If in other articles of this blog we talked about the keys to growth in the Internet of Things, now it is the turn of the main IoT developments applied to the automotive industry. Although Google had been for some years the spearhead of innovation in autonomous cars, it is now facing strong competition. Many other major brands have started to work towards what is already a finish line: making cars drive without drivers.
In this article, we will review precisely what are the main developments in autonomous vehicles. Large companies (such as Ford, General Motors, Uber, and Toyota) are competing to be the first to create a fully functional driverless car capable of driving around any city without any problem. At the same time, there are other startups and projects funded by international organizations (such as the European Union) that are working flat out to improve mobility in urban areas thanks to autonomous public transport. In short, a great engine of innovation was created for a market that is increasingly interested in intelligent and accessible solutions.
Ford and driving without lights
Ford is attempting the never-before-seen: it wants its cars to drive without a driver and, moreover, blind. Under the name Project Nightonomy, Ford is testing a system of cameras and sensors to make autonomous cars capable of driving in the most adverse conditions we know. What is the key to driving in total darkness? Ford’s secret lies in the LIDAR sensors, which, with the help of a laser, gather data on the range and intensity of objects on the road. In this way, the car can determine whether there are obstacles on the track.
At this point, the question is whether Ford will be able to get its prototypes ready in the next few years. Undoubtedly one of its main competitors is Tesla, whose founder has already made it clear that in 2 years its cars will circulate without a driver.
Toyota’s Invisible Co-Pilot
For the Japanese, an autonomous car has to let us drive. Toyota’s main objective is not to eliminate danger on the road by eliminating drivers (and, therefore, human error), but rather to defend the idea that technology should avoid dangerous situations. For this reason, the Japanese brand is working on the creation of an “invisible co-pilot” or “guardian angel”, as reported in the MIT Technology Review.
This system would take control of the vehicle only if it detects an imminent collision, which would be impossible for a human driver to avoid. Could artificial intelligence reduce road fatalities? First, we have to see if Toyota’s prototype performs well when it decides to make decisions for us.
Uber and Lift, betting on autonomous vehicles
It is not only the big car companies that are preparing to make the big leap to the driverless car but there are other companies that also see it as a promising future. Without going any further, Uber has already made it clear that its business is going to rely heavily on autonomous vehicles within a few years. Lyft, its direct competitor, is currently working with General Motors to provide an alternative to public and private transportation.
The main difference between this new startup and Uber is that Lyft relies on private drivers and not on professionals. In this way, anyone can earn extra money by acting as a chauffeur thanks to Lyft’s application, which informs users where they can get a private car to take them wherever they need to go.
Lyft’s latest round of funding totaled $5.5 billion, $500 million of which was a direct investment from General Motors. Ultimately, both companies hope to be able to develop an autonomous vehicle to compete with the giant Uber, which has already left the cab industry in the city of Los Angeles in the lurch.
M City, a driverless track
Companies are not the only ones interested in innovation when it comes to autonomous vehicles. In particular, the University of Michigan has been working on the first test field for connected cars, the M City. In total, it covers an area of 32 acres and is located in Ann Arbor, in the state of Michigan.
In addition to the university, major companies such as Honda, Nissan, Verizon, Ford, and General Motors have also participated in this initiative. They estimate that, by 2021, M City will be an autonomous and connected city with all kinds of radars, cameras, and communication networks to locate all kinds of elements in real-time.
Autonomous public transport in Europe
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are initiatives supported and financed by the European Union to introduce autonomous public transport in large cities. A good example is CityMobil2, a project that seeks to implement small driverless buses to improve urban public transport. For the past six months, a first pilot test has been running a 2.4-kilometer circular route in Trikala, Greece.
The CityMobil2 is a creation of the French company Robosoft, which reaches a speed of 50 kilometers per hour (although in tests it has been limited to a maximum of 20 kilometers per hour). It can carry up to 10 passengers, which already gives us an idea of its reduced dimensions.
It works thanks to a GPS and a system of lasers, which allow knowing its location and determining its movement. In addition, it also incorporates ultrasonic sensors to detect possible obstacles. For the time being, it only runs in a special lane. In total, there are six remotely monitored buses in Trikala, which so far have had no accidents and have been driving successfully.
Greece is not the only country that has seen an autonomous bus pass through its streets: Wepod has already circulated in Wageningen, in the Netherlands. Unlike the bus mentioned above, Wepod does not need to have a special lane. To move through traffic, Wepod uses Nvidia technology, thanks to which users can communicate with the vehicle via their smartphone. Thanks to cameras, radars, and the Deep Learning system, the bus can recognize everything around it.
Trucks, also intelligent
One of the best applications for autonomous vehicles will be innovation in the field of logistics. A good example of this is the European Truck Platooning Challenge, a Dutch government initiative to demonstrate that it is possible for an entire fleet of trucks to drive autonomously.
Some of the most important truck brands – DAF Trucks, Daimler Trucks, Iveco, MAN Truck & Bus, Scania, and Volvo – set off from different European cities (Stockholm, Gothenburg, Stuttgart, Munich, and Brussels) and ended their route in the Port of Rotterdam. They drove for more than 2,000 kilometers without any mishaps.