Self-driving cars process a tremendous amount of data to pilot themselves through crowded streets. That computing power needs electricity, and lots of it.
Different modes of transportation pose different engineering problems. One such engineering problem tis how much power self-driving cars use. In the old days, self-driving cars needed extra space and power to hold the computers and monitors they carried. "Today's self-drivers don't need extra engines, but they still use terrific amounts of power to run their onboard sensors and do all the calculations needed to analyze the world and make driving decisions," Jack Stewart reports in Wired.
Why does this matter? Besides using electricity, which can come from sources that release carbon and air pollution, it can also limit the range of vehicles. It's an issue many are looking to tackle. "At CES last month, Nvidia put the spotlight on a new processor designed specifically for autonomous vehicles, called Xavier. It has an eight-core CPU and 512-core GPU, a deep learning accelerator, computer vision accelerators, and 8K video processors," Stewart reports. But even this powerful processor is likely not enough to run a fully autonomous vehicle.
If processors don't become more efficient, they will have another problem beyond limited range: the vehicles could become hot. "That heat is wasted energy, and it’s also not something you want in your car on a hot day. Some robocar prototypes need water-cooling with hoses and radiators, which eat up even more space," Stewart writes.
FULL STORY: Self-Driving Cars Use Crazy Amounts of Power, And It's Becoming A Problem
How Smart Street Lights Can Help Cities Achieve Sustainability Goals
Switching to energy-efficient LEDs and using tech to program when and how street lighting operates can save cities millions in electricity expenses and bring down carbon emissions.
Virginia Coalition Calls for Increased Data Center Industry Oversight
Environmental groups voice concern that the states large, and growing, number of data centers is putting unsustainable pressure on natural resources and utility infrastructure.
Ten Urban Success Stories From 2021
Still battling a global pandemic and its widespread economic and social effects, cities nevertheless made progress in some unexpected ways.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service