Googles Driverless Car Project

YIP, Chi Wai (Ray) (10414352)

LEUNG, Hong Kiu (Kimmy) (10238057)
YIU, Wing Hei (Adia) (10033500)
KAM, Xiner Elissa (10466850)
CHIANG, Joan (10474223)

ENGG1150
Spring 2013

When life becomes so hectic that

When such hectic turns out as

tragedies

Imagine

The Best of Both Worlds

Imagine no more

Driverless cars proven in a race

Agenda
Technologies Behind
Benefits

Self

Others

General Society

Adoption Challenges
Future Implication

Google Driverless Car Project

What?

When?

A project dedicated to development of driverless car technology

Informally since 2005
From 2010, by a formal team of 15 engineers from Google

Progress so far?

Google currently lobbying for driverless car laws in more states in

the US
Nevada as the 1st state having passed such law in mid-2011
(operation of driverless cars)
Florida and California as the 2 nd and 3rd state in early and late 2012
respectively (though limited to only testing purpose)
First and only license issued in Nevada in early 2012 to a Googleowned, modified Prius

Seeing is believing
Googles Driverless Car on TED by Sebastian Thrun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CyqfwStKZc
2:30 2:42

Technologies Behind

Devices involved
Laser sensor on the
roof
(1.5 million
measurements per
second)

Radar sensor in front

and rear bumpers

GPS
Self-learning Program
Settings of driving personalities

HD camera looking out and

inward from the windshield

Map of the surroundings

No blind spot e.g. pedestrian emerged from between

two parked cars

Constant mapping

Effective and efficient parking

Use of sensor

Measuring parking space available

Determining if there is sufficient space

Steering itself into the space

In essence, automatic search for suitable parking space

within designated area, and then execution

Beyond vision

Proven

Lombok Street - one of the steepest

and curviest streets worldwide

Benefits

1.Reduction in car accidents

Source: Annual Transport Digest 2012, Transport department

1.Reduction in car accidents

Source: Annual Transport Digest 2012, Transport department

1. Reduction in car accidents

Automated collision avoidance systems
Less fatalities
Avoid human errors
No sleepy, grumpy, texting humans

2.Optimal speed
Fuel efficient driving

Saves 10-15% fuel

Environmentally friendly

3.Efficient use of highways

Two-second rule

Source: Wikipedia.org

3.Efficient use of highways

Closer car-to-car distance

Less need for building more road lanes

4.Increase in productivity

5. City Expansion

6. Application in various
industry
Elimination of breaks in between
Lessen the burden of the truck
drivers

Taxi industry??

7. Saving of parking space

Independently
seek parking
Demand for
adjacent
parking
decrease
Conversion to
other land uses

8. Transportation will no longer

be a hindrance
The previously excluded
-The disabled
-The elderly
-Even the kids

Challenges
Cost Issue
Total cost: US$ 300,000
includes:
Laser system - $ 70,000
Hi-tech Equipment - $ 150,000
Estimated market of $ 2 Trillion in the US
alone
OVERVALUED Market?
Is it a US Opportunity?
Or a GOOGLE Opportunity?

Challenges

Driverless car still illegal in 50 states

But progress to accepting these cars is happening
Nevada Department of Transportation: developing regulations to
driverless cars with a goal for it to go mainstream

Challenges
Impacts on public transport
industry

Impacts on Taxi/ Public transport industry

Challenges
Environmental Issues
More Cars on the road..

Challenges
Technology &
Maintenance issues

Challenges
Technology & Privacy
Issues

Challenges

Challenges
Technology & Privacy
Issues

Challenges
Political & Regulatory Issues

Google?
Car Mechanics?
Car Owner?
Passenger?

who is to blame in an accident?

Challenges
Political & Regulatory Issues

Can passengers be intoxicated?

Challenges
Social Issues

WHO can be the driver?

Age Limits?
Driving licenses?

Challenges
Social Issues
The Joy of Driving

Challenges
Social Issues
Psychological Barriers
Radical Concepts

Future Implication

Does the Innovation make the

product more profitable?

Short Term
- Difficult to make this innovation profitable as the
technology requires expensive sensors,
computing power and software.
- Market is still small needs time to grow
- Issue of economies of scale

Long Term
- Demand is higher. Automated driving means
more people can use cars, and more cars can be
fitted safely on roads.
More profitable because of cost saving
- Cars dont have to be as robust (Less accidents)
- More time as passengers, so they are less aware
of how well a car performs. (Manufacturers
change focus)

Use of Wifi (incl. 3G) technology

Critical criteria
(in order of
significance)

Wif

Bluetooth

Range

300 feet+

~30 feet

Security

Higher
(if configured properly)

Lower

Interconnectivity Higher
with relevant
(server/network concept)
stakeholders

Lower
(device-to-device concept)

Cost

Higher
(yet acceptable)

Lower

Overall

Better

Worse

Disruptive Innovation

Or sustaining transformational
innovation?

Sources
No Hands, No Feet: My Unnerving Ride In Google's Driverless Car
http
://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2013/03/21/no-hands-no-feet-my-unnerving-ride-in-g
oogles-driverless-car
/
Google Cars Drive Themselves, in Traffic
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/science/10google.html
Fasten Your Seatbelts: Google's Driverless Car Is Worth Trillions
http
://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2013/01/22/fasten-your-seatbelts-googles-driverless-ca
r-is-worth-trillions
/
How Google's Self-Driving Car Works
http://jalopnik.com/5851324/how-googles-self+driving-car-works

Sources
How will driverless cars affect our cities?
http://cityminded.org/how-will-driverless-cars-affect-our-cities- 6526

Look, no hands
http
://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21576224-one-day-every-car-may-come-invisible-chauffeur-looknohands

Fasten Your Seatbelts: Google's Driverless Car Is Worth Trillions

http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2013/01/22/fasten-your-seatbelts-googles-driverless-car-is-worthtrillions/

How Google's Self-Driving Car Works

http://jalopnik.com/5851324/how-googles-self+driving-car-works

Appendix