The Czech Republic has a special test track for robotic cars. In Milovice, the alphabet team experienced first-hand how they work. Almost all the systems we tested can be found in mass-produced cars today. Robot cars are no longer science fiction.
It is freezing and the former military airport in Milovice in Central Bohemia is covered in snow. But it no longer serves its purpose – it was a base for Soviet soldiers in the past. Today it is a testing ground for robotic cars. The alphabet team arrived at the location to experience for themselves how the various smart sensors of today’s cars work. Every fourth car in the world is equipped with at least one Valeo sensor, and it was Valeo that prepared the demonstration for us.
A computer in the trunk of a car
Our first stop is a small dedicated parking lot. There, at first glance, a normal car awaits us. But when we look into the trunk, we find a large computer there. All sorts of cables wind through the cabin. This is a test car whose sensors have been dismantled. Technicians connected a special computer to their inputs. The car thus “sees” what they program around it. For example, a virtual city that we see on a special monitor installed on the dashboard.
The computer in the trunk of the car controls all the tested sensors and simulates the virtual environment around the car •
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Virtual wrecker
So although we are actually moving through an empty parking lot, the car thinks it is driving down a city street with parked cars. As soon as we try to turn and crash into the virtual car, which we can only see on the monitor, the car activates emergency braking. Technicians explain to us that this makes their job of testing security features a lot easier. They don’t have to build models of cars or buildings all the time. They simply create them in a 3D program and upload them to the car.
Automatic formula
Moving on to the next demo. Students from BUT Brno want to show us their fully robotic electric formula. But it’s probably too cold and the car refuses to move. That also happens sometimes. At least we have verified that being a technician and engineer is mainly about finding mistakes and solving unexpected problems.
The designers of the eForce formula are constantly trying to reduce its weight in order to drive better •
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Adrenaline ride against pedestrians
Never mind, let’s move on! An adrenaline ride against model walkers awaits us. We get into an ordinary, unmodified car and drive along the former airstrip. A colorful mannequin suddenly jumps out from the side. The car’s sensors register it and brake immediately. The car stops a few centimeters from the dummy.
The test looks simple, but it is not. It’s about synchronization. The car must communicate with the dummy’s control unit so that it hits the road at the exact moment. The mannequin is driven by a special metal skateboard with miniature wheels, so an extremely flat surface is required. In addition, the entire system must be certified by the relevant authorities. The result is that a seemingly simple dummy costs more than tens of thousands of crowns.
The pedestrian dummy walks into the road by itself and the car in front has to brake •
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Mario Kart in real life!
The last sample is the most interesting for our expedition. We sit in the car and the passenger receives a tablet. As soon as he turns it to the sides, the steering wheel of the car in which we are sitting also turns. By tilting the tablet forward, it adds gas, backwards it brakes. In this way, the car is controlled “wirelessly” by the passenger and the test driver just makes sure that nothing happens.
It’s almost like playing Mario Kart, only with a real car. This technology is called “steer-by-wire”. This means that the steering wheel – in this example tablet – has no mechanical connection to the wheels. One of the first commercially available cars that works this way is the new Tesla Cybertruck.
Smart sensors in an autonomous robotic car •
Valeo
Science fiction in your car today
Almost all the systems we tested can be found in production cars today. Together, they increase safety for passengers and other road users. Above all, however, they show where cars will develop in the coming years – towards partially and fully robotic driving.
Robot cars are no longer science fiction, we can meet them in several places in the world. And some robotic functions can already be found in ordinary cars. It’s all about getting into the car once, telling or showing it where you want to go, and it will take you there by itself.
Robotic cars of today:
He already knows it in Tesla
The American automaker Tesla has been promising fully robotic driving for several years. It’s still not finished, but what it has can be described as the most advanced autonomous (robotic) driving system in commercially available cars.
For example, on the highway, where the traffic is the clearest, the car can operate practically by itself. Even so, the driver sitting behind the wheel must constantly monitor the surroundings and be ready to take control at any time.
Fumbling behind the wheel
Tesla is currently hot on the heels of Mercedes with its Drive Pilot system. It consists of many sensors: cameras, microphones, LiDAR (laser radar), classic radar, ultrasonic sensors and other important elements.
Unlike Tesla’s system, it does not require the driver to pay attention at all times. He just has to stay in the seat and not fall asleep. It also has other limitations: It does not work in bad weather where there are no clear road markings (white lines on the road) or when the car in front of you moves too far away from you.
Robotic taxi
However, there are more advanced robotic cars in the world. In the American cities of Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco, Waymo operates a robotic taxi service. Fully robotic cars can weave through complex traffic situations.
Waymo claims that in more than 11 million kilometers driven, the robocars have proven to be significantly safer than a human driver. It caused 85% fewer injury accidents and 57% fewer serious accidents overall.
And that should be exactly the main advantage of roboautos. Significantly higher safety and comfort. In a robotic car, people will have time to take care of what they need during the journey, because they will no longer have to concentrate on driving themselves.
Hippie with a robot brain:
The new Volkswagen ID electric van. Buzz draws inspiration from the legendary “hippie bus”. This is the name given to the first Volkswagen Type 2 car, which was popular in the USA in the 60s of the last century. They went on trips with him all over the United States. Back then they still pumped petrol into the tank, today they charge the batteries with electricity.
There are several of these pieces running around Munich and in Austin, Texas. But these are test prototypes that can also drive completely autonomously – they are robotic versions. They have to deal with even the most difficult situations on the road. Their testing will take several years.
