Most of you have probably seen it on campus. You may have even ridden it. Benefits of going to a university in the heart of the Silicon Valley… Super speedy wi-fi? Somehow no, but we do have an almost-driverless vehicle! It isn’t quite self-sufficient yet, though.
Meet Eric Webber, the conductor of the Auro (stands for autonomous robotics) driverless shuttle. When I first spotted Auro on campus, I thought this was part of some research done by the engineering department. I remember asking myself, “Does this guy even go here? How is he never in class?” Well, I got my answers. Eric Webber is not a student —he applied through Craigslist! To get hired, you need a background in computer science and in electrical engineering, paired with a familiarity with coding, he says. He described his mission as “debugging anything that goes wrong.” The shuttle has a computer set up in the passenger seat that Webber uses to list/fix bugs. It also shows the route that Auro is programmed to take [see photo]. So far, Auro can only follow one route and if a pedestrian crosses it, the vehicle stops. In the future, Webber explains that Auro will be able to go around passersby, as well as obstacles.
One positive aspect of the changing world is the flexibility of it all. If you have a passion for coding and think our driverless shuttle is cool, then you can make this next step in your career! Jobs no longer fit into set categories; we can define a sector ourselves. The tech industry is booming —which gives us room for creativity. If you, as Eric Webber, think this is a cool domain to go into, then you’re in luck: we are in a prime geographical location, and generation, to chase your dreams.
What is the next step for the SCU Auro? Deep Learning. This process is really fascinating: as the shuttle drives around, a camera is constantly collecting data on human behavior (hesitation before turning left, not looking up from a phone, etc). Soon, there will be enough data to compile more driving experience than a human will ever have. Once this information is communicated to the shuttle, it will have an “intelligence” of sorts. It will understand human behavior better than humans themselves. Cue the dystopian artificial intelligence movies.
Although the implications of Deep Learning are a little worrisome, this is great news for a shuttle system. As Webber put it, humans are the worst control mechanism we could have. Our emotions (be it road rage, fatigue, anxiety, etc) often distract us from what is happening on the road. He sees the driverless shuttle as a perfect solution to this issue. Other advances in the product are safety features such as seatbelt-buckle-activated driving to ensure that all are ready to go before departing.
Want to check it out for yourself? The Auro runs from 9-12 and 1-5 on Mondays-Fridays, and 9:30-12:30 on Sundays!