Volkswagen's autonomous "Junior" reverse power-slides into parking spot

[SVT_Power]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/11/volkswagen-and-stanfords-junior-autonomously-power-slides-int/

Automotive technology is rapidly advancing to the point where we eventually won't need to actually drive a car ourselves in most real world scenarios. At the forefront of this development work is Volkswagen and its new electronics lab in Palo Alto, California that's operated in conjunction with Stanford University. VW and Stanford have a long relationship in autonomous vehicle development and are continuing to develop "Junior," an autonomous Passat wagon that was built for the last DARPA Urban Challenge a couple of years ago. We recently got to play passenger in the backseat of Junior for a demonstration and were quite impressed with its parking prowess.

The basic hardware technology that makes Junior work is fairly straightforward: a mix of GPS, radar, laser, optical and inertial sensors. The hard part is creating the software algorithms that allow the system to detect and work through the more esoteric scenarios that arise in the real world.

The videos after the jump show just far those algorithms have come: Junior can now reverse power-sliding into a parallel parking spot. While this particular scenario is probably not something you want your autonomous car to do without your permission, learning how to do it is important. In the real world there are many variables that cannot be programmed into the controls. The Stanford engineers are developing methods to allow the system to blend instructions for basic scenarios with learned responses from situations like this. Check out the videos after the jump. A tip of the hat to James!

[Submariner]

Stupid. 

[r0tor]

if you paint it white, it would remind me of the ghost busters wagon....

[giant_mtb]

The idea of all cars becoming appliances that drive themselves literally hurts me.

[Cookie Monster]

Stupid. 

How? It shows how far computers have come and how precise they are.

[Cookie Monster]

The idea of all cars becoming appliances that drive themselves literally hurts me.

+1

[Submariner]

Stupid. 

How? It shows how far computers have come and how precise they are.

The idea of all cars becoming appliances that drive themselves literally hurts me.

+1

[ChrisV]

The idea of all cars becoming appliances that drive themselves literally hurts me.

Let the non-drivers that already buy appliance cars and drive them poorly have stuff like this. We'll keep our non-autonomous cars and be all teh safer for it, as we won't have to worry about them doing their makeup, reading the newspaper, and texting.

[SVT_Power]

I hope you're not implying that what you said and what Chris said are the same thing

[Submariner]

I hope you're not implying that what you said and what Chris said are the same thing

Hmmm?

[Eye of the Tiger]

I can reverse power slide into your mom.

[SVT_Power]

Hmmm?

You simply said it's stupid. Chris said he doesn't like the recent trend of automation of cars - nowhere did he say the technology is stupid.

I also don't like how things are becoming more and more computerized, but I still think this reverse power slide parking technology is cool and interesting.

[Submariner]

You simply said it's stupid. Chris said he doesn't like the recent trend of automation of cars - nowhere did he say the technology is stupid.

Fine...it's stupid.  And seeing as I said that before Chris did, I'm not sure how I was equating his sentiment to mine. 

[SVT_Power]

Fine...it's stupid.  And seeing as I said that before Chris did, I'm not sure how I was equating his sentiment to mine. 

Looked like you were trying to say that raggu there was contradicting himself 

[Submariner]

Looked like you were trying to say that raggu there was contradicting himself 

I was answering his question to me with a quotation from Giant.

[SVT_Power]

I was answering his question to me with a quotation from Giant.

Oh nvm th3n

[sportyaccordy]

Impressive stuff

I bet most of you internet Mario Andretti "ESP almost killed me!!!" types couldn't do that with years of practice

[AutobahnSHO]

Let the non-drivers that already buy appliance cars and drive them poorly have stuff like this. We'll keep our non-autonomous cars and be all teh safer for it, as we won't have to worry about them doing their makeup, reading the newspaper, and texting.

+1

[SVT_Power]

Impressive stuff

I bet most of you internet Mario Andretti "ESP almost killed me!!!" types couldn't do that with years of practice

Heh I only recall one certain member with a "ESP almost killed me!!!" story 

[giant_mtb]

Let the non-drivers that already buy appliance cars and drive them poorly have stuff like this. We'll keep our non-autonomous cars and be all teh safer for it, as we won't have to worry about them doing their makeup, reading the newspaper, and texting.

I'll bet that's what people said about the automatic transmission.

[AutobahnSHO]

I'll bet that's what people said about the automatic transmission.

and electric starters, and ABS, and ESP, and power windows, and

[Raza]

Impressive stuff

I bet most of you internet Mario Andretti "ESP almost killed me!!!" types couldn't do that with years of practice

Hahaha....

I've done it before.

[hotrodalex]

Awesome for a youtube video, but I don't want to see computers drive cars.

And I've done plenty of things like that in snow, but I don't usually do such shenanigans on dry pavement since I try to treat my tires kindly.

[AltinD]

That's the future

This is present ... since 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdPaDHYRvhk&feature=related

And from my personal experience with my car, it DOES work!

[Raza]

Awesome for a youtube video, but I don't want to see computers drive cars.

And I've done plenty of things like that in snow, but I don't usually do such shenanigans on dry pavement since I try to treat my tires kindly.

When I had the Passat, I would park in my driveway like that.  Now I'm not saying I was perfect every time, but I sure as hell made it more than once. 

Actually, I gave it a shot last night, but there were two cars in the drive at the time, so I undershot it.  Still got pretty close. 

[SVT_Power]

Awesome for a youtube video, but I don't want to see computers drive cars.

And I've done plenty of things like that in snow, but I don't usually do such shenanigans on dry pavement since I try to treat my tires kindly.

Well the video wasn't done on pavement 

[SVT_Power]

When I had the Passat, I would park in my driveway like that.  Now I'm not saying I was perfect every time, but I sure as hell made it more than once. 

Actually, I gave it a shot last night, but there were two cars in the drive at the time, so I undershot it.  Still got pretty close. 

Do you have a gravel driveway? If you have a paved driveway, I'm gonna call shens on you actually making it.

[Raza]

Do you have a gravel driveway? If you have a paved driveway, I'm gonna call shens on you actually making it.

Okay, sure, call "shens". 

It's pavement.  It's easy.  All you do is go in reverse quickly...the balance becomes very upset and you can easily snap the front around.  It may help that my drive is inclined at the bottom, but I don't know.  It's just doing a reverse 180 and hitting the brakes early. Very easy in a FWD car.  I've done it dozens of times.