Glossary

This new field needs some new terms. In some cases, I have attempted to create terms for some of the new types of vehicles I hypothesize we might see.

Crash-avoiding car

A car with safety systems which impede or prevent the driver from getting into an accident.

Drive-by-wire (DBW)

Cars where all major systems are controlled by computer or electronics, and the driver's controls (steering, brake, throttle) command the computer to control the physical elements.

HDV

Human Driven Vehicle. In other words, all vehicles today.

Robocar

An autonomous computer-driven passenger vehicle. You get in and say "Take me home" and it does. Also called a self-driving car, driverless car or autonomous vehicle.

Cybercar

An early European project involving autonomous cars that run only on special roads.

Robotaxi

A robocar which is available for hire. You summon it (probably via a cell phone) and it arrives quickly to take you where you want to go.

Robovalet

A system (perhaps temporarily attached) that can control a drive-by-wire car so that it can park itself in a parking lot.

Televalet

A system for a drive-by-wire car which connects to a remote, tele-operator who sees a camera feed and can control the car to park it or help it resolve a problem.

Deliverbot

A robot vehicle that carries cargo, and not passengers. In larger forms called a robotruck.

Whistlecar

A vehicle able to bring itself to your location (with nobody inside) which you then drive. Like the Lone Ranger's horse, you just "whistle" for it (on your Cell phone) and it comes to you. This might arrive before the Robocar.

Robojitney

A shared robotaxi.

Bikebot

A special robot which can attach itself to a bicycle to deliver it to you for riding.

Sleeper Car

A robocar with beds rather than seats, designed primarily for sleeping while moving

Robo-RV

An RV which can drive itself

Drafting/Road Train

A capability for vehicles to space themselves more closely than human drivers can safely accomplish to take advantage of the fuel efficiencies that come from reducing wind resistance by drafting.

Stuff locker

Standardized lockable boxes containing personal items that can easily be shifted from car to car, can be extracted by robot, and which can be cheaply delivered to you if not already nearby.

DARPA Grand Challenge

A contest held by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop autonomous vehicles.

AVGS

Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems -- a technology already in use for mobile factory floor robots, featuring many technologies usable in robocars.