With the ability to see around corners using new laser technology the potential for accidents involving driverless cars will be reduced significantly. What sort of obstacles am I talking about? Well it could be all sorts of things from a child running after a ball to a herd of cows to a broken-down car. Scientists are now determined to improve the technology of the future and increase the ability to anticipate perils like the ones mentioned above.

A team of researchers have come up with a new laser-based system that efficiently produces images of objects that are hidden around a corner – a development they say could allow autonomous vehicles to see obstacles before they come into the line of sight.

This is a big leap forward in driverless car technology and I believe it will be a motivating factor towards future adoption of driverless cars on a mass level.

“There is this preconceived notion that you can’t image objects that aren’t already directly visible to the camera – and we have found ways to get around these types of limiting situations,” said Dr Matthew O’Toole, an author employed by Stanford University.

Apparently this new technology is built on the shoulders of previous research. It builds upon technologies such as Lidar, a tool used in archaeological mapping. Lidar works by sending laser pulses towards a surface and measuring the time it takes for light to be reflected.

This allows the car to collect data which can then be used by the system's computer to create a three-dimensional model of the surrounding area.

The new technique goes even further and has even been described as 'magic' but either way it is going to revolutionize systems across many industries.

Take a look at this video to get a better understanding about what I'm discussing here:

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According to Dr. Anna Anund, a project leader for an EU-funded project focused on developing software for driverless car sensor systems. The systems discussed in this article are extremely important in providing autonomous cars the ablity to see hidden objects.

“The automated vehicles need to be able to predict or detect what is happening ahead. This is not only what is going on in [their] own lane but also in the surroundings like pedestrian paths, on the other side of the corner etc,” she said.

“If it is other vehicles we are looking for it is more easy,” she added. “More problematic is, of course, unprotected road users or animals.”

The cars of the future will drive us and may or may not offer the ability for us to operate them manually. They will be able to see around corners, expect the unexpected and get us to our destination both efficiently and safely.

What do you guys think about this new futuristic means of transporation? Do you see any reason why we wouldn't want to be driven around by fully autonomous vehicles? Are there any potential dangers we may not have considered before making this very probably future into reality?

Please leave your thoughts below.

Source:

New laser technology lets driverless cars see round corners - The Guardian

Image Source:

Tesla

The Guardian