Autonomous Across America, Without GPS
How much computing and “cloud” power do you need operate an autonomous vehicle across the country? How about the equivalent of a 486DX/2 and, um, none at all?
We built the vehicle and software over about a four-month time frame for under $20,000. We had one computer, the equivalent of a 486DX2 (look that one up), a 640×480 color camera, a GPS receiver, and a fiber-optic gyro.
Yes, they had GPS, but because Selective Availability was still turned on back then, they only used GPS for speed, not position. Food and fuel for the trip was obtained through the sales of commemorative T-shirts. And, regrettably, not a single venture capitalist was harmed!
The most interesting part of the story is the note that many of the current players in self-driving cars trace their research and personnel to the pre-Cambrian explosion of self-driving car knowledge that happened at CMU in those days. So when the robots arrive, we’ll know who to blame, right?
More by Jack Baruth
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If that picture was a little lower we could see if they were wearing black socks and sandals.
PAWN TEE ACK!
We got to the moon on a whole lot less computer. I'm amazed how wasteful a lot of modern consumer software is- but it is possible because the hardware is so good. I don't say this to slight programmers, because indeed they create products that get the job done with the resources available... and they turn a profit.
"a 640×480 color camera" PLEASE tell me it was that Sony Mavica with the built-in 3.5" floppy drive. When I first held that, it felt like THE FUTURE WAS IN MY HANDS.