[ExI] self-driving cars again

[spike]

... Behalf Of BillK
Subject: Re: [ExI] self-driving cars again

On Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 5:00 PM, spike wrote:
<snip>
> ...  We could make a closed course which 
> proles would pay five bucks to let their experimental cars and bikes 
> race down... Ohh, sooo kewallll...
>
>

>...Just a thought that going for a robot motorcycle might be a step too
far...

I think you are right BillK.  I am attracted to the problem just because I
like controls engineering, but it wouldn't be a damn bit easy.  You might be
able to find some Stanford hotshots who want to do it, but something like
that might require a corporate sponsorship and a dedicated bunch of lads.
The whole problem reminds me of helicopters.  Guys were thinking of vertical
takeoff and landing when the Wright brothers managed to take off, but it
took decades to work out the control problem.  It would be an order of
magnitude harder than a four wheeler, but ultimately I expect the best runs
to be made by a two wheeler because of the lowered rolling resistance and
better cornering characteristics, just as the fast bikers can negotiate Mt.
Hamiliton Road faster than the fast carers.  

>...They seem to be very scarce at present. Google only finds a few not very
successful attempts...

There was a guy who showed up at the DARPA challenge in 2005.  His bike
wobbled around and didn't go far, but the crowd went nuts over his entry.
Even the non-engineers can see what a difficult problem he had (partially)
solved.

>...You could try automating something like the Piaggio MP3 curver
three-wheel scooter (minus the engine). That still leans into the corners
and with three wheels, you don't need to develop the balance tech.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaggio_MP3>...BillK
_______________________________________________

Ja, that three-wheeler notion has a lot of promise, and could be a separate
class of competitors.

I am contacting some local businesses with the notion to see if any of them
want to sponsor a car.  Google might be interested, and Intel's products
would surely be used, as well as tire companies and such as that.
Eventually, just as in NASCAR, the competition eventually comes down to tire
and suspension technology, but there are a lot of controls problems to work
until that happens.

This is really exciting, a whole nuther area of racing is opening.  This is
one that has a magic combination: it is something that amateurs can
participate in, doesn't cost all that much, it doesn't involve any actual
danger (which will cause a few to lose interest) but is wide open to new
ideas and new inventions, with lots of practical real world applications.  

When a sport is mature, such as NASCAR, all the entries look and even
perform almost identically.  This one is so new, everyone will have their
own ideas on how to do this game.  This is so exciting.  BillK, I know it is
pretty flat over there in Jolly Olde.  Have you convenient access to any
local hills?  Nothing will get this going like a little intercontinental
rivalry, and OH NO the limeys are going to whoop our asses, etc.  When I
write the proposals, I can suggest there is a British guy all over this, and
we don't want to be buying robo-racer tech from them, now do we, and so
forth.  

Competition breeds excellence.

spike