A few weeks ago, we wrote a blog about Google’s latest invention of the self-driving car. So today, to keep in line with the invention idea of self-driving cars and innovation, we are going to talk about the Cruise RP-1, which is a system that is an autopilot tool for the road.

This invention works in a way that once the system is installed, a driver can simply press the Cruise button, which then allows the driver to travel on a highway without having to touch the steering wheel or foot pedals. This innovative invention ensures that the car stays in the lane and maintains a safe distance between itself and the car in front of it. Furthermore, the Cruise RP-1 also can stop and navigate a car through stop-and-go traffic.

This invention will be fitted to nearly any vehicle. Additionally, there is a roof-mounted “sensor pod” that will contain two cameras, a radar mechanism, GPS, inertial sensors and an on-board computer, as well as actuators that will control the car’s steering, acceleration and braking actions. The Cruise RP-1 will use all of these software/hardware combinations to constantly scan the road, in order to keep the car operating within a safe distance from other cars and the boundaries that are present in the driving environment.

In addition to the car system, the Cruise also will feature an iOS app that will allow the driver to see what the system can see in real-time. This will be done through Wi-Fi and the app will provide a graphic that will display the cars that are detected around the driver.

As of right now, this invention is scheduled to be released for a limited rollout in California sometime in 2015!

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

http://mashable.com/2014/06/23/cruise-hands-free-driving/

http://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-autopilot-startup-2014-6

The post This Invention is Cruising Towards Innovation appeared first on Davison.

Despite the fact that Google has been developing self-driving cars for years, they recently unveiled a fully autonomous self-driving car which was built from the ground up with their partners.

So, how does a self-driving car work? For starters, there is no steering wheel, accelerator or brakes. Although a car with no steering wheel doesn’t seem like the safest mode of transportation, Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder, said that a custom-built self-driving car can be safe. The safety factor can be found in the sensors that are located in strategic spots on the car as well as a big “stop” button. Additionally, Google’s autonomous car includes internal power steering, power brakes, foam bumper, a flexible plastic windshield and a 5 mile-per-hour speed limit for pedestrian safety.

So far, the gray prototype raises the comparison of a classic Volkswagen Bug. By the end of 2014, Google plans to build a few hundred prototypes and begin testing these invention prototypes on the roads of Northern California. These pricey prototypes are equipped with lasers, cameras, radar and GPS systems.  Each of the vehicle prototypes that will be tested will carry a human safety tester who will have the capability to take over the vehicle by way of a joystick in the event of an emergency.

Additionally, Google has already mapped out thousands of miles in a Silicon Valley suburb and has already done initial mapping in unnamed cities and states such as Florida and Texas.

These maps will tell the car what to expect and its (on-board) sensors will compare that to the real world. To date, the worst accident involved a Google car getting rear-ended. In fact, Google cites that 90 percent of accidents involve human error.

As we always say, any good invention goes through a myriad of revisions throughout the inventing process and the Google self-driving car is no different. As time goes on, issues like the high cost of technology, its sensitivity to hackers who could reprogram a car’s route and serious weather among others all raise design and development concerns that need to be addressed.

At any rate, this is invention is driving invention. Here is a quick video of Google’s self-driving vehicle in motion:

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

http://mashable.com/2014/05/27/google-self-driving-car/

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-28/sergey-brin-s-googlecar-no-steering-wheel-no-brakes

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/05/13/google-self-driving-car-demo-mountain-view/9046385/

Media:

http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2014-05-28/0528_google_car_970-630×420.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqSDWoAhvLU

The post Google’s Invention is ‘Driving’ Innovation appeared first on Davison.