Introduction
Autonomous driving refers to a way of driving where human control is not involved. The vehicle is capable of sensing the environment while being operated. Automatic cars have been popularized for their revolution in the automotive industry. They have been used in various fields such as space exploration, aerial surveillance, and various industries like transportation and shipping. The autonomy of these cars varies from time to time due to the invention of new technologies. The success of these autonomous vehicles dates back to the Da Vinci era. This research paper features the history of autonomous driving, which gave the foundations of today and future driving.
1500-Leonardo da Vinci’s Self-propelled Cart
Leonardo da Vinci designed a cart that could move without being pushed or pulled. Two tensional springs installed in the Cart are connected to gears, giving them energy for propulsion (Bruderer, 2020). The peg transmission system of the gears made it easy for the front wheels to move without any application of external force quickly. The system enabled the Steering of the Cart such that it could easily maneuver in a set direction. Today’s autonomous driving is a reinterpretation of Da Vinci’s idea.
1868- Whitehead Torpedo
Robert Whitehead’s invention of a warhead weapon that could propel itself in water changed the late 1800s mode of water warfare. The torpedo could travel hundreds of meters while maintaining underwater depth due to its pressurization system known as ‘The Secret.’ The Secret was a combination of hydrostatic and pendulum that gave the hydroplane stability to maintain the in-depth (Regele, 2016).
The presence of dual propellers which ran in opposite directions disenabled the weapon from veering due to the torque of the propellers. The torpedo underwent several modifications over time to improve its efficiency in self-propulsion (Regele, 2016). These modifications included increasing the pressure of the stored air and the use of Steam-powered engines that were used to propel the torpedo for easy control of the steering while on propulsion. Torpedoes gave birth to modern autonomous driving as the ideas of self-propelling were later advanced and modified to create a vehicle capable of freely maneuvering.
1933-Mechanical Mike Aircraft Autopilot
Long-distance traveling across the globe brought an urge to develop a system of auto-piloting for long-range aircraft. Sperry Gyroscope developed the prototype of Mechanical Mike and made a 1300-mile tracking of the Autopilot plane heading to ensure it was on the right track and direction. The plane was comprised of two gyroscopes, and compressed air with a hydraulic system propelled the plane. This auto-pilot was composed of a “three-axis” with gyroscopes (driven by compressed air) sensing the pitch of the environment and the aircraft’s heading changes.
When the height above sea level of the aircraft changed, there was a pressure difference in airflow in the ducts, which changed the air valves leading to the hydraulic system, which moved the aircraft’s body. The design enabled it to run in the absence of electricity than other aircraft developed during that period. A directional gyrocompass was mounted on the aircraft, which gave it bearings and directions. It could change from manual control to automatic engagement using remote controls.
1945-Teetor Cruise Control
Early 1960’s, space race exploration was at its peak. The Teetor Cruise Control is an electromechanical device that automated the speed of driving. It helped pave the way for directional driving technologies. The mechanism paced a way for autonomous driving whereby a speed selector connected to the vehicle’s engine would turn off the drive shaft when the speed was exceeded. Cruise Control was designed to change the speed of the vehicle automatically. A later modification made the Cruise more effective. Speed lock capability was connected to the motor, which limited the dial-in speed of the vehicle. All this made the ride to be smooth, and the vehicle’s speed could be easily adjusted.
1961- Stanford Cart
Researchers were constantly looking for ways to explore space while on earth. A Stanford University graduate designed a remote-controlled rover which was a self-driving vehicle. It was the first truly self-driving vehicle to be created. Fitted with cameras and wheels, the Cart, as it was referred to, was programmed in the way to track a white line on the ground and autonomously followed it. A 2-wheel or 4-wheel steering was used with cameras and wheels swiveled together and a long control cable connected to a display (Chai & Becker, 2021). Today’s autonomous space exploration vehicles rely on this idea to create ample space vehicle which is controlled by the earth.
1987-VaMoRs
This was yet another groundbreaking invention in autonomous technology designed by German Engineer Ernest Dickmanns. It entailed a van that was fitted with cameras and various sensors capable of reading the lines on the road. The imaging system made it easy to ignore distractions on the road and only focus on the track. VaMors was a key innovation and success that has led to modern autonomous vehicles navigating through hazardous environments at a speed of more than sixty miles per hour. The steering wheel and brakes were handled by a set of computer programs installed into the truck. Although computers’ processing was different from modern computers, the test was successful, and it was one of the achievements that led to current autonomous technology.
1995-General Atomics Predator
Autonomous driving technology is not only narrowed to vehicles only. The General Atomics Predator is an autonomous drone that integrates cars’ autonomous technology to navigate air unmanned. The predator has radar able to see through smoke and thermal cameras, which enable them to navigate at night. It is remotely piloted and is fitted with cameras and sensors which aid aerial surveillance. With fast-changing technological advancements, modifications have been made to the predator to fly at higher heights with little fuel combustion. The use of Predators has transformed the military by offering surveillance to inaccessible areas.
2015-Tesla Autopilot
The Tesla Autopilot is a semi-autonomous driving technology that has embraced hand-free driving for highway driving. Tesla has been at the forefront of developing cars fixed with sophisticated software controlled by modern high-processing supercomputers (Endsley, 2017). The vehicles are capable of steering and accelerating without the use of human hands or legs. The vehicle sensors are fixed outside it and can detect the exact sizes and shapes of objects on their way, even in bad weather.
Radars connect instantly with neural networks, which distinguish objects on the road. Cameras are set to provide 360 degrees view with ultrasonic sensors and radar aligned to analyze the entire surrounding of the vehicle (Endsley, 2017). Unlike other autonomous vehicles, Tesla cars can cruise through roads that are not marked with the white line. Cameras are also programmed in a way to differentiate colors using neural links. Tesla’s autopilot project has seen rapid progress in the past years since its conception. This progress has vastly transformed the era of self-driving vehicles
2015-University of Michigan City
The University of Michigan’s autonomous driving technology embraces the same principles of designing hand and leg-free vehicles. However, its autonomous vehicles are fitted with cybersecurity defensive measures to safeguard potential threats and possible vulnerabilities in the autonomy industry (Eustice, 2016). The defensive framework is composed of two defensive mechanisms. One is meant to protect the vehicles from firmware attacks and the vehicle’s inbuilt network system. This makes it the first in the world to have well-structured frameworks for the performance and safety of vehicles. The University has embarked on a mission to use several technological techniques in conjunction with each other.
Conclusion
It is clear to note how autonomous driving technology has gradually changed over time. From the use of gears for driverless carts to the use of sophisticated computer software, the technology is still yet to change in the future. Governments and different institutions are investing billions of dollars annually in the autonomy industry. Huge industries with a large workforce of experts are working to still better the technology. Future models have been simulated in researchers’ centers, and robots to manufacture autonomous cars have led to an increase in production. Great market demand for autonomous vehicles has also contributed to increased production as more people are turning their attention to autonomous vehicles.
References
Bruderer, H. (2020). Historical Automatons and Robots. In Milestones in Analog and Digital Computing (pp. 593-735). Springer, Cham.
Chai, Z., Nie, T., & Becker, J. (2021). Applications of Autonomous Driving That You Should Know. In Autonomous Driving Changes the Future (pp. 63-80). Springer, Singapore.
Endsley, M. R. (2017). Autonomous driving systems: A preliminary naturalistic study of the Tesla Model S. Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, 11(3), 225-238.
Eustice, R. Y. A. N. (2016). University of Michigan’s work toward autonomous cars.
Regele, L. S. (2016). Torpedo: Inventing the Military-Industrial Complex in the United States and Great Britain by Katherine C. Epstein. Enterprise & Society, 17(1), 227-229.