their way through traffic—at least not right away. The Benefts It's exciting to think about all the possibilities automated vehicles bring—even if they're only taking over part of the driving task. Their ben- efits are many, and include safety, efficiency, mobility and convenience. These automated cars carry the potential to reduce or even eliminate human error, tak- ing some of the risk out of driving. More than 34,000 people die in road traffic accidents ev- ery year in the United States and human error is at least a contributing factor in 95 percent of road vehicle accidents, according to statistics from the Federal Highway and National High- way Traffic Safety Administrations. Transfer- ring part of the operations—such as automated lane keeping or automated vehicle following— to computers could lead to fewer accidents. Why? Computers don't get distracted, sleepy, or in- capacitated like people do. While most drivers are good at resolving unforeseen situations, such as navigating an unknown street or avoiding a new ob- stacle, they often struggle with maintaining a smooth, efficient traffic f low or keeping a short distance between vehicles. Computer control can help ensure the vehicle maintains ideal speed and spacing for optimal traffic f low and energy efficiency. A Long and Winding Road for Driverless Vehicles by Sven Beiker Stanford University, Center for Automotive Research (CARS) ground " " Laser vision systems and camera technology feed into artifcial intelligence units –automating the entire journey–shaping a completely different paradigm for driving.