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Bloggerized by Nauman Khan

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Bloggerized by Nauman Khan

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Google car: Self driven car prototype by google


Google showcases its latest self-driving car prototype, allowing members of the public to be taken for a spin
Google unveiled a brand new self-driving car prototype on Tuesday; the first company to build a car with no a steering wheel, accelerator or brake pedal.
The car's arrival marks the next stage in Google’s self-driving car project, which was born from the Darpa Grand Challenges for robotic vehicles in the early 2000s. Google kickstarted its own self-driving car project in 2008, and it has been rumbling on ever since, first with modified Toyota Prius and then with customised Lexus SUVs, which took the car’s existing sensors, such as the cruise-control cameras, and added a spinning laser scanner on the top.

What is it?

Google's self-driving car
Google's self-driving car taking a spin around a car park Photograph: Google
It is the first truly driverless electric car prototype built by Google to test the next stage of its five-year-old self-driving car project. It looks like a cross between a Smart car and a Nissan Micra, with two seats and room enough for a small amount of luggage.
It is the first real physical incarnation of Google’s vision of what a self-driving car of the near future could be.

Where is it?

It operates in and around California, primarily around the Mountain View area where Google has its headquarters.

What does it do?

It ferries two people from one place to another without any user interaction. The car is summoned by a smartphone for pick up at the user’s location with the destination set. There is no steering wheel or manual control, simply a start button and a big red emergency stop button. In front of the passengers there is a small screen showing the weather, the current speed and a small countdown animation to launch.
Once the journey is done, the small screen displays a message to remind you to take your personal belongings – reinforcing that this is not aiming to be a substitute for your personal car at the moment, but more as a replacement for the taxi without the human driver.

What’s it like?

Google's self-driving car
The go button right next to the big red emergency stop button, just in case. Photograph: Google
Very few people outside of Google have been allowed to ride in the new car. Most of the people depicted in Google’s promotional videos for the new car described the experience as “smooth” and “nothing that feels the least bit threatening”.
Kara Swisher and Liz Gannes from technology site Recode were one of the few independent test riders, who described the car as having “ample” room despite being small, likely due to the lack of the normal controls taking up space in the cabin, and "that this felt a lot like a theme park ride".

Who built it?

Google has designed the car from scratch, starting with the sensors and a frame to interconnect them, then adding a cabin that does not block any of the sensors or create blind spots and eventually the body shell. The manufacturing of the 100 or so prototype cars will be done by a firm in the Detroit area, but Google declined to comment on which.

How does it work?

Powered by an electric motor with around a 100 mile range, the car uses a combination of sensors and software to locate itself in the real world combined with highly accurate digital maps. A GPS is used, just like the satellite navigation systems in most cars, to get a rough location of the car, at which point radar, lasers and cameras take over to monitor the world around the car, 360-degrees.
The software can recognise objects, people, cars, road marking, signs and traffic lights, obeying the rules of the road and allowing for multiple unpredictable hazards, including cyclists. It can even detect road works and safely navigate around them.
Google's self-driving car
Google's self-driving car being built in Detroit. Photograph: Google
The new prototype has more sensors fitted to it that can see further (up to 600 feet in all directions) and in greater detail than the ones available on the previous repurposed Lexus and Toyota vehicles.

How safe is it?

The new car is the next evolution of Google’s self-driving car. While the new frame is untested, the company’s previous versions have clocked up over 700,000 miles of testing on public roads, mainly around California, including over 1,000 miles of driving in the most complex situations and cities like San Francisco’s hills and busy streets.
The car itself is limited to 25 mph, which restricts it to certain roads, but also minimises the kinetic energy it could carry into a crash if one should happen. The front of the car is also made to be as kind to pedestrians as possible with a foam bumper and a flexible windscreen that is designed to absorb energy from an impact with a person’s body.
Seat belts are also provided – a safety requirement for vehicles on the road – while the car has redundant systems, a “fault-tolerant architecture” as Google calls it, for both steering and braking, should the primary systems fails; plus that emergency stop button that passengers can hit at any time.
Google has also taken the data and behaviours it learned from its previous vehicles to create a defensive, considerate driving style that is meant to protect both the passengers and other road users. For instance, the car will wait a second after the traffic lights turn green before it moves off, although this could incur the anger of drivers stuck behind it.
Google also says that making it drive in a natural and predictable way has been one of the key goals, so that it behaves in a familiar way on the road for other drivers.
Google's self-driving car
A laser sensor on the roof constantly scans the surroundings. Photograph: Google

Why now?

Google says it has gone as far as it can with the current customised vehicles and that a new platform is needed to take the project and technology to the next step and closer to a product people can actually use.
For instance, the previous generation Lexus vehicle had blind spots right up against the car where the sensors couldn’t see, something that needs to be eliminated in any vehicle open to the public.
The cars will first be used to test the software driving the car and push its capabilities. Google says at some point, when it deems its software safe, it will start putting real people into the cars beyond Google engineers. It will use the cars in a similar manner to the company’s Google Glass explorer programme, analysing how people use them and what works and what doesn’t.

Why do damn cute?

The car’s cute looks and friendly “face” were created intentionally to be “very Googley” according to its designers, to put both other road users and passengers at ease with the new technology. The shell is also designed to give the sensors the best view of the surroundings.

Why does it still look like a car on the inside?

The new car has two traditional car seats, primarily because in this iteration passengers have to be strapped in like they would in any other car to meet safety regulations, which means using standard seat belts. It also provides a more familiar passenger experience, which at this stage is likely important to aid adoption.

Is this something I’m going to be able to buy?

Google’s vision for this kind of self-driving car isn’t an exact replacement for the one parked outside your home. They are designed to be more like shared vehicles, possibly within a family or more likely as a replacement for taxis.
Google's self-driving car
The front of the car is designed to absorb as much of the impact as possible with a pedestrian, if one ever happens. Photograph: Google
These cars are still very much in the early prototype stage still, and Google is still trying to figure out how to make a product out of the technology, how much it is likely to cost and when it will be available.
Apparently it will not have ads according to Google, although whether it’ll eventually have a small screen like some taxis now that plays video adverts, who knows. That will likely be up to the operator rather than Google.

Who will build it for me?

Google is proving the technology, but it is unlikely to make the cars for sale once that technology is ready for the mass market. It has said in the past that it is actively seeking car manufacturing partners, which means we could see a Toyota, Ford or Fiat-made Google car in the future, but that is all very much still up in the air.

When can I get one?

Google says the cars should be road-ready by early next year, but that testing would take more than two years. At that point the technology will be ready for the next stage, which is likely to be greater pilot testing.
Current expectations are that these self-driving cars are at least five years away from being mature enough to create a real, non-prototype product, but it may be far longer until you can buy or hire one for personal use.

What about legislation?

One of the biggest hold-ups to the progression of the technology onto the open road of Britain, the US, Australia and the rest of the world will be legislation.
A law was passed in California over a year ago that made the testing and operation of self-driving vehicles on roads possible, as long as they had manual override controls. The Department of Motor Vehicles in California is expected to issue regulations on the operation of self-driving cars soon, after which self-driving cars may become a bit more common place.
However, there is still much to work out, primarily revolving around what a passenger in a self-driving car and can’t do – will they have to be able to take control at any moment, for instance – as well as questions around what happens when an accident happens, who is at fault and who pays.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Spy shots Of Future Cars



The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe sheds its camo

Check out the latest spy shots of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe that was shown in concept form at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Photos: 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe spy shots

View spy shots of the upcoming 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe.

The Mercedes CLA shooting brake frolics in the snow

We have crisp and clear shots of the new five-door Mercedes-Benz CLA, and it is quite the looker, regardless of whether it's a proper shooting brake or not.

Photos: Mercedes-Benz CLA Wagon Shooting Brake (Wagon) Spied

View spy shots of Mercedes-Benz's CLA Shooting Brake (wagon).

Audi S1 spied, but it won't be a Sport Quattro revival

Sorry, Audi rally fans. This S1 isn't the squared-off rally machine of the 1980s. Instead, it'll be a hotted-up tiny hatch that probably won't cross the pond.

This Jaguar SUV mule looks like an XF on stilts

Our spies caught a Jaguar SUV mule out in the wild, and while the result will be essentially a jacked-up XF, it won't look like this.

Spied: The 2015 BMW X5 M sans camouflage

We've spied the new BMW X5 M, mostly uncamouflaged, and it looks awesome. Everyone needs an SUV that can beat a Porsche 911 to 60 mph, right?

Photos: 2015 BMW X5 M Spy Shots

Check out these spy shots of the 2015 BMW X5 M without the camouflage.

The Mercedes CLA shooting brake frolics in the snow

We have crisp and clear shots of the new five-door Mercedes-Benz CLA, and it is quite the looker, regardless of whether it's a proper shooting brake or not.

Photos: Mercedes-Benz CLA Wagon Shooting Brake (Wagon) Spied

View spy shots of Mercedes-Benz's CLA Shooting Brake (wagon).

Audi S1 spied, but it won't be a Sport Quattro revival

Sorry, Audi rally fans. This S1 isn't the squared-off rally machine of the 1980s. Instead, it'll be a hotted-up tiny hatch that probably won't cross the pond.

Photos: Audi S1 spy shots

View spy shots of the new Audi S1.

New Mustang gets an EcoBoost four-cylinder, revised V8

Ford is ringing the SVO bell with the return of a four-cylinder turbo to the Mustang lineup. Good or bad decision?

Brace yourselves: More front-wheel-drive BMWs are coming

When the Concept Active Tourer first debuted in Paris last year, the internet lit up with concerns and commentary about BMW producing a front-wheel-drive ride. According to a company executive, it's the first of many.

This Jaguar SUV mule looks like an XF on stilts

Our spies caught a Jaguar SUV mule out in the wild, and while the result will be essentially a jacked-up XF, it won't look like this.

The 2015 Z06 Corvette is headed to NAIAS in Detroit

The C7 Corvette lineup is about to get a whole lot faster, lighter, and more powerful with the debut of the new Z06 next month.

Spied: The 2015 BMW X5 M sans camouflage

We've spied the new BMW X5 M, mostly uncamouflaged, and it looks awesome. Everyone needs an SUV that can beat a Porsche 911 to 60 mph, right?

Photos: 2015 BMW X5 M Spy Shots

Check out these spy shots of the 2015 BMW X5 M without the camouflage.

Audi announces plans to build Q1 CUV for 2016

Audi announces plans to build a rival for the Porsche Macan and the BMW X1.

2015 Mini Cooper variants rendered

The three-door model is just the beginning. The Mk3 Mini Cooper will spawn a massive range of variants.

Photos: 2015 Minis

View renderings of the new crowd of Minis that will come on the heels of the new 2015 Mini.

The five things you need to know about the 2014 Morgan 3 Wheeler

A better Morgan 3 Wheeler for 2014, but don't worry. It hasn't gone soft.

Ford teases next Mustang with sweet evolution video

Ford's new video gives us a glimpse of the past and a date for the future.

Photos: Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Spy Shots

View spy shots of the forthcoming replacement for the SLS AMG, the AMG GT.

Spied: Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz has killed off the SLS, and now, a possible SLS replacement has been spied in public. Meet the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT.

Spied: 2015 Lamborghini Cabrera

The last time we saw the new baby Lamborghini, it was wrapped in flat black. Now, it's nearly nude, and we've captured some close-ups.

Photos: Volvo V60 and S60 Polestar

View photos of the new Volvo V60 and S60 Polestar editions.

Confirmed: Volvo's V60 Polestar will be sold in the US

Volvo's new V60 Polestar Wagon looks like two tons of fun, and it's coming to America.

Mercedes-Benz CLA shooting brake caught testing in Europe

A CLA shooting brake is likely on its way, but will it make it to the US?

Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz CLA shooting brake

View spy shots of the CLA shooting brake.

Mercedes C-Class spied with no camo

We have the first shots of the upcoming Mercedes C-Class completely undisguise

Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz C Class uncovered

View spy shots of the new upcoming Mercedes-Benz C Class now fully uncovered.

WRX powertrain details leak out

Looks like the new WRX is getting one more gear for the manual, and a CVT for the first time.

Spy Shots: 2015 Hyundai Genesis

Check out the latest spy photos of the fully undisguised 2015 Hyundai Genesis out for a video shoot.

Jaguar gives the F-Type a turbo four cylinder

The Jaguar F-Type might just be getting another engine choice. If these spy shots are anything to go by, we certainly hope it becomes reality.

Spy Shots: Turbocharged 4-Cylinder Jaguar F-Type

These spy shots might reveal a cheaper, four-cylinder, turbocharged Jaguar F-Type

2014 BMW X3 M-Sport and X4 spotted

BMW readies its next salvo in the red-hot crossover wars. We've got pics.

Spy Shots: 2014 BMW X3 M-Sport and X4

Check out the spy shots of the 2014 BMW X3 M-Sport and X4 at Road and Track.

We have the first shots of the new 2015 Hyundai Genesis

The next-generation Hyundai Genesis is getting ready to debut, and we managed to catch an undisguised car at a recent photo shoot.

Ferrari LaFerrari spotted testing at the Nurburgring

Ferrari sends the LaFerrari into enemy territory at the Nurburgring.

Photos: Ferrari LaFerrari Nurburgring Spy Shots

The supercar arms race is picking up at the Nurburgring. This Ferrari LaFerrari was spied testing on the giant circuit.

Daihatsu's revised Copen - the Concept Kopen

Daihatsu is adding another kei car to the mix with the Concept Kopen. These small, Japanese roadsters are starting to look seriously appealing.

Prototypes take flight at the Nurburgring

With the season for testing coming to a close at the Nurburgring, check out a few choice shots from Flugplatz of Prototypes trying to defy gravity.

Spied: 2015 BMW M3

One lucky motorcyclist gets a front-row view of the undisguised 2015 BMW M3. Take a look at the completely uncovered four-door.

2015 BMW M3 Spy Shots

We've ridden in it, and we've seen it up close, but never without camouflage. Then a motorcyclist stumbled upon the 2015 BMW M3 shooting a video in California, with all the disguise dropped. Here it is.

New Ferrari FF coupe renderings, this time in color

The newest renderings of the Ferrari FF coupe have been leaked. Is this how the FF should have been done in the first place?

Spied: the 2015 Mustang Convertible

As the 2015 Mustang gets closer to its big reveal, our spies have come through with the first shots of the pony car with its top down.

2015 Ford Mustang Convertible

We've sourced some spy shots of the 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible with its top down

Cadillac ATS-V Coupe

We have the first spy shots of the new ATS-V coupe. You look now.

Cadillac ATS-V Coupe: The spy shots you want to see

We have the first spy shots of the new ATS-V coupe. You'll want to drop everything and take a look at the American coupe that's going to put the Germans on notice.

Slideshow: 2015 SRT Challenger "HellCat"

From our newest round of spy photos, it looks as though SRT has struck back at the Camaro ZL1, Z/28, and the Shelby GT500 with this – meet the Challenger SRT HellCat.

The Challenger SRT HellCat cometh

From our newest round of spy photos, it looks as though SRT has struck back at the Camaro ZL1, Z/28, and the Shelby GT500 with the Challenger SRT HellCat.

2015 Audi TT Spy Shots

It's finally been caught testing: here's the 2015 Audi TT. Details are still scarce right now, but it's known that the next TT will ride on the MQB modular architecture shared with the Audi A3 and VW Golf. Have a look at the next-gen 2-seater now!

BMW 2 Series details leak in South Africa

BMW South Africa has soured BMW plans to keep 2 Series details, including the hot M235i, under wraps until Detroit.

2014 Nismo GT-R Spy Shots

Nissan is attempting to break the Nürburgring lap record with the 2014 NISMO GT-R. Check out these prototype spy shots.

Lamborghini Cabrera spy shots

We've been waiting ten years for these spy shots, and now we've got them. Check out the Gallardo's replacement, the Lamborghini Cabrera, out testing.