General Motors’ upcoming self-driving technology, Ultra Cruise, is set to usher in a new era of autonomous driving, and is slated to enable hands-free convenience for more than 95 percent of scenarios. Now, it appears as though Ultra Cruise will use more than 20 sensors to facilitate this self-driving experience.
In order to achieve the 360-degree viewing required for Ultra Cruise to function properly, a bevy of cameras and technologies work in tandem to each other:
- Driver Attention System
- Located on top of the steering column, this tiny camera uses infrared light to monitor the driver’s head position and line-of-sight.
- Compute System
- As the physical hardware that runs Ultra Cruise, this system is powered by a scalable compute architecture featuring system-on-chips (SoCs), and was developed by American semiconductor company Qualcomm Technologies.
- Long-Range Cameras
- Seven, eight-megapixel cameras are located on the front, corners, sides and rear of the vehicle and provide expanded fields of view that enable Ultra Cruise to detect objects like traffic signs, traffic lights, other vehicles and pedestrians.
- Short-Range Radars
- Four radars are individually placed at all four corners of the vehicle, and provide a radius of up to 90 meters.
- Long-Range Radars
- Three 4D radars are positioned on the front and rear of the vehicle and allow Adaptive Cruise Control to function properly, as well as enable lane change maneuvers at highway speeds by detecting an object’s location, direction and elevation relative to the speed of the vehicle. Additionally, these radars help determine safe stopping distances.
- LiDAR
- Located behind the windshield, this technology produced a 3D view of the surrounding area, enabling more precise detection of objects and road features, even in inclement weather conditions. When combined with other sensors, LiDAR creates a potent “picture” of the surrounding environment for Ultra Cruise.
“GM’s fundamental strategy for all ADAS features, including Ultra Cruise, is safely deploying these technologies,” said GM chief engineer of Ultra Cruise Jason Ditman. “A deep knowledge of what Ultra Cruise is capable of, along with the detailed picture provided by its sensors, will help us understand when Ultra Cruise can be engaged and when to hand control back to the driver. We believe consistent, clear operation can help build drivers’ confidence in Ultra Cruise.”
It’s worth noting that the Ultra Cruise feature has yet to be released, and will debut on the uber-luxurious Cadillac Celestiq.
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Comments
No thanks, hands free driving technology should be banned as it promotes distracted driving. Just wait until the police and insurance companies download your computer and camera data after your accident and you get sued to the moon.
Right on Carl. Good thing there aren’t any accidents today with virtually no computers driving. If you think people drive safer than computers, you have never ridden with my dad driving. LOL
As long as you have the option to turn the computer off and drive manual when you want / need, I am good with it.
No question automated driving will kill people, but it will be significantly fewer deaths than is the case now. If you are a great driver then turn the auto drive off, or buy a vehicle with out it. Banning it would be foolish.
Caterpillar is also using LiDAR and Qualcomm’s system on chips system for autonomous control of their large off highway mining trucks. This has been under development for the last 30 years on the San Francisco Bay area peninsula.
That makes sense, a confined controlled construction area is much different than a crowded highway.
That’s a lot of software working!
Watch the bad actor hackers have fun jamming this.
So, will the system work on the frosty mornings when the cameras and sensors are covered with frost/snow/ice or partially blurred by a coating of road salt? What about fog or heavy rain or snow? Can it differentiate between a mailbox or person or utility pole? What happens if a dog or raccoon runs out in front of the car, will it slam on the brakes even if that may create a more dangerous situation that my brain can process that the computer might not? I’ll just stick with my own eyes and ears.
The Celestiq is an impressive looking vehicle.