Ford is exploring using drones to help self-driving cars quickly map areas off the road that they cannot safely navigate with the sensors and cameras they are equipped with, according to TechRadar.
This could show that part of ensuring self-driving vehicle safety involves tapping into resources beyond the vehicle itself.
It could also point the way to a future where drones supplement self-driving vehicles beyond when they want to go off roads, and provide data on surroundings to fill the blind spots that sensors and cameras may not detect.
Ford engineers are specifically assessing whether drones can help autonomous vehicles in off-road settings. If a user wants to take their vehicle into the woods, it might be difficult for the sensors and cameras to detect objects around the vehicle in such a dense natural environment, noted Ford spokesperson Alan Hall. Ford is actually testing drones taking off from moving vehicles, something that it showcased with drone maker DJI in a competition earlier this year.
But while not every self-driving car will be equipped with a drone for off-roading, it might be possible for drones to map out and collect data on certain off-road environments that could then be shared across a fleet of vehicles, which could be what Ford is exploring.
Drones could also provide data on autonomous vehicles’ surroundings even when they're still on the road. The sensors and cameras that self-driving cars need to be equipped with often have blind spots and cannot pick up everything around the vehicle. This is why Tesla plans to use data sharing to help its entire fleet of vehicles best understand the physical world around them.
The future may very well see drones serve a similar role and help fill in the gaps that self-driving cars’ sensors and cameras cannot fully detect.
Drones turned the corner in 2015 to become a popular consumer device, while a framework for regulation that legitimizes drones in the US began to take shape. Technological and regulatory barriers still exist to further drone adoption.
Drone manufacturers and software providers are quickly developing technologies like geo-fencing and collision avoidance that will make flying drones safer. The accelerating pace of drone adoption is also pushing governments to create new regulations that balance safety and innovation.
Safer technology and better regulation will open up new applications for drones in the commercial sector, including drone delivery programs like Amazon’s Prime Air and Google’s Project Wing initiatives.
BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed drones report that forecasts sales revenues for consumer, enterprise, and military drones. It also projects the growth of drone shipments for consumers and enterprises.
The report details several of world’s major drone suppliers and examines trends in drone adoption among several leading industries. Finally, it examines the regulatory landscape in several markets and explains how technologies like obstacle avoidance and drone-to-drone communications will impact drone adoption.
- Business Insider