The future is just around the corner. The DRIVEN project has announced the first three self-driving cars that it will be using to trial this innovative technology over the next two years on UK roads. The cars will be driven on public roads around Oxford initially. They they will make trips from Oxford to London. DRIVEN is hoping that the cars will have made several journeys between Oxford and London by 2019.
The government has backed the project with £8.9 million of funding. The trials also have industry support, and will eventually involve six self-driving cars taking to the roads.
Self-driving models revealed
The cars will have “Level 4 autonomy.” This means that they will travel without a driver for the majority of the time and can work without human input. The first three cars to be revealed are a white and blue 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium hybrid, a 2017 Ford Mondeo hybrid, and a Range Rover Evoque.
Each car will be decorated with the DRIVEN livery. They will be clearly branded to make other drivers and pedestrians aware of their presence. This is important, as many people have said that they have a lack of trust in self-driving cars. Making them eye-catching and obvious will hopefully encourage people to accept that they are on the roads.
(Credit – Oxbotica)
Making the self-driving cars stand out will also ensure that drivers and pedestrians are not shocked when they see one driving by, or stopped at lights or a junction, without a driver behind the wheel. In fact, people who live in the areas where the cars are being tested are already becoming familiar with the way that they look.
How do self-driving cars work?
The cars use Oxbotica’s software, Selenium, alongside a number of LIDAR sensors, computers, and cameras, to help them make their way around without human input. This combination of technology means that self-driving cars can gather and use information about their surroundings to work out where to drive and what to avoid.
Selenium was not specifically designed for cars – it also works on forklifts and cargo pods. It combines knowledge of its location with information about the local environment to create a safe path and determine the speed that it should be moving at to complete a safe journey.
By using cameras and lasers to work out where it is on the map, Selenium doesn’t require GPS. It can work out its location no matter what time of day it is, even if the weather is terrible. It uses sensors and algorithms to identify and track any obstacles that are around, including cars and pedestrians. Selenium can then work out a safe and efficient route using this information.
As Selenium doesn’t require GPS, it can work efficiently indoors and outdoors, over ground or underground. This makes it ideal for self-driving cars. The software has been created to give vehicles the intelligence to perform a variety of tasks without the help of a human, including motion control, braking, navigation, and detecting obstacles.
Laser technology
A LIDAR sensor is one that typically sits on the roof of a vehicle and produces a laser. It measures how long it takes for the laser to return in order to work out its surroundings. The sensor spins around to get a 360 degree view, making it ideal for self-driving cars.
Currently being tested at RACE’s AV test facility in Oxfordshire, the cars have been learning how to navigate roundabouts, handle tricky junctions, and cope with pedestrians and other vehicles.
The news of the self-driving cars follows the recent revelation that self-driving lorries will be loose on the UK’s major roads by 2019. Progress is marching ever forward, showing just how soon we could become used to sharing our roads with vehicles that don’t require a human presence behind the wheel.
How do you feel about self-driving vehicles? Are they the way of the future, or are we just using technology for technology’s sake? Leave a comment below to share your views.
Why have they chosen Oxford? The most car averse City in the UK.
Awful technology will put millions out of work. Don’t trust it either eg Microsoft screen of death.
Computers already monitor and control no end of safety critical systems, which humans are too fallible for. How many driverless cars do you expect to exhibit road-rage, drink or drug driving, speeding/racing, texting, falling asleep or just getting bored, distracted or complacent at the wheel? Yes, cheap computers are built with faults and fail, but safety dictates higher standards, and computers already control airplanes and spacecraft very successfully. I suspect we’ll look back in years to come and wonder why we left humans in the driving loop for so long (other than for the pleasure).
Totally agree John!
Agree absolutely
This technology will eventually cost millions of jobs
So did the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution, but employment adapts and life and leisure improve. Driverless cars are akin to chauffeurs for everyone!
But I don’t want a chauffeur!
Life & leasure requires money. Money requires jobs. The rally call now is “we are here for the hard working people of Britain”. If you’ve no job, retired or disabled you are not one of them, therefor we are not for you. This was puroved when they closed remploy because it was not profitable enough. The employees where all disabled, now unemployed.
Leasure is a wonderful thing, but only if you can afford it, otherwise it’s mental torture. This you will learn jor yourself in the future no doubt if your luck fails you as it will as you go through life. Goalposts get moved & jobs go, for all jobs now, you’re required to be qualified, no qualification, no job.
I’m a hgv driver so very keen to see where this leads. open roads may be ok but tight delivery areas !!! We will see
So the government have found 8.9 million to throw at this senseless system , Who in the he** wants to be on a highway travelling at up to 70 mph with driver less cars either behind / in front or passing you at those speeds . If they cause any type of accident who will your insurance company claim from as you will not have any chance of winning your case . I understood that there would always be someone sitting in the driving seat in case anything went wrong , as we all know electronics can & do fail . So these lorry trains will also be driver less when they start on our roads . Why do we need driver less vehicles on our now congested & unsafe roads especially single carriageway roads will they back up , Don*t think so . If we want to take to the roads then be prepared to take driving tests hold a licence & sit in the driving seat . Surely this would be illegal to have no person in charge otherwise young children can take to the road & not be responsible
.One wonders who will be able to afford such vehicles & will they be able to tow trailers / caravans NO
We will lose the pleasure of driving! It’s part of the enjoyment. Why do I want to sit in a robot driven car, where is the joy in that?
Totally agree!
Love the challenge of driving well according to road and weather conditions.
Sick of the powers that be, taking all the fun and pleasure of motoring away.
I don’t want a B***** robot driving me anywhere!!!
Agree
Love the idea hope it all works. Perhaps one day no one will own a car we will order one to take us wherever we want to go. No more illegal drinking and driving eh
The more self driving cars on the roads the better off we will all be. A self driving car won’t cut across three lanes of motorway traffic and cause a massive accident, or weave in and out, or tailgate or undertake you because you left a decent gap in front. Motorway driving is where this tech will be the most appreciated.
Will you still be done for drink driving in one of these if your not behind the wheel but in the car
bring it on. car insurance will probably be £10. safety aspects will be 100% owing to collision avoiding technologies. install wine/spirit.beer cabinet in the car read the newspaper make the toast or full english breakfast. she can apply an eyeliner before having a beauty sleep and the car will wake her up at the destination. or she can do a 10 steps in-car perfect pedicure. soon these self-driving cars will be adapted to include shower fridge/freezer microwave food mixer etc. etc.
a massive waste of taxpayers money….. AGAIN !
Driverless cars may be the only guarantee that vehicles confirm to legal speed limits. Removal of the “loud” pedal from the driver will make our roads safer, total driverless should also remove the personality disorders that many drivers exhibit when behind the wheel. Lane discipline will also become the norm, roll on driverless!
I think most of the fun has already gone from driving so anything that takes the stress and danger out of getting around can only be a good thing. I am sure driver less cars are already way safer than some drivers and within a few years will be up with the best.
I hope they teach it to navigate safely around potholes and roadworks – especially where the signs & barriers have been vandalised.
When these systems have been thoroughly tested and are working well, they’ll encourage many more cyclists to risk being out on the roads – which can only be a good thing, but when all delivery, haulage and taxi services are automated, there will need to be significant restructuring of society to handle the job losses.
Waiting for up to 3 hours to get through the Dartford tunnel is not one of my life’s pleasures! The sooner driverless becomes the norm, and I think it will, the safer the roads will be and perhaps traffic will move more easily as the aggression factor should be eliminated.
Will driverless cars be able to tow a caravan then manoeuvre and pitch up once on site?
I would like much more information on the algorithms used. For example when the car computer faces an emergency decision either to hit a child that has run out into the road from behind a parked vehicle or swerve to hit a vehicle coming the other way does it always choose to hit the child as less damage is caused to the car? And if not then what is the criteria for avoiding the child and colliding with the approaching vehicle or hitting the parked vehicle?
It will chose to stop as quickly as possible in a straight line. Why are you fretting over this, 90% of humans would be totally unpredictable in this situation and some are likely to panic and stamp on the accelerator causing more danger to others! The driverless car will react quicker and as safely as possible with predictability.
If self driving cars detect and give way to pedestrians rather than run them down, how long before every pedestrian in the world just steps out and crosses the road, safe in the knowledge that the car will avoid them?
Great, cant wait to order a self driving car to get me around stress free. I would buy one now if they were available today
who pays up in the case of an accident?
Sooner the better! When autonomous cars are off the production line I’ll be one of the first to buy one!
Why have they chosen Oxford? The most car averse City in the UK.
Awful technology will put millions out of work. Don’t trust it either eg Microsoft screen of death.
Computers already monitor and control no end of safety critical systems, which humans are too fallible for. How many driverless cars do you expect to exhibit road-rage, drink or drug driving, speeding/racing, texting, falling asleep or just getting bored, distracted or complacent at the wheel? Yes, cheap computers are built with faults and fail, but safety dictates higher standards, and computers already control airplanes and spacecraft very successfully. I suspect we’ll look back in years to come and wonder why we left humans in the driving loop for so long (other than for the pleasure).
Totally agree John!
Agree absolutely
This technology will eventually cost millions of jobs
So did the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution, but employment adapts and life and leisure improve. Driverless cars are akin to chauffeurs for everyone!
But I don’t want a chauffeur!
Life & leasure requires money. Money requires jobs. The rally call now is “we are here for the hard working people of Britain”. If you’ve no job, retired or disabled you are not one of them, therefor we are not for you. This was puroved when they closed remploy because it was not profitable enough. The employees where all disabled, now unemployed.
Leasure is a wonderful thing, but only if you can afford it, otherwise it’s mental torture. This you will learn jor yourself in the future no doubt if your luck fails you as it will as you go through life. Goalposts get moved & jobs go, for all jobs now, you’re required to be qualified, no qualification, no job.
I’m a hgv driver so very keen to see where this leads. open roads may be ok but tight delivery areas !!! We will see
So the government have found 8.9 million to throw at this senseless system , Who in the he** wants to be on a highway travelling at up to 70 mph with driver less cars either behind / in front or passing you at those speeds . If they cause any type of accident who will your insurance company claim from as you will not have any chance of winning your case . I understood that there would always be someone sitting in the driving seat in case anything went wrong , as we all know electronics can & do fail . So these lorry trains will also be driver less when they start on our roads . Why do we need driver less vehicles on our now congested & unsafe roads especially single carriageway roads will they back up , Don*t think so . If we want to take to the roads then be prepared to take driving tests hold a licence & sit in the driving seat . Surely this would be illegal to have no person in charge otherwise young children can take to the road & not be responsible
.One wonders who will be able to afford such vehicles & will they be able to tow trailers / caravans NO
We will lose the pleasure of driving! It’s part of the enjoyment. Why do I want to sit in a robot driven car, where is the joy in that?
Totally agree!
Love the challenge of driving well according to road and weather conditions.
Sick of the powers that be, taking all the fun and pleasure of motoring away.
I don’t want a B***** robot driving me anywhere!!!
Agree
Love the idea hope it all works. Perhaps one day no one will own a car we will order one to take us wherever we want to go. No more illegal drinking and driving eh
The more self driving cars on the roads the better off we will all be. A self driving car won’t cut across three lanes of motorway traffic and cause a massive accident, or weave in and out, or tailgate or undertake you because you left a decent gap in front. Motorway driving is where this tech will be the most appreciated.
Will you still be done for drink driving in one of these if your not behind the wheel but in the car
bring it on. car insurance will probably be £10. safety aspects will be 100% owing to collision avoiding technologies. install wine/spirit.beer cabinet in the car read the newspaper make the toast or full english breakfast. she can apply an eyeliner before having a beauty sleep and the car will wake her up at the destination. or she can do a 10 steps in-car perfect pedicure. soon these self-driving cars will be adapted to include shower fridge/freezer microwave food mixer etc. etc.
a massive waste of taxpayers money….. AGAIN !
Driverless cars may be the only guarantee that vehicles confirm to legal speed limits. Removal of the “loud” pedal from the driver will make our roads safer, total driverless should also remove the personality disorders that many drivers exhibit when behind the wheel. Lane discipline will also become the norm, roll on driverless!
I think most of the fun has already gone from driving so anything that takes the stress and danger out of getting around can only be a good thing. I am sure driver less cars are already way safer than some drivers and within a few years will be up with the best.
I hope they teach it to navigate safely around potholes and roadworks – especially where the signs & barriers have been vandalised.
When these systems have been thoroughly tested and are working well, they’ll encourage many more cyclists to risk being out on the roads – which can only be a good thing, but when all delivery, haulage and taxi services are automated, there will need to be significant restructuring of society to handle the job losses.
Waiting for up to 3 hours to get through the Dartford tunnel is not one of my life’s pleasures! The sooner driverless becomes the norm, and I think it will, the safer the roads will be and perhaps traffic will move more easily as the aggression factor should be eliminated.
Will driverless cars be able to tow a caravan then manoeuvre and pitch up once on site?
I would like much more information on the algorithms used. For example when the car computer faces an emergency decision either to hit a child that has run out into the road from behind a parked vehicle or swerve to hit a vehicle coming the other way does it always choose to hit the child as less damage is caused to the car? And if not then what is the criteria for avoiding the child and colliding with the approaching vehicle or hitting the parked vehicle?
It will chose to stop as quickly as possible in a straight line. Why are you fretting over this, 90% of humans would be totally unpredictable in this situation and some are likely to panic and stamp on the accelerator causing more danger to others! The driverless car will react quicker and as safely as possible with predictability.
If self driving cars detect and give way to pedestrians rather than run them down, how long before every pedestrian in the world just steps out and crosses the road, safe in the knowledge that the car will avoid them?
Great, cant wait to order a self driving car to get me around stress free. I would buy one now if they were available today
who pays up in the case of an accident?
Sooner the better! When autonomous cars are off the production line I’ll be one of the first to buy one!