Technological Advances Fuels Future of AV


It is unclear when the transportation revolution will hit full tilt but one thing that can be predicted with reasonable certainty is that it will happen. Traditional cars, meaning those with a pistol-driven engine, are not going out of fashion. They continue to be sold steadily around the world. But, the emergence of peer to peer taxi apps, such as Uber and Lyft, as well as the increase in production of electric cars signal that something new is on the horizon. This theory is backed up by the development of driverless cars. In essence, the future looks autonomous, shared, connected and electric.
This development comes with two big benefits. The first will be regarding the environment and how electric cars will have a positive impact on plans for a green future. The second is that companies who stand at the forefront of these transportation developments are going to make some serious money. We’re talking in the trillions of dollars. Researchers and private industries are pairing up and pouring in vast resources to explore the next generation of transportation, not just for land, but for sea and space as well.
One of the most exciting products being worked on at the moment is the concept car being created by the superstar team of Lamborghini and MIT. The car will be capable of semi-autonomous driving and has a number of fancy features, including self-healing bodywork. The car is powered by electric motors, which get their electricity from supercapacitors. Lamborghini is a firm believer that by scrapping the battery pack in favour of the supercapacitor, they will iron out a lot of the limitations that electric cars have faced so far.
The Lamboghini Terzo Millenio, as it will be known, has not quite got to production point yet but is a promising indicator of what we can expect from future supercars.
Looking to the seas, the developments are equally exciting but notably more complex. AutonomousUnderwater Vehicles (AUVs) need to be able to perform complicated manoeuvres in tight spaces. Rice University is working on the next generation of AUVs and creating programmes that will increase their capabilities. As well as propelling through open water, AUVs will be able to navigate tight spaces with a reduced speed, focusing on docking and breaking motions. This will allow for the inspection of leaking oil tanks among other things.
Meanwhile, another team at the University is working on a robot that would be able to repair the leak once it has been inspected by the AUV. This ambitious project would take underwater engineering to a whole new level.
Finally, NASA plans to be able to send humans to Mars by 2030. The journey would take about 9 months each way and passengers will be able to stay on the planet for 16 months. In preparation, the space centre will be sending a fleet or robots out to Mars to get the place ready for the arrival of humans. Virginia Tech is hopeful that NASA will use its autonomous mining system on its first voyage.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The largest solar farms in the world

Image
Solar energy is gaining in popularity. Most people know solar power as the rooftop panels that are being installed on more and more houses; or projects like Elon Musk’s Solar Roof. However, there are many different applications for solar and many ways energy can be generated using the power of the sun. Electricity is the most common use, but solar energy can also be used to heat water for use in the home, or a swimming pool, etc. Solar arrays can also be used to redirect the beams of the sun to a central point which is then converted to heat energy to drive turbines, much like a coal plant would use a burner – only this time there are no emissions, and just clean energy. A large array of solar panels, be it photovoltaic or thermal, is called a solar farm. Here we take a look at a few of the biggest in the world. Tengger Desert Solar Park Located in China, the world’s largest solar farm uses solar PV panels to generate 1,500MW of electricity. This plant covers 43 square kil
Read more

Building Smart Cities, an Energy Transition

Image
Smart cities were once thought to have been a $1.6 trillion market by 2020. Everything from housing, transportation, urban planning, management, would contribute to a smarter neighbourhood enriching the lives of the citizens and residents. From self-driving cars to automated delivery drones, IT networks will become the backbone of the interconnected world. We are not there, yet. Technology is developing and evolving but there is a lack of a common direction, and funding, for many of the players in the market bridging that final implementation gap. Often overlooked by the general public in their desire for a smarter city is also the technical feasibility. Not only do information networks play an important part; but energy is the driver of all of our smart ambitions. To foster the growth of smart cities and to facilitate the transition we must also critically evaluate our energy production and consumption pattern. On a local scale, Electric Vehicles are gaining in popularity
Read more

The World’s Longest Transmission Lines

Image
Some of the world’s largest power plants are in some of the most remote locations compared to where the electricity they generate is consumed. The technology of choice for many of these lines is HVDC or High Voltage Direct Current, which allows the electricity generated to be supplied up to hundreds of kilometers away. As the technology is not inexpensive, and requires a stable reliable generation supply in order to be effective. With increasing power demands and strain on electricity systems , developing High, and Ultra High Voltage power lines is only set to increase as new generation projects come online. As population centers are usually located far from hydro-electric plants, it is no surprise that most of the long-distance projects supply power from these dams to large population centers. Rio Madeira transmission link, Brazil Coming in at 2,385km, the Rio Madeira Transmission Link in Brazil tops the chart as the world’s longest. Supplying power from the Santo Antônio an
Read more