MSU Researcher Building Self-Driving Car That Can Tackle Michigan Roads [VIDEO]
Sure, Google, Delphi, and a handful of others are working on self-driving cars. But a self-driving automobile that can handle Michigan's icy, snow-covered, pothole-laden roads? Now, you're talking!
A group of researchers from Michigan State University is working on an autonomous vehicle that relies on laser radar and sensors rather than cameras. Hayder Radha, an MSU professor of electrical and computer programming, tells the Lansing State Journal that the other manufacturers didn't account for bad weather or glare, which can cause the camera-based technology to fail.
Radha says his system will be able to differentiate between trees, pavement, sidewalks, and other types of static terrain. As the sensors collect data, the vehicle will create a 3D aerial model of the area as it drives.
The team claims the technology will allow the car to navigate where to drive even more accurately than a human can. The vehicle and its technology will be on display at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.