Nicolás Jodal is an engineer and president of the software company Genexus, and participated in an interview on Telemundo with Emiliano Cotelo.
Autonomous vehicles have taken centre stage in technological development. Jodal explained what they are: "It's a car that makes decisions on its own, that is able to drive itself in traffic without causing accidents and in compliance with the law.
He argued that it is not the same as a remote-controlled vehicle, "it doesn't need connection or commands from anyone". "If something goes wrong on the outside, the vehicle has to keep responding," he added.
To make these devices, Jodal explained, requires many sensors and algorithms - some of them artificial intelligence.
The participation of large companies
The engineer acknowledged that changes in the automotive industry are on the agenda of big tech and car companies such as Google, Tesla, Ford and Volvo, among others.
The interviewee distinguished two proposals: one with Tesla as the main exponent and the other with Google.
"Tesla's idea is a self-driving car, but with a driver. If he wants to, he takes the ignition and keeps driving it," he explained.
In this case the driver has to be in the vehicle for legal and safety reasons, Jodal said. Tesla's proposal involves multiple sensors around the vehicle, where it monitors the entire environment.
Google's strategy offers no driver intervention. "It has no pedals, it's impossible for a person to drive it," said Jodal, who described such vehicles as "Level 5 autonomous cars" and said that, in the long term, "they're all going to be at this level".
"The issue is which is better in the transition: Tesla's evolutionary line or Google's more radical one," he said.
Applications
Google's Level 5 vehicles are already being used in Europe as buses for established routes. Jodal emphasised the safety of these cars:
"They will always follow the rules: if it says 60 km/h, it will go at that speed.
The people who programme this are trying to ensure that traffic laws are followed and any collisions are avoided".
In addition to public transport, it is possible for autonomous cars to transport freight.
"The scenario of driving a truck on a highway is much easier to master and programme than something more chaotic like city traffic," Jodal said.
Autonomous cars in Uruguay
When asked about the arrival of autonomous vehicles, the president of Genexus replied: "There are already self-driving cars in Uruguay. As far as I know, there are three Teslas.
For the interviewee, this is a phenomenon that is part of the technological revolutions, which "came much faster than we expected".
Jodal is researching and has a prototype autonomous vehicle.
"I am most interested in mastering this technology," said Jodal, who stressed that autonomous vehicle technology can be used in other sectors.
The interviewee is the president of a software company that has been in business for some 30 years and explained the reasons for the shift to transport:
"We're going in because software is taking over the world. More and more things are being programmed. I never thought we would be programming a car.
The "secret of success" of autonomous cars lies in the Lidar radar, which rotates and leads to "the car solving only what it has to do".
Autonomous cars could start in agriculture, Jodal said, because there is a small population and the speeds driven would not be very high. It would also be a challenge for the device because of the different obstacles on the ground, such as ditches and ditches.
Execution
Asked when the autonomous car would be implemented, Jodal said: "We are working with the Institute of Computing of the Faculty of Engineering, together with the ANII, and we are calling for a startup. We hope to have something up and running in a few months'.
Startups would take the basis of the autonomous vehicle and put it to use in the agricultural sector.
Source: Teledoce
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