Robotic Audi to Perform Steep Climb
Building on a tradition that dates back to 1916, the annual Pikes peak International Hill Climb is a tradition near the US city of Colorado Springs, Colorado. With a length of just over 12 miles, the curving roads of the mountain area are a testing grounds for all sorts of vehicles, but a professor of mechanical engineering from Stanford University is setting out to trump the list of famous drivers such as Al Unser and Mario Andretti. Gerdes is looking to be the first to send up a car that will drive itself. Using an Audi TTS, the professor has altered the vehicle to be able to drive itself at speeds of up to 130 miles an hour using a computer and GPS control. There will be test runs using a driver for the safety of the vehicle, known by the name of Shelley, but for the solo climb, Shelley will need to make use of only computer systems and remote control in order to make the drive. The speeds and general path the car follows will be a product of the extensive testing planned.
Since the car is capable of receiving information at a rate of around 500 instances per second, it will need to make use of a variety of tools built into its design. Aside from the GPS system on board, the car has a number of gyroscopes and accelerometers which will control both braking and speed, helping the car respond to determinations of the road’s boundaries. As director for Stanford’s Center for Automotive Research, Gerdes teamed up with Volkswagen to use their $5.75 million grant to create the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab which has helped to produce the vehicle.