Robot cars use lasers and GPS to cross Asia

26/07/2010

GPS and laser technology are being used by a team of mechanical engineers in a bid to make the longest ever driverless car journey.

The project, devised by a team of Italian engineers, is aiming to get two heavily-modified driverless Piaggio Porter Electric vehicles from Milan to Shanghai in just eight months.

As well as the development of automated transportation, it is hoped that the technology can be adapted and developed to be used in certain construction processes and on work in remote areas.

The cars set off on 20 July and have 8,000 miles of the Asian continent to traverse before they will arrive in the eastern Chinese city, hopefully in October. They have a maximum speed of 37 miles per hour and, due to their solar power source, can travel for a maximum of four hours a day.

The two vehicles will be lead by a manned vehicle which will be dispensing cues to the two cars, but their navigation of obstacles and dangers will be entirely governed by their on-board laser sensors and GPS tracking systems.

The trip is part of the VisLab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge, a global initiative that encourages inventors and innovaters to develop autonomous and robotic technology. The route will take them up to Moscow, across the Siberian desert, across into the Gobi desert and on through China to Shanghai.