Autonomous vehicles will soon become an everyday reality.

And Michigan Applied Robotics Group co-founder Rourke Pattullo is–quite literally–involved in the mechanics of getting them there.

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Rourke is an undergraduate in Electrical Engineering and Electronics at the University of Michigan–one of the nation’s top schools, in the field of robotics.  He’s also the vice-president of UM:: Autonomy, the university’s autonomous boat team.

Every year, UM: Autonomy constructs an autonomous boat, and competes in the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Foundation Roboboat competition.

At Sensors 2017’s June “Automotive and Autonomous Vehicles Sensors Workshop”, in San Jose, Rourke explained that the technology involved in autonomous boats is also highly effective for self-driving cars.

Presently, the University of Michigan has on-campus autonomous shuttles, and a 32-acre research facility, “Mcity”, dedicated to the testing of self-driving cars.

And they’re taking the development of “smart” vehicles much further.

University of Michigan is currently planning a four-story, 140,000-square-foot robotics facility on its north campus.  According to their website, the new building is slated for completion in 2019.  The Ford Motor company, which has given the College of Engineering a $15 million gift, plans to establish an on-campus research laboratory on the fourth floor of the new facility.  And in a July post on their website, UM announced plans for “M-Air”, a new outdoor drone complex to be completed by the end of the year.

Rourke talked about his background, shared the story of the Michigan Applied Robotics Group and talked about some of the considerations involved, in developing autonomous vehicles.

On this edition of Over Coffee®, you’ll hear:

• How Rourke’s background led to his interest in autonomous vehicles;

• The test conditions self-driving cars face, in “Mcity”;

• Some of the technologies that may enable future self-driving cars;

• How the Michigan Applied Robotics Group came into being;

• How UM Autonomy used their problem-solving skills to implement a critical technology for autonomous boats;

• The first areas in which UM students learn, while constructing autonomous vehicles;

• Some of the obstacles researchers have found, to making self-driving vehicles a daily reality;

• The two reactions Rourke hears from the general public, about the idea of autonomous vehicles;

• Myths, versus the realities, of autonomous vehicles;

• Rourke’s favorite funny experience, which illustrates one of the “human-nature” obstacles to implementing self-driving cars;

• Some of the considerations involved in implementing autonomous vehicles in urban areas;

• Rourke’s projections of the role of autonomous vehicles in two different areas, ten years in the future;

• How engineers are designing self-driving cars to deal with weather challenges;

• AND–how some overseas technologies may affect the “smart” vehicles of the future.