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Ford Tests Its Self-Driving Car In Total Darkness Using LiDAR Tech (fortune.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Using a combination of radar, cameras, and light-sensitive radar called LiDAR, one of Ford's self-driving cars has successfully navigated a winding road at night and without headlights. LiDAR works by emitting short pulses of laser light -- 2.8 million laser pulses a second -- so that the vehicle's software can create a real-time, high-definition 3D image of what's around it to determine the best driving path. Ford's self-driving cars come equipped with high-definition 3D maps, which include information about road markings, signs, geography, landmarks, and topography. If a vehicle isn't able to see the ground due to inclement conditions, it will detect above-ground landmarks to locate itself on the map. Ford's self-driving cars equipped with the LiDAR radar system are particularly noteworthy because they can operate without the usual cameras that depend on sunshine and street lamps.
What happens when all the other cars around it are also emitting the same pattern?
Even during the day it can't be that much of a problem. FARO and other such LiDAR scanners work fine outside. I always figured these self driving cars were using the same sort of lasers (near-infrared).
What's impressive is the fact that Ford knows the average buyer would think this is impressive. I mean... it's a car driving in total darkness. Revert to your kid self for a minute and pretend you don't know how any of this works...
"Hey that's pretty cool. I bet Kitt could do that. Now I can pretend to be Michael Knight!"