Let’s face it, cars and snow don’t mix. A heavy snowfall can tax the abilities of even the best driver – not to mention the best automated driving algorithm. As I discussed a few months ago, snow can mask lane markers, obscure street signs and block light-detection sensors, making it difficult for an autonomous car to determine where it should go and what it should do. Snow can even trick the car into “seeing” phantom objects.
Originally published on the QNX Auto blog.
Automakers, of course, are working on the problem. Case in point: Ford’s autonomous research vehicles. These experimental Ford Fusion sedans create 3D maps of roads and surrounding infrastructure when the weather is good and visibility clear. They then use the maps to position themselves when the road subsequently disappears under a blanket of the white stuff.
How accurate are the maps? According to Ford, the vehicles can position themselves to within a centimeter of their actual location. Compare that to GPS, which is accurate to about 10 yards (9 meters).
To create the maps, the cars use LiDAR scanners. These devices collect a ginormous volume of data about the road and surrounding landmarks, including signs, buildings and trees. Did I say ginormous? Sorry, I meant gimongous: 600 gigabytes per hour. The scanners generate so many laser points – 2.8 million per second – that some can bounce off falling snowflakes or raindrops, creating the false impression that an object is in the way. To eliminate these false positives, Ford worked with University of Michigan researchers to create an algorithm that filters out snow and rain.
The cars don’t rely solely on LiDAR. They also use cameras and radar and blend the data from all three sensor types in a process known as sensor fusion. This “fused” approach compensates for the shortcomings of any particular sensor technology, allowing the car to interpret its environment with greater certainty. (To learn more about sensor fusion for autonomous cars, check out this recent EE Times Automotive article from Hannes Estl of TI.)
Ford claims to be the first automaker to demonstrate robot cars driving in the snow. But it certainly won’t be the last. To gain worldwide acceptance, robot cars will have to prove themselves on winter roads, so we are sure to see more innovation on this (cold) front.
In the meantime, dim the lights and watch this short video of Ford’s “snowtonomy” technology:
Did you know? In January, QNX announced a new software platform for ADAS and automated driving systems, including sensor fusion solutions that combine data from multiple sources such as cameras and radar processors. Learn more about the platform here and here.
Hebu tukabiliane na hilo, magari na theluji hazichanganyiki. Mvua kubwa ya theluji inaweza kuathiri uwezo wa hata dereva bora - bila kutaja algorithm bora ya kuendesha gari kwa moja kwa moja. Kama nilivyojadili miezi michache iliyopita, theluji inaweza kuficha alama za barabara, ishara za barabara zisizoeleweka na kuzuia sensorer za kugundua mwanga, na kufanya iwe vigumu kwa gari la kujitegemea kuamua ni wapi inapaswa kwenda na nini inapaswa kufanya. Theluji inaweza hata kudanganya gari ili <unk>lione<unk> vitu vya roho. "Kwanza ilichapishwa kwenye blogi ya QNX Auto.com.""" Bila shaka, watengenezaji wa magari wanajitahidi kutatua tatizo hilo. Mfano: Magari ya utafiti ya Ford yenye kujitegemea. Ford Fusion 3D - Mapu ya barabara ya 3D ya barabara na miundombinu ya karibu wakati hali ya hewa ni nzuri na maono ni wazi. Kisha hutumia ramani hizo kujiweka mahali wanapopoteza barabara hiyo chini ya blanketi nyeupe. Ramani hizo ni sahihi kadiri gani? Kulingana na Ford, magari hayo yanaweza kujiweka kwa sentimita moja tu kutoka mahali wanapoishi. Kwa mfano, GPS ina uwezo wa kusawazisha kwa karibu mita 9. Ili kutengeneza ramani hizo, magari hayo hutumia vifaa vya kuchunguza mazingira (LiDAR). Vifaa hivi hukusanya kiasi kikubwa cha data kuhusu barabara na alama za karibu, ikiwa ni pamoja na ishara, majengo na miti. Je, nilisema kubwa sana? "Kwa mfano, ""Gigabyte"" ni kiwango cha juu cha data, ambayo ni 600 GB kwa saa." Vipimo hivyo vinazalisha pointi nyingi za laser - milioni 2.8 kwa sekunde - ambazo zinaweza kuruka kutoka kwa vimelea vya theluji vinavyoanguka au matone ya mvua, na kuunda hisia bandia kwamba kitu fulani kiko njiani. Ili kuondoa matokeo haya ya uwongo, Ford alifanya kazi na watafiti wa Chuo Kikuu cha Michigan kuunda algorithm ambayo huficha theluji na mvua. Magari hayategemei LiDAR pekee. "Kama vile, kamera na rada zinatumia data kutoka kwa aina zote tatu za sensorer katika mchakato unaojulikana kama ""kuunganisha sensorer.""" Hii "fused" mbinu compensates kwa mapungufu ya teknolojia yoyote maalum sensor, kuruhusu gari kutafsiri mazingira yake na uhakika mkubwa. Kwa maelezo zaidi kuhusu gari la kipekee, angalia makala ya hivi karibuni ya E.E. Times Automotive kutoka kwa Hannes Estell wa TI. Ford inadai kuwa mtengenezaji wa magari wa kwanza kuonyesha magari ya roboti kuendesha gari kwenye theluji. Lakini kwa hakika haitakuwa ya mwisho. Ili kupata kukubalika ulimwenguni kote, magari ya roboti yatahitaji kujithibitisha kwenye barabara za majira ya baridi kali, kwa hivyo tuna hakika kuona uvumbuzi zaidi katika mstari huu wa (baridi). Wakati huo huo, punguza taa na uangalie video hii fupi ya teknolojia ya Ford ya "snowtonomy": Je, ulijua? QNX ilitangaza jukwaa jipya la programu kwa ADAS na mifumo ya kuendesha gari ya kiotomatiki, ikiwa ni pamoja na suluhisho la mchanganyiko wa sensorer ambazo huchanganya data kutoka vyanzo vingi kama vile kamera na wasindikaji wa rada. Jifunze zaidi kuhusu jukwaa hapa na hapa.