When cars first started rumble, people called them "horseless carriages". This term makes sense: the vehicles at the time were like horse-drawn carriages, except that there were no horses. When the term "car" became popular, the invention had become a whole new thing. For more than a century, it has reshaped the way of life of mankind (including where and with whom mankind lives). This cycle has restarted, and "self-driving cars" will soon be as outdated as "horseless carriages". We do not yet know what impact those cars that do not require human drivers will have on society, but we can be sure that similar changes will happen.
And where will autonomous driving go in the future? Let's review the past of autonomous driving through a set of photos:
1、Stanford Cart
People have been dreaming of self-driving cars for nearly a century, and the first "self-driving" car that is generally recognized is the Stanford Cart. It was first built in 1961. In the early 1970s, it could use cameras and early artificial intelligence systems to bypass obstacles. But the big problem it faces is that it takes 20 minutes to move one meter.
2 、 NavLab 5
In 1995, Carnegie Mellon University researchers Todd Jochem and Dean Pomerleau drove a 1990 Pontiac Trans Sport equipped with autonomous driving-NavLab 5 crossing United States. For nearly 3,000 miles, the truck is indeed driving autonomously. The windshield camera is used to find the lane line, and humans are responsible for stepping on the accelerator and braking.
3、Sandstorm
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the US Department of Defense organized a competition inviting companies and people from all over the world to build an autonomous vehicle that can traverse the Mojave Desert in California. Although none of the finalists can complete the journey. This game created a group of geeks, dreamers, etc., who firmly believe that it is possible for robots to be drivers. The best performing car is the Sandstorm from Carnegie Mellon University, a Hummer equipped with a camera, laser scanner, and radar. The vehicle also has a 1,000-pound box full of electronic equipment to make it easier to ride on the rugged Find the driving route in the terrain.
4、Stanley
When the U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency held another race in 2005, five vehicles completed all the distance. The fastest is Stanley of Stanford University. It is a Volkswagen Touareg that uses modern standard cameras, radars and laser scanners. It relies heavily on machine learning to understand the data it collects and decide how to drive.
5、Boss
The third and final competition held by the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency was the 2007 Urban Challenge, which was held on an abandoned air force base. This time, the Boss manufactured by Carnegie Mellon University and General Motors took the first place. This is a Chevrolet Tahoe equipped with various sensors, which is very "aggressive" but does not violate traffic rules. Like all top self-driving cars, it uses a new radar laser scanning system that can provide a 360-degree detailed view.
6. Google Prius
In 2009, Google’s Larry Page asked Sebastian Thrun, the creator of Stanley at Stanford University, to build him a self-driving car and asked him to build a self-driving car in California. Test on 1000 miles of highway to solve the problems that may be encountered. After recruiting the best talents in the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency competition, Tren assembled a Prius with the necessary sensors (parameters | pictures). A year and a half later, the team conquered "Larry's 1,000-kilometer mission."
7. Google Firefly
In the next few years, Google has the right to speak in the field of self-driving cars, gradually pushing technology to a point where the auto industry cannot ignore it. In 2014, it used Firefly to clearly express its rejection of human drivers (others call it koala, or pod, etc.), which is a car without a steering wheel and pedals. Three years later, this self-driving team separated from Google and established Waymo. Then Firefly retired, and Waymo began to switch to production cars such as the Chrysler Pacifica (parameters | pictures).
8. Mercedes F 015
By 2015, large automakers finally started to take self-driving technology seriously. Mercedes-Benz (doing a lot of self-driving research in the 1980s) released a futuristic concept car F 015 at CES. The window of the vehicle can be used as a touch screen, and it is also provided for those who dare not let go steering wheel. The car is expected to be shipped in 2030.
9. Chevrolet Bolt (no steering wheel)
11 years after helping Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Urban Challenge, General Motors released a Chevrolet Bolt electric car with neither a steering wheel nor a pedal. General Motors will launch this car as a self-driving taxi sometime in 2019.
10. Toyota e-Palette
Soon, automation technology will free automotive designers from today’s limitations. Toyota explores the future through e-Palette, a platform for vehicles that can do anything, from carrying passengers to delivering pizza to being a mobile hotel or medical center. This is one of the boldest products to date-we are moving towards a world where cars are more than just things we drive.