[Quietcars] Fwd: [Nfbf-l] If you are following the driverless car d evelopments, you'll be interested in the follow ing event

[David Andrews]

>
>If you are following the driverless car developments, you'll be 
>interested in the following event that took place yesterday:
>
>Congressman takes ride in a driverless car in Pennsylvania
>
>Kevin Begos, Associated Press
>
>Posted: Thursday, September 5, 2013, 1:08 AM
>
>PITTSBURGH -
>
>A Pennsylvania congressman caught a cutting-edge ride to the airport 
>on Wednesday.
>
>Representative Bill Shuster (R., Altoona) made a 33-mile trip from 
>Cranberry Township to Pittsburgh International Airport in a 
>computer-operated car.
>
>The so-called driverless Cadillac SRX was designed by Carnegie 
>Mellon University researchers who have been working on the project 
>since 2008. The car uses inputs from radars, laser range finders, 
>and infrared cameras to maneuver in traffic.
>
>
>
>Shuster is the chairman of the House Transportation and 
>Infrastructure Committee. He was accompanied by Barry Schoch, 
>secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
>
>
>
>Shuster saw a Carnegie Mellon test vehicle about five years ago, and 
>said it was crammed so full of equipment that there wasn't even room 
>for a person inside. Now, the 2011 Cadillac is basically a standard 
>model with all the sensors and electronics discreetly hidden. It 
>didn't look out of place on the drive to the airport, which began in 
>a suburban area with stop-and-go traffic and then reached speeds of 
>about 65 m.p.h. on a major highway. A Carnegie Mellon engineer was 
>in the driver's seat as a safety precaution.
>
>Shuster said he can now imagine a future where such vehicles enter 
>the mainstream, potentially reducing accidents, fatalities and 
>congestion on roads. But there's also a military angle.
>
>
>
>"It's going to be great for our military to be able to send vehicles 
>into combat without people in them," Shuster said.
>
>
>
>The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency began holding 
>competitions for driverless vehicles in 2004, and a Carnegie Mellon 
>team won the 2007 race, along with a $2 million prize. Raj Rajkumar, 
>the leader of the Carnegie Mellon project, said the biggest design 
>challenge for driverless vehicles is managing unpredictable events.
>
>
>
>"It takes a long time to be taught all the things we know" about 
>driving, Rajkumar said of the software.
>
>
>
>Rajkumar thinks some driverless cars may reach the marketplace by 
>2020, though some experts say it will take longer. General Motors, 
>Nissan, and Google are all working on projects, as are other universities.
>
>
>
>This article can be found online at:
>
>http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130905_Congressman_takes_ride_in_a_driverless_car_in_Pa_.html 
>
>
>
>
>With Best Regards,
>
>God Bless,
>
>Alan
>
>Plantation, Florida
>
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