Is Google Making Robotic Car?: And Driven 225,000km by itself

Robotic Car Of Google

Mulit-billion-dollar international technology company, Google, has been secretly working away on developing robotic cars capable of driving themselves. As Google is only for internet before we know this. You know all about Google that Google was developed for only internet. But now it is launching too many projects and services by the great stuff. I don't know what has Google in it's mind? Before some time as I published my previous article describing new function on maps. But Now I am talking about Google is going to make  business?

However Google was working on this project for last year. But as this was secret that was no information has been leaked by Google. But now Google is giving some information about its project. Google is releasing information what the company has been up to in the last year or so and where it’s currently at.

Published on it's Blog  Google has revealed it has not only begun to forge the way in robotic car development, but it’s already driven a small fleet of automated Toyota Prius’ around parts of California for a total of 225,000km on public roads. The interesting thing is most of us weren’t even aware it was happening.

Here I will going to show one video that is published on YouTube. This video was published before I think one year. And for that Google has said that that is only for google images and for maps. But now it is seen that it is completely robotic car that was made  by technicians of Google. 

Actually Google has made this car as technology to help people to stop accident and manage traffic. There is great thought of Google. As It's for Google images, maps, And other hand it's also for to help people to prevent accident.Google also says that this technology has the potential to cut road-related fatalities by as much as half if it were applied to the infrastructure.

Before seeing look what Google says about it's Robotic car and about it's thoughts on it's innovative ideas.

"Larry and Sergey founded Google because they wanted to help solve really big problems using technology. And one of the big problems we’re working on today is car safety and efficiency. our automated cars use video cameras, radar sensors and a laser range finder to “see” other traffic, as well as detailed maps (which we collect using manually driven vehicles) to navigate the road ahead. This is all made possible by Google’s data centers, which can process the enormous amounts of information gathered by our cars when mapping their terrain."

that's straight means you can see that Google is going to make all latest technology with it's services and make it different and the best for ever. and Also it's straight profit is to people like us on the road as robotic car to prevent Accident.

"We’ve always been optimistic about technology’s ability to advance society, which is why we have pushed so hard to improve the capabilities of self-driving cars beyond where they are today. While this project is very much in the experimental stage, it provides a glimpse of what transportation might look like in the future thanks to advanced computer science. And that future is very exciting."

I don't have to say anything about how google is thinking as all part of it's business and make good interact with users of it. Indirectly it is making it's position to people who is not using internet. Before some time people who don't use Internet they didn't know anything about Google but new service launching of Google as making it to diiferent all have to know about GOogle.!

Now Check Out this video of robotic car by Google:

Toyota Auris: New Car Film To Raise Greater Awareness Of Hybrid Technology

Now I am going to talk about Toyota Auris! this is the new car And also launched in UK. But in this article I am not going to talk about this car. 

I am goibg to talk about the film of the Toyota Auris. Yes, Not being the "top Gear" type petrohead, I admire hybrods and also Hybrid technology. If you are living in UK, than You must know and also have seen the latest technology filled car The TOyota Auris at some point on the road. And with relation tho this car, Toyota and Glue Isobar have teamed up to create a film of this car.

In making of this film there is also new technology that is called EDGE FILM PROJECTION TECHNOLOGY. that is to showcase TOYOTA's innovative hybrod technology, And I must say that the film will also inspire them to find out more about the benifit and also can say profit of HYBROD TECHNOLOGY in new car Auris. and that's an aim of this making of film.

What is this film about and how it creates?

(below report is by gadgetlite.com)

Toyota is to launch a cutting-edge film featuring the latest projection mapping techniques to showcase the unique Hybrid technology now available inside their new Auris.                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                        

The film, developed by glue Isobar, is designed to portray the vehicle’s extraordinary ability to constantly recycle the energy it uses.The 3D projection shows the car transforming; its bodywork peeling back to reveal a glowing blue light which symbolizes the car’s Hybrid energy.                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                           

The energy then escapes from the car and ‘energises’ objects in the surrounding environment. Upon reaching a crescendo, the sequence then reverses, with the energy being drawn back into the car, thus demonstrating how the Auris Hybrid gets its energy back and deliver exceptional fuel economy.                                              

                                                                                                                                                                            

The documentary-style piece, which is intended to appeal to a tech-savvy audience, was shot in one take on location in a tunnel in London’s Shoreditch. Witnessed by passers-by, the film is accompanied by an original and immersive audio track.                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                          

The film will be seeded via digital channels on 7th October and further social content will be curated and hosted on a dedicated campaign hub at ‘www.getyourenergyback.co.uk’.                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                        

The film has been produced by glue Isobar’s digital film unit, Superglue, which counts Gavin Rothery, the VFX expert behind the special effects on Bafta-winning film Moon, as one of its team members.                                                                    

2010 Paris Motor Show: Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept finally breaks cover

New tech, new generation.  Today i will talk about new latest new concept car. You must thinking about mercedies but no, this car has been launched in one auto sho that was held in paris. 

Organisers are saying that  there will more than 10 lacs people to show this auro show. Now come to the topic on car. This car was in paris auto show named  Lamborghini. this car is Sesto Elemento Concept car.

(photos by speedlux)

The Sesto element Concept from Lamborghini is meant to represent the sixth element in the periodic table and that is occupied by the

element carbon. that straight means it will be too light in weight. means if course super fast car. 

The total weight of the concept is 999 kg which translates into a healthy 2,202 lb. This weight is inclusive of the engine unit which is a V10 and also the all wheel drive transmission. The V10 delivers 570 hp and accelerates the car from 0 to 100 kmph in just 2.5 seconds which is the same for the Gallardo Superleggera. The top speed of the concept is well over 300 kmph or200 mph.

 I said that is super fast car in new latest changing technology. 

Now i will talk what car specialist says about this car. In their own laungage, the car is supposed to have perfect aerodynamics as per the cars maker. The ribs up front, two of them which helps to improve the stiffness of the component as well as in guiding the cool air directly to the radiator which is located behind them and to the brakes as well. Right beneath the front windscreen there are two red color triangular shaped openings. It is through these openings that the cool air is flowing! 

The president and CEO of  Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann had said of the Sesto Elemento: “The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento shows how the future of the super sports car can look – extreme lightweight engineering, combined with extreme performance results in extreme driving fun. We put all of our technological competence into one stunning form to create the Sesto Elemento.

“It is our abilities in carbon-fiber technology that have facilitated such a forward-thinking concept, and we of course also benefit from the undisputed lightweight expertise of AUDI AG. Systematic lightweight engineeringis crucial for future super sports cars: for the most dynamic performance, as well as for low emissions. We will apply this technological advantage right across our model range. Every future Lamborghini will be touched by the spirit of the Sesto Elemento.”


chekout our other articles on cars: 
Clever cars to mean safer driving!!
great information for gamers: List of 66 Cars in NFS
Performance Tuned 2010 Chevy Camaros Start Roaring In 
new cars in new generation for you: Hyundai Genesis Sedan 

Clever cars to mean safer driving!!

Cars could soon be ringing the emergency services 

themselves if they are involved in a crash.

Sensors embedded in future vehicles could also let emergency services work out the severity of the crash and how many people were involved.

The predictions came at a symposium considering the changes ushered in by the spread of small, smart processors.

The growing number of on-board computers could also spell big changes for the way people drive.

"The car is probably going to be the most compute-intensive possession that we will have," said Steve Wainwright, European manager at Freescale Semiconductor which makes many of the chips inside car control systems.

Mr Wainwright said average cars have 25-30 electronic control units onboard already and high-end cars probably carry up to 80. These tiny computers are in charge of many car systems such as stability control, power distribution, safety and many others.


Increasingly, said Mr Wainwright, they are helping to augment a person's driving skill and that trend would only continue as technologies such as collision detection systems and radar become more commonplace.

"All of us who feel we are better drivers now than we were 10 years ago, that's probably because we are getting more help then we realise," he said at the Future World Sympoisum, a conference organised by the UK's National Microelectronics Institute.

Quick response
Paul Burnley, an analyst from automotive market research firm SBD, said cars in the future would be among the first to react after a crash. They might send data about their location and the number of occupants in a car to get the emergency services responding much more quickly.

 "More advanced systems will be capable of sending data from distributed sensors in the car to the emergency services," he said.

"Perhaps letting them analyse this and build a profile of the crash and evaluate the risk of serious injury to the occupants."

Clever in-car systems would be essential as the world moves from petrol-driven cars to hybrid and electric vehicles, he said.

"The 'hop in the car and drive where you want' mentality is not one we can carry forward to electric vehicles," he said. "Fears about range anxiety and charging infrastructure are starting to dominate discussions about such vehicles."

Only with sensors that can accurately determine the distance a car can travel given the charge in its batteries and know the location of the nearest charging station, will the move to electric vehicles be more palatable, he said.

Safer roads
Mr Wainwright from Freescale believed that the growing unification of cars and computers had the potential to make driving safer and greener.

Already, he said, the US has set aside radio spectrum for car-to-car communication systems suggesting that the future will see more inter-vehicular chatter about road conditions. Europe is also considering which radio frequency to use for this communication.

The opening up of this communications channel could pave the way for so-called "platooning" of cars on motorways in which convoys of vehicles are electronically linked and travel together.

National Integrated Transport Systems (ITS) that have the ability to gather cars into platoons, dictate routes and keep high density traffic in cities moving much faster were starting to emerge, said Mr Wainwright.

 

Testing out Lexus' safety features

ALAMEDA, Calif.--I'm hurtling down a piece of asphalt, my right foot jamming the accelerator of the Lexus I'm driving to the floor, speed building rapidly, my heart rate rising, when suddenly, I add my left foot to the mix, jamming it down hard on the brake pedal.

The car screeches to a halt.

For anyone who's been paying attention the last year or so, the memory of Toyota's highly publicized troubles related to cars suddenly and irrevocably accelerating should still be fresh. And that's almost certainly why the Lexus representative--and professional driver--who's sitting in the passenger seat next to me is so intent on making sure I understand that, on this car at least, there's a system for overriding a full throttle situation and getting the vehicle to come to a quick, and orderly, stop.

Lexus, of course, is owned by Toyota. So it's no wonder that during the morning of demonstrations of Lexus safety features I attended here Thursday, this so-called "Smart Stop" technology was one of the highlights.

Over the course of about two hours, I joined a group of other reporters and bloggers in a series of demos designed to showcase the latest Lexus safety features. We got chances to try out driving conditions that tested the cars' vehicle stability control, traction control, antilock brakes, and, yes, the smart stop technology.

This event, of course, was all about Lexus and its roster of features. And because I'm not a car reviewer by trade, I wondered where all this technology fit into the larger automotive environment. The answer, I was told by an independent reviewer who was on hand, was that there wasn't anything unique about Lexus' offerings--Mercedes, BMW, and a few other manufacturers all offer similar sets of safety features, he told me--but that all in all, it was a noteworthy collection, and one that seemed to giver Lexus drivers a nice set of things to feel comfortable about when getting behind the wheel of one of the company's cars.

Vehicle stability
I'm a pretty conservative driver. It's true that I have no problem going 85 on open roads, but I don't tend to mess about much when I'm driving. Maybe a rollover accident 11 years ago while driving 80 in the desert cured me of any automotive wildness I might have had.

So on Thursday, when I was being encouraged to floor the car I was driving and then take it into a sharp curve without braking, I was more than a little hesitant.

But I'd already seen another one of my fellow writers do this move, after the pro driver himself had demonstrated it, so I figured, how hard can it be?

Before testing out the technology, we first tried the maneuver with all of the vehicle stability and traction controls disabled. We rolled the car--first a model with rear-wheel drive, and then one with all-wheel drive--up to a start point on a tarp covered in a nice sheen of water. Then we hit the gas. The rear-wheel drive car shimmied a bit on the tarp before hitting the pavement, and then the goal was to get it up to 27 miles an hour before turning hard into a sharp curve. Without the technology, and in the rear-wheel drive Lexus, the vehicle made the turn, but it definitely pulled to the left as I steered.

Moving to the all-wheel-drive car, and engaging the traction and vehicle stability control systems--it was totally different. First, the car barely twitched as it sped off the tarp, and then, when I yanked the steering wheel hard to the right, the car responded, quickly and easily, a beeping sound indicating that the safety technology had automatically gone into effect accompanying a quick and very noticeable jump in G-forces.

The idea, the pro driver explained, is that the vehicle stability and traction control systems are designed to sense when wheels are losing traction--say on wet surfaces, or when going through a hard turn--and automatically apply brakes to those wheels. This means, in theory, that the car will stay under control, even under extreme conditions.

Of course, any extreme situation may vary, and my experience by no means guarantees safety in any other circumstances. But I admit, I was impressed. There's no doubt that when I was driving the Lexus with all-wheel drive and the traction and vehicle stability control systems engaged, it felt almost totally stable, even as we rounded the very tight curve. The beeping sound indicated the system was helping out, and that was actually reassuring--it felt good knowing that this technology was helping to keep the car solid while it was undergoing something that I suspect might have ended up flipping my own nine-year-old Subaru.

Smart Stop
Though Toyota went through its much-publicized PR nightmare involving out-of-control acceleration, it's unlikely that such a problem is going to happen again any time soon. And with Lexus, I don't know of any cases where it happened. Still, being a Toyota brand, it's clear that the company wants people to know that even if a mat should get stuck under the accelerator, or something else might cause the throttle to get stuck, the Lexus safety systems are there to take over.

And that's just what happened. Even with my foot all the way to the floor--it actually took me three tries before I could overcome some subconscious tick that made me pull back a bit on the gas--hitting the brake all the way governed the situation. There was a brief, perhaps half-second, pause while the car waits to see if, yes, you really do want to stop, or that you are intentionally pounding the gas (as evidenced by no lessening of pressure on the brake or the accelerator), and then, as I mentioned above, the car came quickly to a stop.

The point, it was clear, is that this Lexus had a system in place that would override in the very unlikely event of uncontrolled acceleration. And that, obviously, is intended to calm anyone down who might worry that a Lexus, as a Toyota brand, might suffer from the same malady that got so much attention in recent months.

Antilock brakes
The last driving test I got to do was one that showcased what good antilock brakes can do.

Here, we again tested two cars--one with ABS and one without. The goal: accelerate full-force down a straight track and then hit the brakes and turn the wheel to avoid hitting a bunch of cones at the end.

great information for gamers: List of 66 Cars in Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is one of the hottest racing games which is going to release in the coming months. EA Sports is already going to different cities in the US to promote the game, and is receiving very good response. It will be going to sport a wide variety of cars coupled with a great gameplay.

Earlier we reported about the newly released screenshots of the game, and now here is the list of 66 cars in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. This list is said to arrived on the EA forums, but now has been deleted.

Checkout the list, and tell us how did you liked the “package”?

List of Cars in NFS: Hot Pursuit:

• Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
• Alfa Romeo 8C Spyder
• Aston Martin DBS
• Aston Martin DBS Volante
• Aston Martin One-77
• Aston Martin V12 Vantage
• Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro
• Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro
• Audi TT RS Coupé
• Bentley Continental Supersports
• BMW M3 E92
• BMW M6 Convertible
• BMW Z4 sDrive35is
• Bugatti Veyron 16.4
• Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
• Carbon Motors E7
• Chevrolet Camaro SS
• Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
• Chevrolet Corvette Z06
• Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
• Dodge Challenger SRT8
• Dodge Charger SRT8
• Dodge Viper SRT10
• Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR
• Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
• Ford GT
• Ford Police Interceptor Concept
• Ford Shelby GT500
• Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake
• Jaguar XKR
• Koenigsegg Agera
• Koenigsegg CCX
• Koenigsegg CCXR Edition
• Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni
• Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
• Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder
• Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera
• Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640-4
• Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SV
• Lamborghini Reventón
• Lamborghini Reventón Roadster
• Maserati GranCabrio
• Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic
• Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S
• Mazda RX-8
• McLaren F1
• McLaren MP4-12C
• Mercedes-Benz SL65 Black Series
• Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition
• Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
• Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
• Mitsubishi Lancer EVOLUTION X
• Nissan 370Z Coupe
• Nissan 370Z Roadster
• Nissan GT-R SpecV (R35)
• Pagani Zonda Cinque
• Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster
• Porsche 911 GT3 RS
• Porsche 911 Targa 4S
• Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet
• Porsche 918 Spyder (Concept Study)
• Porsche Boxster Spyder
• Porsche Carrera GT
• Porsche Cayman S
• Porsche Panamera Turbo

Performance Tuned 2010 Chevy Camaros Start Roaring In

The hot new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro pony car has just left the assembly lines with the hope of injecting some adreneline into vacant Chevrolet showrooms. Though the waiting list for delivery on a new Camaro is still wet, this hasn't stopped the American car tuning aftermarket from releasing a press barrage of new Chevy Camaro tuned models.

Chevrolet has no plans at present time to revive the Camaro Z28 moniker, leaving a void for those pony car buyers who want a little more than even the loaded Camaro SS has to offer.

From LS9-powered Hennessey monster Camaros to more mundane and affordable tuning programs, the 2010 Camaro's competent RWD architecture has not been lost on the aftermarket community. Expect to start seeing hotted-up Camaros on the streets soon. Here is an overview of some of the more noteworthy 2010 Chevy Camaro tuning programs.

2010 Hennessey HPE700 Camaro

GM's new LS9 engine series is not a bad place to start when seeking to make a high performance... anything. Supercharged like in Corvette ZR1 duty, the LS9 in Hennessey's new factory-sanctioned tuned Camaro outputs 705 tire-shredding horses. Borrowing more than just a motor from the Nurburgring record-holding Corvette ZR1, the Henessey HPE700 Camaro gets the top-dog 'Vettes brakes as well.

Hennessey promises an upgraded Camaro suspension program ensuring all that get-up-and-go and slow-down-and-stop will be worthwhile to a true performance car enthusiast. The Camaro in its base form is a more competent car than a bread-and-butter new Ford Mustang once things get twisty, so if Hennessey's American car tuning pedigree holds true this will be likely the hottest turn-key tuned Camaro on the road for some time.

2010 Fesler-Moss Camaro

Though only renderings and official only-on-paper spec sheets have been released, if Chevy Camaro tuning duo Chris Fesler and John Moss can come through as promised the Fesler-Moss Camaro will be a beast. Engine options encompass everything worthwhile from GM's crate motor catalog, the LS-3, LS-7, LS-9 and LSX V8 engines. Two transmissions are to be available, a custom 6 speed or an extra beefy version of GM's own 4L65E unit.

On the outside, the Fesler-Moss Camaro perhaps looks even more like classic Camaro models than the stock Chevy car. With heavy use of billet aluminum in the grill, front fascia and even Chevy Bowtie logo, the Fesler-Moss Camaro cuts a striking profile on the road. Let's hope it looks this good when Fesler and Moss actually get around to building them.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Black Concept

Not to be outdone by the aftermarket, Chevrolet has made the auto show circuit of SEMA, Los Angeles and Chicago with a hot rod Camaro variant of its own, calling the tuned concept the Chevrolet Camaro Black. Try as they may, aftermarket Chevy tuners have not yet been able to equal the Camaro Black's visual appeal. GM originally stated that the Camaro Black Concept was indicitive of what the customer could expect from official GM performance parts, but the program is in such hot water right now we don't know much about what Chevrolet will offer from its parts catalog.

With so much money spent on the new 2010 Camaro's development, let's hope Chevy lovers will soon be able to drive off the showroom floor in a Camaro that looks and performs like the Black Concept. You can do it, GM!

new cars in new generation for you: Hyundai Genesis Sedan and Coupe Storm SEMA

The Hyundai Genesis sedan, out now, and the Hyundai Genesis Coupe that will drop in the spring of 2009, is proof in pudding of Korean automaker Hyundai's rise to creating real, serious performance machines. The Genesis sedan and coupe are the culmination of a trend at Hyundai toward quality and driver engagement, without giving up the high value that has catapulted the brand from bottom-of-the-barrel economy to high on many prospective car buyers' lists.

To be taken seriously among the performance tuning community, Hyundai has touted the performance potential of the rear wheel drive Genesis Sedan and Genesis Coupe by commissioning several of the world's top tuning houses to upgrade the already more-than-adequate Genesis performance and styling to a new level.

The natural venue to showcase what can be done with this exciting brand new platform is the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show that hits Las Vegas each fall. Genesis Sedan tuners DUB, RIDES Magazine and RKSPORT showcased the luxury sport sedan's urban image, with tuning packages comparing it to say, the tuned Chrysler 300C or Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The Genesis Coupe is a very different animal, though they are based on the same platform. HKS, Street Concepts and Rhys Millen Racing were chosen as most appropriate to bring out the best custom car potential in Hyundai's exciting new pony car competitor. Particularly noteworthy is the Rhys Millen Racing Genesis Coupe, which has been outfitted with a full autocross-ready track package, demonstrating just how much performance the new 2.0 Turbo from Hyundai is good for.

After the Tiburon has hung on always just outside of the sport compact tuning limelight, will Hyundai finally hit mainstream in the performance tuning world with the Genesis Sedan and Coupe? Both very different cars have the goods to deliver, and it is now up to the market as to just how far Hyundai has come.

"The seven custom Genesis Coupes and sedans to be unveiled at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show demonstrate Hyundai’s commitment to its rear-wheel drive performance platform. From the Genesis sedan’s more luxurious take on performance, to the more overtly athletic nature of the Genesis Coupe, Hyundai has a wide range of performance and capability covered with the Genesis platform. The seven Genesis SEMA cars highlight this wide-ranging capability, from Rhys Millen’s 2.0T Genesis Coupe, inspired by the Japanese Super GT series, to the Euro-inspired RKSport Genesis sedan, with its Hyundai-engineered 460-horsepower supercharged 4.6-liter V8 engine concept. "

Want to print in 3 dimensions?

• The process is similar to an inkjet printer, however, the "ink" is powder and a bonding agent.

 

•  Printing in layers, the machine builds up the object in three dimensions.

 Some of the gadgets engineers come up with are just cool. We’re going to check out one of them. Printing in three-dimensions. Today, on Engineering Works!

 
Most of us have home computers these days, and they’re all connected to desktop printers. Hit the print key and out comes that report you needed for work or a barbecue sauce recipe from the web. Easy.

 
That was then. "Now, a new kind of printer is taking printing into three-dimensions, not just flat on a piece of paper. These printers print out solid objects, usually in plastic. There aren’t many of the printers around yet. Technology geeks and hobbyists own most of them. They use them to make stuff like jewelry, toys, tools or kitchen appliances."

Tonight Show host and classic car collector Jay Leno even has one. His mechanics use it to print out car parts that they can’t buy any longer. They send the plastic models to machine shops to get real metal parts made, cheaper and faster than custom-designed parts.

 
The 3-D printers are starting to catch on. You can buy them in some electronics stores or directly from the manufacturers. Prices run from $750 for a desktop kit model to $27,000 for Leno’s refrigerator-sized unit. So far, it’s definitely a niche device, but enthusiasts are sure that someday we’ll be printing out things we need, not just fun stuff.

 
We can’t print out a ride home, but we’re still done. See you next time.

Engineering Works! is made possible by Texas A&M Engineering and produced by KAMU-FM in College Station. Learn more about engineering. Visit us on the World Wide Web. http://engineeringworks.tamu.edu    

In some luxurious cars: DRIVING BY WIRE!

Some luxury cars have as many as 100 devices or operations

controlled by a microprocessor. 

• •  Many cars have more lines of code than a jet fighter plane.
  But computer problems are giving car companies like Toyota a run for their money.

  If you haven’t been following Toyota’s troubles with the computers that help make its cars go, here’s a little background. Computers on wheels. Today, on Engineering Works! Listen to the podcast.

Computers and cars have been rolling along together for quite a while now. Henry Ford wouldn’t know what to think.

The first computer control unit in a production automobile seems to be one in a 1977 Oldsmobile Toronado that controlled spark plug timing in the engine. In 1978, the Cadillac Seville had a trip computer controlled by a computer chip. By 1980, electronic control units operated exhaust emission control system in several cars.

These days, microprocessor-controlled devices, or electronic control units, keep track of and operate all sorts of things. Acceleration and braking, the features that bedevil Toyota. Brakes, cruise control, engine valve timing, anti-skip brakes, traction control, door locks.

Tiny tanks of sugar and oxygen could power devices in space.

It’s not just high-end vehicles. Even basic econoboxes usually have at least 30 of them. Some luxury cars have as many as 100. And these are not simple little chips. Many of the cars and trucks we drive have at least 100-million lines of computer code on board. That’s more than many jet fighter planes.

Using computers to help operate the vehicle makes sense. They can process information from sensors in vehicle operating systems almost instantaneously and act on it much faster than human drivers can. But when something goes wrong, sometimes it’s really wrong.