Episode 1 — One car to rule them all
In this first episode we will outline the MAC One’s development road-map…
Automotive experts generally identify six levels of car autonomy ranging from “no automation” to “full automation”. We will start from scratch. It will look like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, but in the end our ambition is clear: we want to build MAC One, our very own self-driving car!
The road to autonomous cars seems to be long and rocky, that’s why we will proceed step by step, slowly…but surely.
1. MAC One’s first wobbly steps
The first version of the MAC One will be operated with a smartphone, which will be turned into a Wi-Fi remote control thanks to a mobile application developed in ReactJS.
The pilot will have to choose between two driving modes: virtual joystick, or accelerometer.
2. MAC One’s first self-driving lessons
The second version of the MAC One will already be able to autonomously navigate the corridors of Wavestone’s Paris office. Under the supervision of its pilot, the car will wander alone and randomly around our collaborators’ desks, avoiding table legs, backpacks and polished shoes thanks to its array of sensors.
3. MAC One’s supervised self-driving license validation
For this step, we will open our own miniature autonomous vehicle test track on the 26th floor of Wavestone’s Paris Office. The third version of the MAC One will be able to autonomously navigate on this driverless test-track and will be enhanced with following features:
/ Adaptive cruise control: MAC One will automatically adjust its speed to maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead.
/ Lane departure alert: thanks to its camera, calibrated to detect painted lane markings, MAC One will alert the driver when he inadvertently strays out of the lane. MAC One will initiate corrective steering to help keep the vehicle in its lane if the driver does not take corrective action.
/ Crash avoidance system: using its camera, sensors and LIDAR, MAC One will be able to detect an imminent crash. Upon detection, MAC One will warn the driver and autonomously activate emergency braking or steering, or both.
4. MAC One at the heart of a bright connected services ecosystem
To embrace the whole autonomous car ecosystem of tomorrow, we want to build a richer and more connected experience in MAC One’s fourth version.
Who knows what MAC One will be able to do? Maybe it will be able to autonomously drive its driver to the coffee machine after hours of intense IA algorithms development. Or maybe it will be able to recognize its driver’s voice.
These are only a few examples of connected services we want to implement!
You have other ideas for challenging features you would like us to implement in MAC One’s future versions?! Share them with us!
Stay tuned… a new episode will be published next week. In the meantime, we rely on your claps!
Behind the story of MAC One, there’s a team of Wavestone’s tech. consultants passionate about IoT, IA and automotive!
