1991 Starting from the core

On the day the Yuanxin supercar left the factory, Pandora also officially started the autonomous driving technology project - now two years have passed.

According to the nature of the people at Pandora, they have been working on the underlying architecture and technical specifications unhurriedly in the past two years. First, they spent half a year to become familiar with the car's power and control system, and then proposed the concept of autonomous driving levels. , and then spent another six months communicating with SAE and ACEA. After finally gaining a consensus, the four key technologies for autonomous driving were proposed based on the consensus.

The reason why it is so slow is that in addition to the stubbornness from the traditional automobile industry association and the vigilance against new technologies, Pandora people also insist on doing what they do best and most perfectly, and becoming an industry benchmark.

Similar to later generations, the autonomous driving levels proposed by Yuanxin are also divided into five levels from L1 to L5, from the lowest assistance to the most advanced fully automatic five-person driving, which takes into account almost all the interference and control systems of the car. All the situations faced have been taken into consideration - this is not simply a matter of making a logical judgment to control the steering wheel based on the analysis of images, radar, positioning, etc., but involves a whole set of judgments, decisions, guidance, and... Control system - these are also the four core systems proposed by Pandora.

Judgment is the summary of behavioral description. The description in technical language is environmental perception. It involves the collection and processing of environmental information and in-car information. It is equivalent to the five senses of human beings and is the basis and prerequisite for autonomous driving.

Obtaining surrounding environment information also involves collection sensing technologies such as roads, vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles. That means a large number of professional sensors - such as laser rangefinders, cameras, vehicle radar, speed sensors, etc.

Decision-making is similar to the brain, which analyzes the collected data and makes corresponding decisions and predictions - this is by far the most supreme AI, and all the technologies you can imagine can be used in the field of AI. can be used by it.

As for guidance, as the name suggests, it is understood that AI will automatically give the optimal path planning based on the destination and the conditions of all roads before reaching the destination. It is the most intuitive application of big data and precise positioning.

…

Faced with such complex technical interpretation, Su Yuanshan was stunned for a long time when he received the stack of technical white papers that were hundreds of pages thick.

He seems to be omnipotent in the eyes of everyone, but to be honest, autonomous driving has indeed exceeded the field he is involved in.

He also knew it was difficult, but he didn’t know that people like Mr. Yuanxin Xi could actually make autonomous driving “so difficult at first sight.”

Therefore, he believes that there is nothing wrong with taking one step at a time, but sometimes it is necessary to place satellites appropriately.

…

Facing Su Yuanshan's "request", Xi Xiaoding looked at him inexplicably. When he realized that Su Yuanshan was not joking, but seriously needed autonomous driving technology, he raised his eyebrows slightly: "You want to Which kind?"

"It's... the kind that can run by itself."

"...I tentatively think that what you need is the L3 level autonomous driving standard - conditional autonomous driving. The car has a full set of sensor systems and a complete control system that can control the steering wheel and accelerator..."

"Yes, that's it!" Su Yuanshan nodded immediately when he heard that he could control the steering wheel and accelerator: "It doesn't require driverless driving, but it can replace the driver's operation to a certain extent."

"If you think this is easy...then come with me."

Xi Xiaoding stood up and walked towards the door.

Su Yuanshan glanced at Liu Xinyu, who shrugged: "I guess he's going to the training laboratory."

Xi Xiaoding nodded: "Yes."

"How did you train?" Su Yuanshan asked immediately.

Not only Su Yuanshan, but Sun Xiaochuan also looked forward to it - the training here obviously refers to driverless AI training. Doesn't that mean there will be a show soon?

"You'll know it when you see it."

…

As Xi Xiaoding walked out of the office and walked through the long corridor, the five of them walked into a laboratory the size of a lecture theater.

In the laboratory, a 43-inch ultra-clear TV is showing a "documentary" - to be precise, it is similar to the footage of a car recorded by a driving recorder.

"Is this? Don't tell me, you guys drove the car on the road to test it, right?"

Su Yuanshan was a little confused. He knew that people like Pandora didn't have any assessment pressure, and they were particularly good at surprising him. If he didn't ask, then if he wanted to know the progress, he would have to look through monthly or even extreme technical reports. Just fine.

And Yuanxin has so many technical reports... Even Su Yuanshan, an "all-rounder", can still feel his head hurt from reading them, so he usually just picks up the important ones and reads them.

"Of course not. This is a video recorded by a car equipped with binocular sensors, radar sensors, speed sensors and other acquisition solutions while running on the road. Pay attention, we are running on the beltway. The road markings are very clear.”

"After getting the data back, we have been learning here."

Xi Xiaoding pointed to a laptop on the test stand: "Because all our frameworks are based on the WinOS+Yx architecture, it will be the same when running on a laptop."

At this time, Sun Xiaochuan interrupted and asked: "Mr. Shan, does that mean that cars in the future will be equipped with a computer host?"

"It's almost the same, and a console that can handle autonomous driving can also play games."

While talking, Xi Xiaoding opened the laptop screen and saw machine learning running on it.

"Fortunately, they just did it for me in the morning. I remembered how to adjust it." Xi Xiaoding smiled, quit learning, started the test program, synchronized the video and entered debugging mode.

I saw a simple box popping up in the test interface. On the right side of the box, instructions such as "pass left, return to right, turn right, accelerate, hold" and so on were constantly refreshed.

Everyone present was looking intently at their notebooks and the TV in front of them—even Fu Zhenhua was able to understand that this was the self-driving AI performing "simulated driving" based on the collected data.

After watching for three minutes, Su Yuanshan raised his head and looked at Xi Xiaoding: "Logically speaking, this kind of visual test is unnecessary, right? Just compare the data directly... How much time is wasted."

Xi Xiaoding chuckled: "It's necessary, because this can be displayed intuitively to laymen."

Su Yuanshan: "..."

"Well, this is not important. What is important is that if we want to meet what you said, let people get off the steering wheel and accelerator and let the car run, we have achieved it in theory."

Compared to Sun Xiaochuan's shock and excitement, Su Yuanshan heard the problem with this sentence - "theoretical" realization.

That hasn't been technically realized yet.

"What about technically?"

"Technically... Frankly speaking, I think we can't rush forward." Xi Xiaoding said seriously: "You have to know that passing the test is one thing, but the actual road is another thing - even if the test site on Ye Mingzhu Road is now It has been repaired, and the first car equipped with AI and a full set of sensors will soon leave the laboratory, but this thing... if something goes wrong, it will be a big deal."

"Well, this is inevitable."

Su Yuanshan breathed a sigh of relief - now that he knew that the AI ​​​​in the automotive laboratory was ready to get on the car, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Despite Xi Xiaoding's "righteousness", as an "old" engineer, Su Yuanshan has a clear understanding of the mentality of people engaged in technology - as long as the technology can be implemented, everyone hopes to exit the market as soon as possible and let the whole world take a look. of.

"But the development of technology sometimes requires the launch of satellites." Su Yuanshan chuckled and said: "Just tell me, when will the car leave the laboratory?"

"...Tomorrow, today is the last day to run data."

"OK. Then I'll go see it tomorrow."

Su Yuanshan paused as he spoke, then looked back at Sun Xiaochuan and Fu Zhenhua: "Brother Fu, please go home and have dinner with your sister-in-law first. I'll ask Sun Gong to pay whatever you want here."

*

*

The next day, Su Yuanshan, Sun Xiaochuan, and Xi Xiaoding arrived at Tianju Laboratory and witnessed the process of AI getting on the car. Then they watched the fully armed test driver sit in the driving seat of the car and start the car at the training venue.

The data was naturally transmitted back to the laptop in time through the wireless network - only then did Su Yuanshan realize how meaningful the small visualized square was. He could easily judge the performance of the car on the training ground. AI processing methods.

Of course, a large group of people behind him value more the processing logic behind AI.

"W, are you ready? When you're ready, I'll enlarge my move."

The leader of the AI ​​team leading the test is called Xiao Can, who is also a level 12 leader in Pandora. He was originally in a group with Ma Mengqi. Because he entered Pandora a year later than Ma Mengqi, he was very unconvinced. After leading Jingwei Lab alone, he naturally became the new head of the machine learning group. Then he became the actual person in charge of the AI ​​driving team.

The test driver's voice came over the intercom: "Ready."

"OK, guys, shame on you."

Su Yuanshan quickly looked ahead - after the last incident of borrowing the airport runway, the development zone felt that since Yuanxin had developed the fastest-accelerating ground transportation equipment, it would not be a problem to go to the airport, plus Ye Mingzhu This side of the road is indeed a bit remote. The reason why it is able to develop now is largely due to the influence of Yuanxin. With a stroke of a pen, Tianju Laboratory was granted another piece of land next to the original testing site. A dedicated training ground for automated driving - after all, it is depressing enough that Yuanxin had to move its automobile manufacturing plant to Shanghai because of the weak automobile industry in the provincial capital. If Yuanxin had to move its automobile manufacturing plant to Shanghai due to lack of space, it would be depressing enough. If Xin also moves the automotive laboratory, it will be a huge loss.

You know, Mianyang has sent several olive branches to Yuanxin to move its automotive laboratory there - not to mention the venue, there is also a wind tunnel.

As a result, today’s testing grounds are quite vast.

Following an instruction, a team member on the roadside picked up a plastic model from the ground. When MOSANA was traveling at a speed of 60 kilometers and was less than 20 meters away, he pushed the model into the driveway.

Accompanied by a harsh brake sound from the intercom, the SUV immediately braked suddenly.

A group of people started running forward.

Su Yuanshan didn't run, he just looked at the notebook in front of him - and at the same time as the sound of braking sounded, the processing data had been synchronized back.

——Emergency braking, suspected pedestrian.

At the same time, a cheer came from the front: "One meter, stop one meter away!"

"Measure the brake marks." Xiao Can said in a deep voice, but his eyes were filled with infinite energy.

"No need to test. If it is emergency braking, the stopping distance of MOSANNA at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour is 18 meters - it has been tested on this venue." Sun Xiaochuan took a few deep breaths and said happily: "That's awesome. ! How many car accidents can be avoided just by going online!"

——Although Sun Xiaochuan is the chief designer of Yuanxin Automobile, he has been staying in the factory in Shanghai for the past two years. Therefore, he really doesn’t know to what extent Pandora-led autonomous driving has reached.

Now it seems that it has reached such intelligence and high-speed response!

And most importantly, AI can determine "suspected pedestrians" from that sudden glance.

This is really amazing.

Su Yuanshan looked back at Xi Xiaoding and blinked.

"Brother, it would be a pity not to publish this news."

Xi Xiaoding also smiled. He shook his head helplessly, but his eyes were also shining.

As Su Yuanshan said, who doesn’t want to show off technology?

"You can post it, but I think... it's better not to publicize it too much." Xi Xiaoding paused, shook his head and smiled: "This is only the first day, and today's test site is not complicated at all, and there is no interference. …”

"That's easy to say, just add it."

"That's the rest of life."

——The test just now was just the simplest scene test after the AI ​​got on the car. There were no other vehicles on the road, and it only tested turning and throttle control.

Even the traffic lights were not arranged.

As for the final "big move", it is entirely for the most important emergency braking, and it is also a function that can be gradually launched in the next in-vehicle system.

"However, emergency braking is a double-edged sword. We still lack a lot of actual scene tests." Xi Xiaoding looked at the car slowly driving back and said with a smile: "If the AI ​​makes a mistake, it will be really fatal if it brakes suddenly. of."

After a pause, Xi Xiaoding saw the cheering people returning and shook his head with a smile: "These guys, they obviously don't realize that not having a problem with the test is more worrying than having a problem with the test."

Su Yuanshan also smiled slightly.

Indeed, for technologies involving personal safety, the most important purpose of testing is to find bugs, not to determine whether the technology is successful.

"Well, so we have to go on the road more, work harder, and train more!"

Su Yuanshan waved his hand and set a "more than three" standard for the AI ​​autonomous driving team.