By Charles Carter, 16/9/22
In 2019, innovators at Stanford University engineered a 1981 DeLorean with autonomous drifting capability to improve driver safety and collision avoidance.
The idea is that when an autonomous car needs to make an emergency maneuver, such as swerving to avoid a pedestrian or another vehicle, use of expert drifting techniques could help avoid disaster.
How does it work?
Drifting involves a controlled skid through a turn where the car is pointed in a sideways direction to which it is travelling. It was invented by Japanese racing driver Kunimitsu Takahashi and first became popular in Japan in the 1970s.
The Stanford engineers studied the habits of professional drifting drivers and translated them into code. The resulting algorithm, running on computers in the back seats, makes use of extreme driving physics not available to conventional vehicles or existing driverless cars.
When drifting, the steering wheel changes the speed, the throttle impacts the rotation, and the brakes control how quickly you change directions.
The team installed a pair of GPS antennae on the roof to help guide the DeLorean around the predefined course. They also added electric-drive and amended the suspension for optimum drifting.
They named the innovation MARTY of course, after the Back to the Future character.
Tangent box (antennae -> Spruce bug): Spruce bug is a wood-boring beetle found throughout North America with very long antennae – over twice the body length in males. They use them to sense touch, air motion, heat, vibration (sound), and smell or taste. (Hmm…OK, but why is this in the middle of the article? Tangential thinking is essential for creativity and innovation, and Superinnovators promote it!)
What are the potential benefits?
Modern commercial vehicles have control systems aimed at preventing cars from entering the unstable states seen in drifting.
But harnessing this instability means the car can be maneuvered in a more agile and precise way. This could help with avoiding collisions or dealing with extreme conditions like ice and snow.
Questions for you. Comment below
- First thought that comes into your head?
- Pros and cons according to you?
- Other applications of this approach?
- What could this be combined with?
Links
https://news.stanford.edu/2019/12/20/autonomous-delorean-drives-sideways-move-forward/