Technology

MIT Semi-Autonomous Driving Technology Allows Humans and Tech to Share Control

Thanks to new technology being developed by MIT, narcoleptics could someday regain confidence behind the wheel or even potentially have less restrictive license capabilities. MIT, with funding from DARPA and the U.S. Army, created an “intelligent co-pilot for cars” where if one fell asleep at the wheel, it would take over and keep driving until you awoke.

Like many autonomous vehicles already reported on by The Blaze, MIT’s technology uses lasers and video cameras to sense “danger” around the car, alerting the system as to when it should take over. MIT PhD student Sterling Anderson, who helped develop the system and has been testing it since September, told MIT’s News Office ”the real innovation is enabling the car to share [control] with you. If you want to drive, it’ll just … make sure you don’t hit anything.”

MIT Creates Intelligent Co Pilot for Cars as Semi Autonomous System to Avoid Collisions

MIT has tested this system more than 1,200 times with few collisions that were usually due to sensing equipment not working properly. (Image: YouTube screenshot)

MIT Creates Intelligent Co Pilot for Cars as Semi Autonomous System to Avoid Collisions

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Here’s more from Anderson on the complexity of making a human and technological interface mesh for the common goal of driving safely:

“The problem is, humans don’t think that way,” Anderson says. “When you and I drive, [we don’t] choose just one path and obsessively follow it. Typically you and I see a lane or a parking lot, and we say, ‘Here is the field of safe travel, here’s the entire region of the roadway I can use, and I’m not going to worry about remaining on a specific line, as long as I’m safely on the roadway and I avoid collisions.’”

Anderson and Iagnemma integrated this human perspective into their robotic system. The team came up with an approach to identify safe zones, or “homotopies,” rather than specific paths of travel. Instead of mapping out individual paths along a roadway, the researchers divided a vehicle’s environment into triangles, with certain triangle edges representing an obstacle or a lane’s boundary.

The researchers devised an algorithm that “constrains” obstacle-abutting edges, allowing a driver to navigate across any triangle edge except those that are constrained. If a driver is in danger of crossing a constrained edge — for instance, if he’s fallen asleep at the wheel and is about to run into a barrier or obstacle — the system takes over, steering the car back into the safe zone.

Watch the system in action:

With this technology, Eaton Corp. Intelligent Truck Vehicle Technology Manager Benjamin Saltsman said the concept less costly and closer to actual implementation compared to fully-autonomous vehicles, such as Google’s self-driving car.

(Related: ‘No Hands’: Blind Man Tests Google’s Self-Driving Car)

Are there downsides to such a system, aside from equipment malfunctions? Anderson said such technology would not be beneficial to some drivers, especially those learning as they may think they’re just good drivers naturally.

“You’d say, ‘Hey, I pulled this off,’ and you wouldn’t know that the car is changing things behind the scenes to make sure the vehicle remains safe, even if your inputs are not,” Anderson said to MIT News Office.

He also acknowledged that without negative consequences of poor driving, there may not be any encouragement to learn better skills.

(H/T: GeekOSystem)

Comments (10)

  • br1ans
    Posted on July 17, 2012 at 10:49am

    This is the difference between Boeing and Airbus. It is the reason Air France Flight 447 crashed into the ocean killing 216 people. Because airspeed controls cannot be “over-ridden” by the pilots physically moving the lever in the European engineered airplanes. Socialists….

    Report Post » br1ans  
  • babylonvi
    Posted on July 17, 2012 at 10:24am

    WARNING, BAD IDEA: The propaganda may entice you to support this, but think ahead. Next will be a mandate for all vehicles, then, ‘restricted highways’ for central automatic control ONLY, and finally, pre-approved trip plans for the elite only and no control whatsoever. Not an elite? Take a hike.

    Report Post » babylonvi  
  • rusooperman
    Posted on July 17, 2012 at 9:54am

    I don’t think I want my car to argue with me when I want to drive a certain way.

    Report Post » rusooperman  
  • Wyatt's Torch
    Posted on July 17, 2012 at 7:59am

    Comrades, is that what the Dear Leader meant when he said that no one gets anywhere in life without assistance?

    Report Post » Wyatt's Torch  
  • Wyatt's Torch
    Posted on July 17, 2012 at 7:56am

    Wow! MIT sure is busy. To be able to do this AND run for Prez

    Report Post » Wyatt's Torch  
  • Shoot2Stop
    Posted on July 17, 2012 at 6:46am

    Should this system eventually be government mandated on all cars, which you can bet it will, how long will it be before big brother links into this system, and electronically prohibits our vehicles from doing anything ‘they’ consider unsafe? Or you car simply won‘t let you drive somewhere big ’bother‘ doesn’t want you to go?

    When freedom is computerized away – Only computer hackers will have freedom”

    .

    Report Post »  
  • VoteBushIn12
    Posted on July 17, 2012 at 2:08am

    I can’t wait to see how the Blaze-Bangers weigh in on this one.

    Is it good because it enables handicapped drivers more mobile freedom and was funded in part by the US Army?

    OR

    Is it bad because it’s a step towards “robot control” and takes away our freedom to choose when and where to crash?

    Someone tell me!

    Report Post » VoteBushIn12  
    • stumpy68
      Posted on July 17, 2012 at 7:15am

      Its good only as long as it is optional, it could be a good tool for those
      who choose to use it however it shouldn’t be forced on the diving public
      unfortunately it most likely will be.

      Report Post » stumpy68  
    • battles
      Posted on July 17, 2012 at 7:29am

      Choosing where and when to crash is a definite must for a truck driver who has lost the brakes on his truck. I know, I have lost the brakes on two trucks. One was 84,000 pounds, the other was 100,000 pounds.
      Why does this article seem to remember me of the French new airliner that had automatic controls that wouldn’t allow the pilots to control the plane whereby it crashed at an air show?
      The people who are fearful of the commie creep governments of the world using this to control us have a very valid fear.

      Report Post » battles  
  • MonkeyBeagle
    Posted on July 17, 2012 at 1:00am

    Soon we will not have the option to drive.. Because us humans are just too prone to accidents.. let the state use its robots and AI to drive you. Yes sheeple, the coming technocracy will be an all controlling world government. They will control everything you do., If these Obama/UN/Nanny state liberal peeps have their way we will become little more then borgs of the nanny state matrix.

    Report Post »  

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