One of the problems with self-driving cars has been that the brain power required to run a single vehicle required a roomful of computers. But now a Silicon Valley tech company says it has created an artificial intelligence system that is as small as a car’s license plate.
The new system, code-named “Pegasus”, could finally enable Level 5 driverless cars, vehicles that can be operated entirely on their own using just sensors and computers.
No Steering Wheel, Gas or Brake Pedals
Pegasus-powered driverless cars would have no steering wheel, no gas or brake pedal, and no mirrors, according to Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, the company that has developed the program.
“Creating a fully self-driving car is one of society’s most important endeavors, and one of the most challenging to deliver,” Huang said in a news release announcing Pegasus. “The breakthrough A.I. computing performance and efficiency of Pegasus is crucial for the industry to realize this vision.”
Powered by the Pegasus artificial intelligence program, new driverless cars will be able to “see” their surroundings through high-resolution, 360-degree surround cameras and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors that uses light in the form of pulsed lasers to measure ranges within centimeters.
Plus, the vehicle’s processing power will have to have multiple levels of redundancy to ensure the highest level of safety as they track vehicles and people in their vicinity and plan a safe and comfortable path to the rider’s destination.
All the Comforts of Home
Self-driving cars aren’t high-tech, science fiction fantasy. They are already in development and could arrive in car dealers’ showrooms within just the next couple of years. Car companies like Ford and Mercedes-Benz and even companies like Google and Amazon have invested millions in developing the technology to enable driverless cars.
Anticipating customer wariness to turning over the driving to robots, car manufacturers are reportedly trying to ease in the technologies by introducing elements one at a time, such as cars currently on the market that can parallel park themselves or that automatically brake in the event of an impending collision.
Eventually, nearly all passenger cars will be self-driving. And when they are, riding in cars will be a completely different experience, according to Huang.
“Driverless cars will enable new ride- and car-sharing services,” Huang said. “New types of cars will be invented, resembling offices, living rooms or hotel rooms on wheels. Travelers will simply order up the type of vehicle they want based on their destination and activities planned along the way. The future of society will be reshaped.”