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DDL Presents: MARTYKhana

MARTY, the Dynamic Design Lab's electric DeLorean, dodges haybales as it autonomously drifts through a long and challenging obstacle course. By studying how to control a vehicle in these extreme situations, DDL researchers are helping to make autonomous vehicles safer.

MARTY Autonomously Drifts Large Figure 8s

The Dynamic Design Lab's autonomous electric DeLorean, MARTY, repeatedly executes a highly dynamic figure 8 drifting maneuver at 50 km/h. To do this, the controller has to account for for the limited steering range of the vehicle - during the directional transitions, it rapidly sweeps from lock-to-lock in less than a second.

By studying how to control a vehicle in these extreme situations, the researchers are helping to make autonomous vehicles safer.

MARTY Drifts Figure 8s

The Dynamic Design Lab's autonomous electric DeLorean, MARTY, repeatedly executes a highly dynamic figure 8 drifting maneuver. During the rapid transitions between +/- 40 degrees of drift angle, the vehicle steers lock-to-lock in about a second, reaching yaw rates as high as 120 deg/s. By studying how to control a vehicle in these extreme situations, the researchers are helping to make autonomous vehicles safer.

MARTY 'Cassette-Tape' Autonomous Drifting Test

This video of MARTY doing a 'cassette-tape' maneuver was first presented at the AVEC conference in Beijing, on July 17, 2018.

Faculty Spotlight - Chris Gerdes

Dr. Chris Gerdes speaks about meaningful work, the difficulties of being a grad student, and what he looks for in his student assistants.

Stanford's autonomous car, Shelley, speeds around track without driver

By testing the physical limits of speeding cars, Stanford engineers hope to develop safer autonomous driving systems. Shelley nears speeds of 120 mph as it tears around a racetrack. See the Stanford News article for more information.

Introducing MARTY, Stanford's self-driving, electric, drifting DeLorean

Stanford engineers built an autonomous DeLorean capable of stable, precise drifting at large angles in order to study how cars perform in extreme situations, which could ultimately guide the development of autonomous safety protocols. Please see the article for more information.

Stanford engineering students teach autonomous cars to avoid obstacles

The best way to survive a car accident is to avoid collisions in the first place. Professor Chris Gerdes' engineering students are developing algorithms and pop-up obstacles that could lead to safe autonomous driving.

Chris Gerdes, "Who Will Be Driving on the Highway of the Future?"

Watch, learn and connect: https://stanfordconnects.stanford.edu/

Sharing some of the exciting work happening at Stanford around self-driving cars, Professor Chris Gerdes highlights the student-built P1 vehicle and Shelley, an Audi TTS. He emphasizes the importance of safety and the role of the "big red button" as well as issues around ethics -- are self driving vehicles cars, or robots?

Shelley, Stanford's Robotic Car, Hits the Track

Stanford's self-driving Audi TTS, Shelley, hit 120 mph on a recent track test. Combined with new research on professional drivers' brain activity, the car's performance could get even better.

TEDxStanford 2012 - The Future Race Car

Auto pilot meets human pilot on the road: Chris Gerdes at TEDxStanford

Autonomous Audi TTS Ascends Pikes Peak

The autonomous Audi research car, a joint project involving the Audi Electronics Research Lab, Stanford University and Oracle, completed a non-stop ascent up the legendary 12.42-mile rally race route in September 2010. The results certified by organizers of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Motivation for the research is to develop technologies that could help motorists steer their way out of severe danger.