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How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

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Re: How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

#31

Post by Qworg »

daenz wrote: post #27
joezydeco wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to speak like a party-pooper, but could someone potentially mess with this LIDAR system by aiming a very bright IR beam at the device, if not a matching laser itself? Bringing down the cost of the LIDAR will be one major task, the other will be making this untouchable in the environment, IMO.

> Not to speak like a party-pooper, but could someone potentially mess with this LIDAR system by aiming a very bright IR beam at the device, if not a matching laser itself? You could probably screw up the samples that would be taken from wherever your beam hits on the mirrors. But you could also shine a laser in someones eyes while they're driving and seriously impair them as well.

You _would_ screw it up - but only that mirror. The systems are designed for safety - the car would likely stop.

Re: How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

#32

Post by dangrossman »

div wrote: post #4

Once legislation is updated to allow self-driving cars in most parts of the world, I wonder how profitable self-driving cars could be for Google. About 77 million cars were produced in 2010. With the appropriate licensing, a percentage of that could make a very nice profit. I should buy some Google stock :)

I don't see what Google's role is going to be, aside from pushing forward legislation for unknown reasons. The auto manufacturers don't need them for the technology and research... they've all had access to that for just as long. We'd have self-driving cars today if the public (and regulators) were ready for it.

But they're not and aren't going to be overnight; what makes more sense is to gradually introduce the features a little at a time so that the move to complete autonomy is a small step instead of a leap. First, automatic parking. Then, collision detection warnings. Next, lane assist that steers you back into the lane when you drift. In the next few years, you'll start seeing "smart cruise control" that will drive for you on well-marked roads in mapped areas.

"Cadillac To Release Self-Driving Cars By 2015"

http://www.inquisitr.com/227496/cadillac-to-release-self-dri...

Maybe 10-15 years from now we'll be at the complete autonomy point.

Re: How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

#33

Post by Qworg »

dangrossman wrote: post #32
div wrote: post #4

Once legislation is updated to allow self-driving cars in most parts of the world, I wonder how profitable self-driving cars could be for Google. About 77 million cars were produced in 2010. With the appropriate licensing, a percentage of that could make a very nice profit. I should buy some Google stock :)

I don't see what Google's role is going to be, aside from pushing forward legislation for unknown reasons. The auto manufacturers don't need them for the technology and research... they've all had access to that for just as long. We'd have self-driving cars today if the public (and regulators) were ready for it. But they're not and aren't going to be overnight; what makes more sense is to gradually introduce the feat…

According to Urmson, Google doesn't want to be in the car business - just the software business.

Re: How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

#35

Post by VBprogrammer »

omegant wrote: post #14

It is normal for pedestrians to look for eye contact in order to know if a driver will yield the right of way or simply will accelerate and pass (in light less crosswalks). In dense pedestrian cities (I am from Spain) it is very usual to have some guessing and false start stop between the pedestrian and the driver, nobody seems to know who is going to yield finally. I wonder if this is been thought and how you'll sig…

My experience in Spain is that drivers won't yield unless the alternative is hitting you! In that regard not much will change with self driving cars.

Re: How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

#36

Post by daenz »

Qworg wrote: post #31
daenz wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not to speak like a party-pooper, but could someone potentially mess with this LIDAR system by aiming a very bright IR beam at the device, if not a matching laser itself? You could probably screw up the samples that would be taken from wherever your beam hits on the mirrors. But you could also shine a laser in someones eyes while they're driving and seriously impair them as well.

You _would_ screw it up - but only that mirror. The systems are designed for safety - the car would likely stop.

But what about reflective objects? The roadway is covered with different degrees of weirdly-reflective surfaces. Surely those beams land in places where they shouldn't (on the mirrors), and surely the car doesn't stop every time.

Re: How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

#37

Post by ctdonath »

Game_Ender wrote: post #19
ctdonath wrote: post #9

Everything Google does feeds back, somehow, to data mining. How does self-driving cars fit in to Google's plans? ETA: Downvoted for asking a serious question? WTH?

What do you think a bunch of people in self driving cars with smartphones or personal wifi hotspots are going to do? Surf the internet, and therefore use more of Google's products. It's similar to Chrome or Android in that it enables more people to use Google's core services which they make money off of.

Sensible answer, tnx.

Anyone play with the numbers? average web use vs. average AdWords profit vs. typical commute?

Re: How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

#38

Post by JackC »

daenz wrote: post #26

> With its full 360° horizontal field of view by 26.8° vertical field of view, 5-15 Hz user-selectable frame rate and over 1.3 million points per second output rate, the HDL-64E provides all the distancing sensing data you'll ever need. That's pretty interesting. I would have thought that they needed data at a faster rate than 15fps.

That is interesting! Looking into it, the estimated response time to an unexpected event for an average human driver is 1.9 seconds (i.e. time to notice, look, evaluate, decide, react).[1] Of that, 50 ms or 1/20th of a second goes to just processing the visual chemical stimulus into a usable signal.[Awesome Dinosaur Comics link] So if the robocar is getting a frame every 66 ms, that's probably not a significant factor making it better or worse than a human driver -- it's certainly not the key factor to optimize. On the plus side, the robocar is constantly looking in all directions rather than having to refocus on unexpected events, and can send signals to the car instantly, so it saves a couple hundred ms on each end. It probably ends up with a good bit more time than an average human to make decisions.

Of course the robocar isn't allowed to drive like an average human. It'll have to drive like a perfect human. Seems like that should be doable.

[1] http://books.google.com/books?id=YkNY6gjxnMIC&lpg=PA396 [Awesome Dinosaur Comics link]http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1806

Re: How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

#39

Post by Robin_Message »

daenz wrote: post #26

> With its full 360° horizontal field of view by 26.8° vertical field of view, 5-15 Hz user-selectable frame rate and over 1.3 million points per second output rate, the HDL-64E provides all the distancing sensing data you'll ever need. That's pretty interesting. I would have thought that they needed data at a faster rate than 15fps.

I expect the forward and rear radar, well, the forward radar, are used on the highway where faster updates are necessary.

Human reaction time is only about 5-10fps, so its not like 15fps sensor acquisition is worse (assuming the machine can react very quickly once it has sensor input.)

Re: How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

#40

Post by ahuibers »

yread wrote: post #6

I wonder how long will it take till the price of something like this gets to reasonable levels. The lidar and other sensors probably won't get cheap anytime soon. Imagine the costs of Google having to drive through all the places first, mapping them. Then the massive insurance until its proven that self-driving cars are safer (and then it will probably get expensive again after a first accident) Perhaps it would make…

40 inch flat panels used to cost $40000 in higher volumes (production quantity) than LIDARs are shipping now. Now these panels cost ~$500 (and are better).
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