Stanford develops system for autonomous cars to handle unknown conditions

LOS ANGELES, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new way of controlling autonomous cars that integrates prior driving experiences -- a system that will help the cars perform more safely in extreme and unknown circumstances.

According to the paper published on Wednesday in Science Robotics, the system was tested at the limits of friction on a racetrack using Niki, Stanford's autonomous Volkswagen GTI, and Shelley, Stanford's self-driving Audi TTS.

It performed about as well as an existing autonomous control system and an experienced racecar driver.

"Our work is motivated by safety, and we want autonomous vehicles to work in many scenarios, from normal driving on high-friction asphalt to fast, low-friction driving in ice and snow," said Nathan Spielberg, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at Stanford and lead author of the study.

While current autonomous cars might rely on in-the-moment evaluations of their environment, the newly-designed control system incorporates data from recent maneuvers and past driving experiences -- including trips Niki took around an icy test track near the Arctic Circle, according to the research. Enditem