Will Driverless Cars Ever Look Normal?

"MojoMotors.com" (MojoMotors)
10/09/2014 at 10:35 • Filed to: driverless cars, google, lidar, autonomous vehicles

In a Mojo Motors poll, 4 out of 5 people said they would not buy an autonomous car if it were on the market today. Even early adopters might be wary of buying a driverless car. It's tough looking past the unusual design language and that big do-hicky on the roof that looks like a rotor-less helicopter motor.

To be fair, the Google's prototype would be blind without that chunky equipment which is the Lidar detector, the eyes of the driverless car. In its current form, Lidar (Light Detection And Ranging) may be unsightly, but the technology is critical to autonomous cars. It provides a detailed 3D map of the vehicle's surroundings in real time. This data is run through algorithms that allow the vehicle to identify and react to minute signals such as when a biker signals a lefthand turn.

The Silicon-Valley based company, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , is at the forefront of Lidar development. Over the years, the company has been systematically miniaturizing the Lidar component that is required for autonomous vehicles. Not only that, but they are working to reduce costs and size in order to bring their product to the masses.

Earlier this month, the company announced the launch of the VLP-16 'puck' Lidar sensor that can fit in your hand. At $7,999 this is the first viable product to be offered under ten thousand dollars. In a conversation with Mojo Motors, Velodyne's Director of Sales and Marketing, Wolfgang Juchmann, said "the introduction of Velodyne's very compact (and very affordable) LiDAR Puck, we believe we can satisfy both sides the equation."

Paul Nadjarian, founder and CEO of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , is also optimistic about the economic implications of the Puck. He commented, "driverless vehicles won't be approachable for the average consumer until the technology is affordable. The Velodyne puck marks a significant step towards that goal." Paul likened the adoption of autonomous vehicles to electric cars saying, "a lot of people want to own a Tesla, but the current models are way too expensive for the mass market. The same will be true for driverless cars until autonomous technology is cheap and plentiful."

Currently, Google uses the HDL-64E model to outfit its !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! autonomous test vehicles. It is also the most capable model by far, delivering mapping data at rates satisfactory for spreadsheet worshippers in Mountain View. The problem lies in the fact that a Lexus with an HDL-64E looks about as normal as a millennial wearing Google Glass.

Some auto manufacturers are experimenting with other options. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is currently performing tests on a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! research vehicle equipped with an array of four HDL-32E detectors. As with the Google vehicles, the detectors are mounted on a metal frame housed on the roof of the car. Although the 32E is significantly less bulky than its big brother, the Fusion's Lidar array still stands out like a sore e-thumb.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! has also utilized the Velodyne Lidar in their concept car called EN-V 2.0 (Electric Networked Vehicle). It uses a single HDL-32E component mounted on the roof. As opposed to the Google cars with their massive arrays, the EN-V 2.0 succeeds in incorporating the Lidar into the design of the vehicle. The difference is that the EN-V2 still requires a driver in the driver seat. It is capable of performing most tasks without driver intervention, but not all.

Soon, Lidar technology will likely be miniaturized to the point where devices no longer protrude conspicuously from the roof of the vehicle. Remember those massive radio antennae every car used to have? They were fun because they went "twang" but they were unsightly. Today, automakers have hid radio antennae and satellite receivers in small cases on the rear of the car or within the body of the vehicle.

Many luxury vehicles, as well as some models offered by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , contain forward-looking radars installed behind the grill. These radars monitor the speed and distance of vehicles up ahead and feed the data to adaptive cruise control and breaking systems. Considering the progress that Velodyne has already made in this burgeoning field, it seems likely that the company will find a way to contain a fully functional Lidar device within the body of the automobile.

Juchmann suggested that this might be possible with the newly introduced puck. "The sensor's diminutive size enables designers to effectively hide it within the body of the car — for example, in the side-view mirrors or the A-pillars, much as satellite radio roof antennas have taken on a streamlined, almost stylish, look."

Despite the protuberant nature of its current offerings, Velodyne's LiDAR systems are designed with a minimalist aesthetic that would please even Steve Jobs and Johnny Ives. Several older Velodyne models are on display in the Smithsonian Institution's permanent robotics collection and they're only getting better. Along with being significantly smaller than its predecessor, each generation of Velodyne's LiDAR has been more visually appealing than the last.

Considering the rapid rate at which Velodyne is iterating, it is clear that the proliferation of the driverless car will not be held back by technological hurdles. Regulatory barriers, however, will prove to be a far hairier beast. Currently, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , along with one county in Iowa. Google's cars have logged thousands of accident-free miles, but there has yet to be significant regulatory action on the federal level. If companies like Velodyne and Google continue to push the pace of innovation then eventually, regulators and automotive lobbyists will be forced to succumb to the inevitable.

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DISCUSSION (21)

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 10:40

I like it when cars have antennae. Gives them character.

Kinja'd!!!

Hahayoustupidludditeshutupandgohandcrankyourmodeltalready > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 10:44

Yes. Otherwise people will not buy them.

MojoMotors.com > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
10/09/2014 at 10:44

True, but do you think that Lidar gives the Google car character?

MojoMotors.com > Hahayoustupidludditeshutupandgohandcrankyourmodeltalready
10/09/2014 at 10:45

Agreed.

Rainbow > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 10:49

I'd only buy one if it was big, all-electric, and charged by a massive solar panel. Road trips for free and I don't have to stop anywhere to sleep? Yes please.

That said, it should also, at the very least, have a manual override feature. And a small gas engine just in case, and it can be smart about it in such a way that if it has gone X amount of days without using the engine, it will switch over and use up the gas before it can go bad.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 10:50

Eh, somewhat. Durability on those LIDAR units is probably not very good, and the parts could fetch a fortune, hence people would steal them.

MojoMotors.com > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
10/09/2014 at 10:51

Good point about theft. That problem could be solved by fitting the Lidar device within the body of the vehicle.

MojoMotors.com > Rainbow
10/09/2014 at 10:54

Wow, you really want to cram a lot into your driverless car, huh? Reminds me of the Kitchen Sink Cadillac

Kinja'd!!!

Rainbow > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 10:58

Well, if I'm not going to be driving, I need something to occupy my time. Otherwise it's like riding alone in a taxi with a driver who doesn't understand any English, so you're just sitting there with absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to. So, at the very least, a bed would be perfect.

kaheff (L20E) > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 11:02

I don't know how Mercedes' system differs from the one mentioned here. But they integrated their radars and sensors into the body of the car.

MojoMotors.com > kaheff (L20E)
10/09/2014 at 11:05

They sure do. The 2014 S-500 is equipped with a radar feature called Intelligent Drive. MB is well on its way to autonomy.

MojoMotors.com > Rainbow
10/09/2014 at 11:06

I thought that problem was solved with the invention of the smart phone ;)

Rainbow > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 11:07

Fine. :P But I still want to be able to sleep without stopping.

MojoMotors.com > Rainbow
10/09/2014 at 11:08

Seems like a reasonable request.

kaheff (L20E) > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 11:13

I just did some more research because I remembered there was a catch (well a "catch" if you're picky...): they use special maps to assist the onboard systems. Also, Mercedes themselves expect their system to be ready in 15 years.

MojoMotors.com > kaheff (L20E)
10/09/2014 at 11:20

Thanks for info, kaheff. We're in the process of putting together a comprehensive timeline depicting when each the auto manufacturer expects to have fully autonomous cars on the road. Stay tuned!

BeMark > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 11:22

I always thought the technology aspect of autonomous vehicles was the last issue with driver-less cars. It will come and probably be ready before most people are comfortable with it.

I see the biggest hurdle as the rules and regulations surrounding insurance and liability when accidents happen. Who's at fault when one car is driver-less and the other isn't or when both cars are autonomous, will the manufacture have to pay out? Will there just be a huge industry slush fund like some sort of preemptive class action suit? I don't know but it can only be solved with some sort of law/regulation IMO.

The answer I think will come from an odd place, baby boomers. We are on the verge of a huge population that grew up with mobility, really the first generation to embrace cars on a massive scale, and will not want to give it. Imagine a whole generation of elderly drivers on the road, sounds scary to me, causing accidents. We are approaching a future where state governments are actively revoking seniors licenses. All these people still need to get around and they are living longer and longer. They will be the market force to bring autonomous cars to the masses. And the irony is that it was promised to them as kids with the futuristic optimism of the 1950.

Kinja'd!!!

MojoMotors.com > BeMark
10/09/2014 at 11:27

Totally agree that regulators will present the biggest hurdles to mass adoption. That's an interesting thought about the Baby Boomers.

BeMark > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 11:50

In all the articles I read on the subject I just think it's the one topic most commonly left out. What market force will pull these cars onto the street and compel manufactures to push regulators? And really in about 10 years Boomers will be the best candidates for a driver-less car and the technology will be rock solid by then.

When I think back to my own Grandma, we had to sit her down and tell her she had to sell her Camry after it acquired some mystery damage she couldn't explain. It was honestly really sad to watch her lose that level of autonomy and mobility and it hit her kind of hard at first.

With the trend of people living so much longer and the danger of elderly drivers creates some unique issues. How can you tell a Boomer who has the real possibility of living 20-30 years past the age of safe driving that they can't get around on their own anymore? Talk about forcing dependency on someone, I had to go without a car for a few months and it sucked, I couldn't image doing that for several decades! I just think its the perfect confluence of factors that nobody is talking about yet.

Also great article Mojo!

It's a "Porch-uh" > MojoMotors.com
10/09/2014 at 13:46

"Normal" is a subjective term. Today's "normal" was yesterday's "crazy."

So yes, if driverless cars catch on (pretty sure this is happening at some point in the future), they will become normal.

Tina Corbett > MojoMotors.com
10/14/2014 at 10:18

You forgot to mention the advances that Volvo is offering right now in the market:

Adaptive Cruising

Keeping in Lane feature

360 camera

Park assist

City Safety

And the list goes on.