autonomous ground vehicle methods

Wire guideance, doppler radar... rationalisation of road and junction signalling system, speed control, close coupling of vehicles in convoy, sensible automatic maximum speeds, plenty of special stopping bays and carparks. Sensible car design in terms of bump protection, e.g all bumpers (fenders) at the same height...change in attitude to vehicles... bigger isn't better... cars which interact with eachother.

Well, we might begin by using some of this technology.

well, this does answer some of the questions that I had, but how about the grand race that DARPA is making, and how about its last winner, stanford's stanley. I know that it used gps, a sophisticated laser sensing software and hardware, and not to mention it's previously powered driving software that required six M type processor computers to properly work.

Check out DARPA website. They just had a competition for autonomous vehicles.

Hi,

none of these will work except in a military environment where you can accept 1 to 10 losses or more in any mission. The military are allowed to waste money - better than shooting at living targets.

I will turn on my microwave with a parabolic antenna if something like this car is going to approach.

If this does not work there may be a fine spray of black paint to blind the sensors.

Next stage may be a pulsed arc 10cm long 1 to 10 KA.

And you may find a pulse magnetron for may be 100MW from a fighter aircraft.

Or you can switch to some type of modern slavery.

RHABE

What type of technology? Thats an easy answer we've all most likly played with a toy that solves this very question. Does anybody remeber electric slot car racing as a child. It's fuuny to think that the answer to our transpertation woes is sitting in front of a 4 year old child. We could all be driving electric cars with unlimited range paying for electic consumption with a combination technology of an electric meter and a toll road pay pass. One day my experiments will be noticed.

it's been done and worked in testing, but only if all cars had it, not just one.

First bury magnets in the road, then place sensors in the cars to find and follow the magnets. or other such pick up, like strips in your credit card

Next use existing sensors in cars for spacing, cars can get much closer to each other at higher speeds without human error as a factor, eliminating traffic tie ups.

then use the same computer that changes traffic light to control access to the road by talking to the car's computer.

been done UCT Automotive has the patent

So what your saying is that we have the technology but it's goverment and there greedy oil stained hands that keep it from production. Seems like we who contribute to this and other forums on CR4 need to be the ones who make the change we are the Engineer's of the world with out us there is no future.

How much would such a system reduce the cost of cars and the taxes required to build and maintain our road and street infrastructure. It is a nice thought but frightfully expensive and it doesn't meet the needs of the person who enjoys driving.
Imagine buying a Lamboughini, Jaguar, Corvette, etc and instead of a steering wheel and shift lever you get an on-off switch and a navigation console where you enter your destination, the GPS already knows where you are.

Could have toll highways for "off the grid" vehicles. "Standard" thoroughfares could require guided operation only. Would seem to be especially useful for longer routes where it may also be useful for reducing accidents from driver fatique and error with large trucks.

So what happens if the car wants to do a Uwee and go the other way?

Technology exists for guiding a vehicle. Wire guided, camera vision systems, sonar, radar, GPS, etc. have all been used successfully. The difficulty in developing a self guided vehicle lies in the safety systems. Looking out for pedestrians, cyclists, animals, pot holes, low hanging obstructions, etc.

Then there are liability issues. Even if it could be proven that a self guided vehicle is safer, the company that offers it would be attacked by the legal community when one of the infrequent accidents did occur.