We have seen many green journeys that have simply blown our minds, but this one here steals the show. The Artificial Vision and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (VisLab) of Italy’s Parma University have developed two solar-powered cars that will make an eco-trip from Rome to Shanghai. But, what makes this trip stand above the rest is the fact that the cars will run without a driver. Looking like a small van, these orange colored cutie-pies are autonomous, controlled by an on-board computer called GOLD, short for Generic Obstacle and Lane Detector.
Traveling the 8,000 miles of the old Silk Road over three months, the cars will have to withstand hot, humid and freezing climates. The main objective behind this solar-powered journey is to perform an extensive test, which shows that the present technology has developed enough for the deployment of non-polluting and no-oil based autonomous vehicles in real conditions. It is expected that after the cars are perfected, they could be used in agriculture, mining and commercial transportation. The makers’ goal is to take the cars to the Shanghai World Expo.
Via: TreeHugger