Making Autonomous Vehicles a Reality: Precise Localization Using Precise GPS, Map, and Perception Sensors
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
About the Seminar
Intelligent fusion of different sensor types is the key to enabling safe and reliable autonomous vehicles. Throughout the past few years, there has been great interest and continued investment in perception technologies such as Lidar, cameras, and radar. These sensor types offer great performance at falling costs—but they also have significant limitations. These include weather restrictions, limited range, and tight tolerances for vehicle packaging.
General Motors (GM) believes perception sensors must be intelligently combined with other localization technologies, including precise GNSS, high-performance inertial measurements, and a precise map. GM has established a leadership position within the auto industry by developing and using these “absolute localization” sensors for its Cadillac Super Cruise feature, available on the CT6 sedan.
This presentation discussed how precise GNSS can be applied to autonomous vehicles with low-cost technology, and how this equipment can be combined with MEMS inertial sensors and a highly precise map referenced to the WGS-84 datum. These sensor types overcome many of the limitations of Lidar, cameras, and radar—and provide complimentary inputs to achieve better levels of safety and integrity. This presentation also provided a high-level comparison between Level 2 automation with Super Cruise versus Level 4 automation on GM's Chevy Bolt AV. Finally, this presentation provided an overview of the challenges and benefits of precise vehicle positioning for emerging vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure applications.
Webcast
About the Speaker
Curtis Hay is a technical fellow at General Motors. In this role, Hay develops precise GNSS and map technology to enable safe and reliable operation of autonomous vehicles. He also led the team responsible for launching GM’s 4G LTE connectivity in North America, Europe, and China. Prior to joining General Motors, Hay served as an officer in the US Air Force for eight years, where he developed GPS technology for precision weapons, performed satellite launch planning, and managed the GPS Accuracy Improvement Initiative. He also developed precision GPS equipment to automate farm and construction vehicles while working at John Deere.