<Tesla's Autopilot Cars>
In October 2014, Elon Musk's electric-car company began rolling out sedans with a dozen ultrasonic sensors discreetly placed around both bumpers and sides. The sensors are there to help avoid collisions and Tesla nicknamed it Autopilot. Autopilot is a self-driving car that can drive itself without a manpower controlling it. In these autopilot cars, the devices such as GPS and camera that can recognize traffic signs. Attaching a laser scanner on the top of the car, autopilot cars are also able to shun the passing cars and to operate within the speed limit. Not only this, but also the technology that can adjust the distance between the cars is also being studied. Unfortunately, there was one casualty caused from the use of Tesla's autopilot car as the system is premature yet. Tesla claimed that users are always should be in a position where they can take over the system by placing both of their hands on a handle for unforeseen occurrences.
<Relation to Computer Science>
Tesla's autopilot cars are getting smarter everyday as one Tesla car experiences a situation that is new to it, it updates the information about the incidence in its system. Then, the information is sent to the all Teslas around the world as all of their system is linked in one. Once the car is systematically programmed, it never forgets the information and is able to manage itself if the same situation happens next time. These are programmed by engineers and programmers but computers never makes mistake once the information is inputted. Therefore, autopilot cars would be able to save so many lives as more than 90 percent of auto accidents are caused by human error.
<References>
1. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/600772/10-breakthrough-technologies-2016-tesla-autopilot/
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Boj11jEZw
3. http://www.cs.utexas.edu/news/2012/driving-autopilot
3. http://www.cs.utexas.edu/news/2012/driving-autopilot
Hi Ji Min, Thanks for sharing this really cool topic with us. I think that it is really fascinating how much was involved in building these self-driving cars and the number of algorithms to counter all possibilities that went into the project. I found another video that deals this time with Google's self-driving cars. At 0:53, you can see 3D representations of the images captured by movement-sensitive sensors. The car can even process the signal of a police officer and interpret its significance! The video further mentions the discrepancy between today's incredibly advanced technology and the archaic judicial definition of an automobile and the agency of the driver in the law. What do you think of this contradiction? Will the law eventually recognize the agency of these self-driving cars?
ReplyDeleteThis update to the Tesla S is quite intriguing. I am especially impressed with how the 17" central interface appears, and the way applications like maps look across this screen. I also think that Tesla is leading the car industry into a time of updating cars without introducing new models. This allows Tesla to nearly perfect their models since their cars are user tested.
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