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Full-Size Remote Control Cars
cylonlover writes "Thanks to efforts of groups such as Google, Oxford University, BMW and Continental, we're getting closer and closer to the advent of autonomous cars – vehicles that drive themselves, with the human 'driver' pretty much just along as a passenger. Researchers at Germany's Technische Universität München, however, are looking at taking things a step further. They're developing remote-control cars that could travel along city streets with no one in them at all, their operator located somewhere far away."
Having a human to control the car makes it relatively EASY compared to autonomous. Whether there is a human in the autonomous car or not makes no difference. Of course it's still a technically challenging undertaking... drivers rely on being able to look behind them to check blind spots etc but a well designed remote would be able to give the driver all the info and control he'd need. Then it's just a matter of latency and control design.
Human drivers operating remotely is really a step in a different direction. It isn't moving past autonomous vehicles.
You could replace the remote humans with remote computers and it would be a form of autonomous vehicle.
In any case, given how often my cell phone drops signal while I'm driving I'm not sure I would want one of... oops...
sdfdxcal
[CARRIER LOST]
Too much sophistication. Not much practical....
can be end being very unsafe (with if it stops on rail road tracks) or any other number of unsafe places also can make some big jam ups let's say it stops on an 1 lane ramp?.
I trust software more than I trust most drivers these days.
How feasible is something like this for long-haul trucking I wonder. Then the drivers wouldn't have to be away from home for weeks on end -- they could just sit in what amounts to a simulator room that was setup like a real cab with numerous cameras to give you normal vision and maybe some force-feedback.
I assume the eventual future will be monotonous stuff like long-haul trucking will all be automated.
Just what we need. Drones on the road.
Also don't even think about roaming with this as let's say $10-$20 an meg and ruining an car at $10 per minute (based on an very low data use of an 1 meg per minute is unworkable able let's say it more like 5-10 meg an minute that's like $500-$1000 in 60 minutes you bill is at the price of an NEW CAR!!.
Even at $10 per GB (usa no slow down rates) can still add up to like $10 per an little over 1.30 hours and that is not counting any other costs.
Anyone else immediately think of the remote control car from Tomorrow Never Dies?
These days you could run the remote app on just about any smartphone...
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
I wouldn't be surprised if UPS would be interested. Trucker gets tired just hand off. No more potty breaks etc.
I'm interested in the security and reliability of the connection. Cloud cover, overpasses, etc etc. Although I suppose you could combine a little auto driving in there like auto breaking and dealing with being cutoff. I don't think you could react fast enough remotely...plus if you wrecked the impact is less for you so you might get lazy.
at the basic level all you will need is some cell phone jamming and at the harder going after the control centers.
I've always wondered who operates the airport concourse subways and trams. There's no visible driver. Is it totally automated? Are they monitored remotely?
At first sight it doesn't sound really efficient, with empty cars driving around, but there could be new kind of shopping. Drive through malls where stuff is thrown into the empty car which can then be driven back home. Or how about a nice day at the beach with friends, in 5.1 surround and 360 degree vision? Maybe later models have more audio channels too. Next step could be to use car stereo system to transmit voice. There will be a boom in the car audio retail.
DARPA's grand challenge had the cars unmanned. Totally autonomous, no human control, no one in the vehicle. Remote control of them would be easier than that. DARPA's goal at the time was to have supply trucks for the US Army to move around with like drones, so they wouldn't risk soldiers to IEDs.
Ol' Rick Dawson had a farm EIEIO
Fit three clunkers with actuators on steering wheel, horn, pedals, stick and connect them to an RC car receiver
Put cameras inside it.
Put cars in Dunsfold Park circuit
Give Jeremy, Richard and Dave one RC car controller each.
Make funny Top Gear Episode while the clunkers are trashed.
still need some to pickup and drop packages and remote drivers will cost more then just an driver doing it all.
I could stay home while driving to work.
small track runs and in places only 1 train on each track.
Grant already modded several cars with remote control so that they can do dangerous stuff to the car without hurting themselves. Now, mind you, he did it as a human replacement (levers and pistons that operate the brake, gas pedals and gear box), rather than having the logic built into the car, but the idea is already there.
That's what would be a step further. Being able to direct my car to come pick me up and not bother me with the details of how it got there.
Remotely piloted vehicles might useful for long haul trucking. It would be easier to drive in shifts this way if the drivers did not have to be physically present. They could even get a decent "night"'s sleep in a bed when not driving.
Please replace "taking things a step further"
with "trying something a bit easier"
As many have said this is in no way a step forward from autonomous. How many times have the Mythbusters done this already?? (Albeit not from a distant location, but big deal)
Now you do not have to distract yourself from watching Google-provided ads while you're driving.
Get your computer hands off my steering wheel, I like driving my car!
You are an ass. You took The MAZZTer's post, bitched about it's grammar and then went a rewrote it yourself which scored you a +5. You're a karma whore. DIAF. I modded both your posts down.
If a truck is moving at 100km/hour, that equates to 27.8 m/second. So a half second latency will mean about 13m error. I hope the big, safe, remote controlled truck wasn't coming into a turn then. If may cause it to cross the lane divider and squish someone. This is a much worse scenario than merely stopping and blocking traffic.
Like food, this sig will also pass
can be end being very unsafe (with if it stops on rail road tracks) or any other number of unsafe places also can make some big jam ups let's say it stops on an 1 lane ramp?.
It will be piloted by predator drone operators and will carry explosives, tested in Iraq, perfected in Afghanistan, sold throughout the world, by Target, get it?
The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.
The point of having a car is to get me from point A to point B. An autonomous car I can understand. For those too dim to drive. But what would be the point of me sitting at home while directing my car all over town? I mean if I've got to sit with a wheel in my hand, I might as well be sitting in the driver's seat.
The application proposed by TFA (delivering rental cars) still requires paying a (remote) driver for the one way trip. Might as well have one person drive a car carrier and drop vehicles off where needed.
Have gnu, will travel.
Similar is done in many remote applications already, basically if it is capable of handling all short term decisions, just like the fancy cars today. Some cars can already stop on their own before hitting the car in front, avoid crossing lane lines (in a corner or straight), park in a parking space... The more difficult things like, can I run over that plastic bag/tumbleweed, is it solid or a important life. Can I drive on the shoulder around the debris in the road. Is that a wet road ahead. Are the cars blocking my way ever going to move, or do I need to maneuver around. Construction took away the lane markers, what now? Having a autonomous 4 seat car that could shuttle people around continuously, without having 25% of the car capacity being consumed for the driver as a possible huge plus. Especially with cars with a limited range (electric for example) where all the chargers are full at your desired destination, but it can go 4 miles to the nearest open charger, and come back charged. (or not hog a charger for my 8 hour work shift, if it took 2 hours to get its fill.)
:-D
Now I know the plot of the next Grand Theft Auto: Reality Edition!
who prays for Satan? Who in 18 centuries has had the humanity to pray for the 1 sinner that needed it most? ~Mark Twain
I saw them testing this on Top Gear.
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Live Action GTA
Oh hell no, as a cyclist I know that drivers take enough risks with MY life even when they're in the car and I can confront the idiots 50 yards down the road at the lights.
How can police see if the driver is drunk, old enough, awake, not playing tetris etc.
No fucking way, I will **censored** if a remotely driven car comes anywhere near me.
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