News and Events
CARS News
*Next Monthly CARS Affiliates Meeting on Feb 11, 3PM - Agenda Available
Posted Feb 5, 2010 - 6:30PM
The next monthly affiliates meeting will be held on Feb 11, 3-4:15PM focusing on vehicle connectivity as a possible cornerstone project, upcoming events, and the next quarterly affiliates meeting to be held in March. Attendees should note that this meeting will be preceded by the Round Table "Mobile Apps for Individual Mobility". WebEx and Phone Dial-In will be provided upon request.
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*Student Lecture on Radar Obstacle Detection - Presentation and Video Available
Posted Feb 5, 2010 - 6:00PM
On Feb 2, Mark Baybut, EE Graduate Student and member of Prof. Thrun's Autonomous Driving Group, presented in the class "The Future of the Automobile" the finding of his research in a presentation titled "Applications of Radar-based Obstacle Detection in Driver Assisted and Autonomous Vehicles". A video recording of the lecture and the presentation can now be downloaded from the course website.
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Prof. Gerdes' Dynamic Design Lab is Looking Ahead at Pikes Peak
Posted Feb 3, 2010 - 4:00PM
Prof. Chris Gerdes and his team at the Dynamic Design Lab have filled the trunk of an Audi TTS called "Shelley" with computers and GPS receivers, transforming it into a vehicle that drives itself. The car will attempt Pikes Peak without a driver at race speeds - something that's never been done before.
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Student Lecture on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles - Presentation and Video Available
Posted Jan 29, 2010 - 7:30PM
On Jan 26, Tom Wojcik a former Ford engineer who is currently persuing an MBA at the Stanford Business School (GSB) presented in the class "The Future of the Automobile" the topic "From Hybrids to Electric Cars - Junction of Engineering and Business". The presentation and video recording from the lecture are now available on the course website.
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Designing and Evaluating Driver Support Systems with the User in Mind
Posted Jan 28, 2010 - 7:30PM
Prof. Cliff Nass
published a research article on "Driver safety and information from afar: An experimental driving simulator study of wireless vs. in-car information services" in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. The article discussed the difference of information services being provided from within or outside the car to assist the driver.
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Prof. C. Nass' CHIMe Lab Featured on PBS, Feb 2
Posted Jan 25, 2010 - 10:30AM
The research on multitasking that Prof. Cliff Nass and his group conducted in 2009 will be featured on the PBS documentary series “Frontline” on February 2 from 9:00-10:30 PM. The CHIMe Lab will be part of a broader documentary "Digital Nation" that will explore what it means to be human in a world immersed in technology.
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Round Table on "Mobile Apps meet Individual Mobility" - Date Set to Feb 11
Posted Jan 22, 2010 - 5:00PM
CARS is hosting a expert round table to discuss applications, strategies, preferences regarding mobile computing in the automobile. Companies that offer mobile device applications for traffic, transportation, and mobility needs are invited to show their services and discuss with the affilates from automotive industry and academia.
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Stanford Solar Car Project Needs Support - Opportunities for Corporations
Posted Jan 22, 2010 - 12:30PM
The Stanford Solar Car Team, an entirely student-run organization to design, built, and race vehicles powered by solar energy, is soliciting support from industry and private partners to pursue
their endeavors. Potential partners have the opportunity to support the team with expertise, materials, and budget. Either way, the team is striving to radically improve their concept and make supporters part of their success.
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Legal / Autonomous Symposium - Date Set, Planning Takes Shape
Posted Dec 18, 2009 - 6:30PM
The date for the symposium on topics at the intersection of autonomous vehicles and legal matters has been set for March 25-26, 2010. CARS with its affiliated partner Bosch and the Stanford Law, Science and Technology Program are working on the agenda and started to invite speakers to send out the official invitation in mid January.
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Class "The Future of the Automobile" Restarting in 2010
Posted Dec 18, 2009 - 11:00AM
The class organized by CARS, "The Future of the Automobile" (ME302 / CS532), will be taught in the upcoming Winter Quarter
again, starting Jan 5, 2010. The instructors changed the format to a lunch seminar style to integrate student presentations from the core labs of CARS (CHIMe, DDL, SAIL) and others. Affiliates are welcome to join as well.
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Presentation on Nissan Leaf now Available
Posted Dec 16, 2009 - 7:00PM
Mark Perry, Director of Product Planning at Nissan of North America, presented technology and market strategy of the Nissan Leaf in class on Dec 2. The vehicle will be the company's first electric vehicle for the mass market, avialable in late 2010. The presentation is now available online.
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Ethanol Results in Higher Ozone Concentrations than Gasoline
Posted Dec 15, 2009 - 9:30AM
Stanford researchers at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department have found that vehicles running on ethanol will generate higher concentrations of ozone than those using gasoline, especially in the winter. That could create new health concerns in areas where ozone hasn't been a significant problem before.
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Class on Electric Vehicles at Business School - Final Statements
Posted Dec 5, 2009 - 8:30PM
The electric vehicle class at the Stanford Graduate School of Business ended with statements from students and instructors forecasting the development in the United States and China. Despite market and industry consideration, great attention was given to policies and government action in the two countries. It is expected that China will become the major supplier of batteries and eventually vehicles to the US.
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Nissan Leaf on Campus and in Class - Video Available
Posted Dec 4, 2009 - 6:00PM
On Dec 2, the Nissan Leaf, the company's first mass market electric vehicle, was on display at Stanford with experts explaining technology and market strategy of the vehicle. Nissan of North America's Director of Product Planning complemented the visit with a lecture in the class "The Future of the Automobile".
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Update on Building Construction – Roof Finished
Posted Dec 4, 2009 - 3:30PM
On December 4, the roof of the new building was finished. In addition, most of the windows were set in and the installation of the wall panels had started. Also, final decisions for the facility’s communication infrastructure were made. With this, the construction process moves on according to plan.
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Evolving Research in Legal Challenges of Autonomous Systems
Posted Nov 24, 2009 - 9:30AM
Stanford scholars are among the first in the country to ponder the potential legal questions facing the emerging field of personal robotics. Ryan Calo, residential fellow at the Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, is also working with CARS to prepare the Symposium on Legal Implications of Autonomous Driving that is scheduled for Spring 2010.
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Researchers in Autonomous Driving Group Receive Qualcom Award
Posted Nov 24, 2009 - 9:00AM
David Stavens and Jesse Levinson, two PhD candidates in the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab directred by Prof. Sebastian Thrun, received the Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship Award 2009 for their research in "Precision Localization for Indoor Environments" which presents the winners with a price money of $100,000.
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Prof. Clifford Nass Lectured on "Multitasking while Driving", video recording available
Posted Nov 13, 2009 - 7:30PM
Prof. Clifford Nass explained the recent study on multitasking and put it in context with driving an automobile. The discussion in the class "The Future of the Automobile" put attention on the fact that a growing population might consider the driving task "secondary" and that cars need to be designed differently to address this trend.
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Interview with Sebastian Thrun - Next Autonomous Challenge is SF - LA
Posted Nov 10, 2009 - 7:30PM
Prof. Sebastian Thrun was interviewed by GetRobo, an online magazine on robots for home and community. He talks about the past competitions, the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, and also about the next big goal: an autonomous drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles that is scheduled for Spring 2010.
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Southern California Edison visited Stanford to discuss Smart Grid, EVs
Posted Nov 6, 2009 – 8:30
On November 5 Southern California Edison, a key player in smart grid technology and electric vehicle infrastructure in California, visited the School of Engineering to discuss opportunities for collaboration. CARS established a connection with the Electric Vehicle Technical Center to identify areas of collaboration.
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Stanford Autonomous Car Takes On High Speed Rally
Posted Nov 4, 2009 - 7:00PM
The research team at the Dynamic Design Lab lead by Prof. Gerdes and the engineers at Volkswagen designed a car that can drive autonomously (almost) as fast as a race driver. The vehicle was unveiled at the “Driving Dynamics” Event on Oct 24 and has since been generating a lot of press.
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CARS In The Media
Stanford University: Next-Generation Vehicle Research Center "CARS" Established, RobotWatch (japanese) - November 17, 2009
Volkswagen and CARS celebrate collaboration, Stanford Daily - November 3, 2009
Driverless car takes on high-speed rally, The Telegraph - November 2, 2009
Media Multitaskers Pay Mental Price (Video), YouTube - August 25, 2009
The drive for the future, BBC - Sepember 10, 2009
Why Multitaskers Stink at Multitasking, The Wall Street Journal - August 26, 2009
The Connected Car, The Economist - June 4, 2009
'By-wire' boosts hybrid vehicle dynamics, Automotive Engineering International - April 22, 2009
Clifford Nass in NY Mag, The Portfolio Javelin - January 21, 2009
Four Ways for Detroit to Save Itself, The New York Times - January 3, 2009
Bosch Expands Activities With Stanford University, Reuters - October 2, 2008
Stanford research: Chatting with your car may be useful to you -- but also to corporations, e! Science News - May 13, 2008
Is Silicon Valley the new Detroit for electric cars?, cnet news - February 22, 2008
Making roads safer by reading drivers' moods, cnet news - June 16, 2008
Volkswagen to Contribute $5.75 Million to Stanford University, Volkswagen Newsroom - November 15, 2007