Sentient mechatronic systems
0 likes29 views
Automobiles have evolved from mechanical devices that move on their own power to sentient mechatronic systems that can sense, process information, think, learn and act autonomously. Modern cars contain extensive electronics and software that allow features like active safety systems, adaptive cruise control and autonomous driving capabilities. As sensors, processing power and artificial intelligence continue to advance, vehicles are becoming more sentient beings that can understand their surroundings and occupants' needs in order to actively assist and ensure safety.
Sentient mechatronic systems
- 1. Automobile â Not just a Mechanical Device A Sentient Mechatronic System Top-Left: First patented gasoline car by Carl Benz (1886) SOURCE: www.daimler.com | Bottom-Left: Google Car computer vision view SOURCE: Google, via Engineering Director Ray Kurzveilâs blog. | Rest: Advanced Automotive electronics and capabilities of todays cars. he etymology of the word, âAutomobileâ, was originally suggesting the ability to move ( be mobile) on its own power (auto). The advent of technology has redefined this definition to not just moving on its own power, but also to sense, process, think and act on its own. In comparison to the complexity of the present- day automobiles, and with the foray of autonomous vehicles with the likes of corporate giants like Google and pioneering start-ups like Tesla, the first petroleum fuelled automobile developed by Carl Benz in 1879, though a legendary innovation of its time, seems a simplistic Mechanical Device overshadowed by the Sentient Mechatronic Systems of today. The Automotive industry has been the forerunner in adopting the latest technologies especially in the Formula 1 races. The focus being on speed and control. On a parallel track, the consumer segment of the automobile industry was also adopting and innovating the available technologies to enhance safety, comfort, convenience, and even luxury into their offerings. The ever-increasing computing power and the steady decrease in size of the computational devices, which are going above and beyond the Mooreâs Law, are providing the automotive industry with a computational surplus enabling them to not only focus on the essentials but also peripherals. For the terms Ergonomics, Safety, Comfort, Driver Assistance, etc., the new keyword being prepended is âActiveâ. These new generation of âActiveâ Automobiles are on a league of their own. They sense their surroundings, their occupants and their needs, and âactivelyâ respond and assist them utilizing the data they have âsensedâ and sometimes even by âlearningâ new patterns and even modifying their default âbehaviourâ! There are many âActiveâ features which are already in vogue but which we may not have taken note of because of their seamless integration and intuitive application. Some of them are, Active Control Retractors, Pre-Tensioners, Active Buckle Lifters, Anti- skid Braking System, Electronic Stability Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Accident Avoidance Systems, Adaptive Front Lighting Systems, etc. With even more advances in sensing mechanisms like Surround Cameras, IR Cameras, RADAR, LIDAR, etc., and with great processing power at our disposal, Google and Tesla have ventured into the realm of autonomous vehicles, automobiles which sense, process, learn and act on their own! They are combining the data obtained from their sensors, Sensor Fusion, and enhance and enrich the information with data available from the World Wide Web and generate comprehensive, contextual and even cognitive maps of their surroundings. For all the motorheads out there, this beautiful mix of Mechanics, Electronics, Information Processing, neural networks, etc., with a pinch of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and more specifically, Machine Learning signifies the heralding of the era of Sentient Mechatronics in Automobiles. by Vignan Tej Technology Enthusiast Learning Enthusiast Satyam Venture Engineering Services T More than 10 million lines of software code run a typical vehicleâs sophisticated computer networkâor over half the lines of code that reportedly run Boeingâs 787 Dreamliner Sense Visual, Infrared, Thermal Cameras, Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) â Low, Medium and Long Range, RaCam (Mid-range radar combined with forward facing camera), Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) Process Customized, robust computational ASIC platforms with capabilities to process approximately 1 GB of data per second in the carâs real-time operating system. SOURCE: Technology and Computing Requirements for Self-Driving Cars, Intel. Think Machine Learning algorithms, neural networks, AI Act Present: Steering Assist, Adaptive speed control, Drive by wire, Stability Control, Active Seatbelt Retractors, Active Buckle Lifters, Brake Assist, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Collision Avoidance, etc. Almost there: Fully Autonomous driving, Natural Language Processing, Contextual referencing, Augmented Reality and much more⌠Obstacle Vehicle Tracking Sense Process Think Act The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt