Zooming around a racetrack at speeds of up to 120mph, this car handles tight turns and twisty chicanes - all without a driver.
The autonomous vehicle has been developed by researchers at Stanford University, and can navigate tracks almost as fast as experienced racing drivers.
Video shows the custom-engineered Audi TTS pulling up to the start line of the Thunderhill Raceway in California, and the driver and passengers stepping out.
The car then takes off on its own using autonomous driving algorithms, with the steering wheel automatically turning and the car speeding up and slowing down appropriately as it navigates around the course.
The car - called Shelley - took several years to create and knows exactly where it is on the road using a differential GPS system.
This is more accurate than a traditional GPS system, because it corrects for interference in the atmosphere.
As a result it is accurate to within two centimetres.
Gyroscopes provide bearings, while wheel-speed sensors and an accelerometer measure speed and acceleration.
The car typically operates are speeds of between 50 and 70mph, but can reach up to 120mph.
The team is using the racing car's development to research ways to make everyday autonomous cars safer.
Lead researcher Chris Gerdes said: "A race car driver can use all of a car’s functionality to drive fast. We want to access that same functionality to make driving safer."
Last year, the self-driving car was pitted against David Vodden, an amateur touring class champion - and was faster by 0.4 of a second.
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét