Automated Guided Vehicle Systems

We've all heard stories about kids or dogs that accidentally put a parked car in gear, causing an accident. But have you heard about the frog that can drive your car for you? We're not talking about one of Kermit's relatives; we're talking about FROG (Free Ranging On Grid) technology. FROG technology is used in Automated Guided Vehicle Systems, which are, well, driverless cars. The technology is similar to the self- parking system we discussed on the last page but takes things a little further.

FROG vehicles are equipped with a computer that contains a map of the area in which the vehicle operates. The vehicle starts from a known location and uses the map to determine the route to its destination. It counts wheel revolutions to figure out how far it has traveled (sort of how you might count steps to figure out how far you've walked). To check itself, the vehicle also uses various calibration points (electronic landmarks for the vehicle) in the area it works. This technology is already in use at some ports. FROG vehicles can be loaded with cargo then sent on their own to the unloading area.

FROG can even be used in public transportation hubs. In these cases, passengers go to a stop and push a button -- just like calling an elevator. When the FROG vehicle arrives, passengers get in and push a button for their destination -- again, just like in an elevator. Using the on-board computer, map and calibration points, the FROG vehicle takes the passengers where they want to go.

The problem with FROG technology is that is can be used in only a limited area. Automated highways are being looked at as a way of extending driverless tech to larger areas. While different scenarios are being tested, at their core, automated highways would work together with smart cars: cars that have advanced systems sort of like adaptive cruise control. The highways would be relating information constantly about speed, road conditions, obstacles and directions to the cars, which would be able to interpret and react to the information.

In the next section, we'll find out about the ethics of handing over the driver's seat.