Google's Driverless Car Project

1. Google’s Driverless Car Project
YIP, Chi Wai (Ray) (10414352)
LEUNG, Hong Kiu (Kimmy) (10238057)
YIU, Wing Hei (Adia) (10033500)
KAM, Xin’er Elissa (10466850)
CHIANG, Joan (10474223)
ENGG1150
Spring 2013

2. When life becomes so hectic that…

3. When such hectic turns out as
tragedies

4. Imagine…

5. The Best of Both Worlds

6. Imagine no more…

7. Driverless cars proven in a race

8. Agenda
Technologies Behind
Benefits
Self
Others
General Society
Adoption Challenges
Future Implication

9. Google Driverless Car Project
What?
A project dedicated to development of driverless car technology
When?
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 1
st
state having passed such law in mid-2011
(operation of driverless cars)
Florida and California as the 2
nd
and 3
rd
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 Google-
owned, modified Prius

10. Seeing is believing…
Google’s Driverless Car on TED by Sebastian Thrun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CyqfwStKZc
2:30 – 2:42

11. Technologies Behind

12. Devices involved
Laser sensor on the roof
(1.5 million
measurements per
second)
Radar sensor in front
and rear bumpers
GPS
Settings of driving personalities
Self-learning Program HD camera looking out and inward
from the windshield

13. Map of the surroundings
No blind spot – e.g. pedestrian emerged from between
two parked cars

14. Constant mapping

15. 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

16. Beyond “vision”

17. Proven
Lombok Street - one of the steepest
and curviest streets worldwide

18. Benefits

19. 1.Reduction in car accidents
Source: Annual Transport Digest 2012, Transport department

20. 1.Reduction in car accidents
Source: Annual Transport Digest 2012, Transport department

21. 1. Reduction in car accidents
Automated collision avoidance systems
Less fatalities
Avoid human errors
No sleepy, grumpy, texting humans

22. 2.Optimal speed
Fuel efficient driving
Saves 10-15% fuel
Environmentally friendly

23. 3.Efficient use of highways
Two-second rule
Source: Wikipedia.org

24. 3.Efficient use of highways
Closer car-to-car distance
Less need for building more road lanes

25. 4.Increase in productivity

26. 5. City Expansion

27. 6. Application in various industry
Elimination of breaks in between
Lessen the burden of the truck
drivers
Taxi industry??

28. 7. Saving of parking space
Independently
seek parking
Demand for
adjacent
parking
decrease
Conversion to
other land uses

29. 8. Transportation will no longer be
a hindrance
The previously excluded
-The disabled
-The elderly
-Even the kids

30. 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?
Sources: Forbes.com

31. 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

32. Challenges
Impacts on public transport
industry
Impacts on Taxi/ Public transport industry

33. Challenges
Environmental Issues
More Cars on the road..

34. Challenges
Technology &
Maintenance issues

35. Challenges
Technology & Privacy
Issues

36. Challenges

37. Challenges
Technology & Privacy
Issues

38. Challenges
Political & Regulatory Issues
who is to blame in an accident?
Google?
Car Mechanics?
Car Owner?
Passenger?

39. Challenges
Political & Regulatory Issues
Can “passengers” be intoxicated?

40. Challenges
Social Issues
WHO can be the “driver”?
Age Limits?
Driving licenses?

41. Challenges
Social Issues
The “Joy of Driving”

42. Challenges
Social Issues
Psychological Barriers
Radical Concepts

43. Future Implication

44. 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 don’t 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)

45. Use of Wifi (incl. 3G) technology
Critical criteria
(in order of
significance)
Wifi Bluetooth
Range 300 feet+ ~30 feet
Security Higher
(if configured properly)
Lower
Interconnectivity
with relevant
stakeholders
Higher
(server/network concept)
Lower
(device-to-device concept)
Cost Higher
(yet acceptable)
Lower
Overall Better Worse

46. Disruptive Innovation…

47. Or sustaining transformational
innovation?

48. 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-googles-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-car-is-worth-trillions
/
How Google's Self-Driving Car Works
http://jalopnik.com/5851324/how-googles-self+driving-car-works

49. 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-look-no-
hands
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-worth-
trillions/
How Google's Self-Driving Car Works
http://jalopnik.com/5851324/how-googles-self+driving-car-works

50. Appendix