By: Ryan Murray-Bruce
For many years, the idea of a self-driving car was something straight out of science fiction movies, novels and comics, however, the technology many of us dreamed of as kids has arrived and will soon become commonplace in our present. A number of car manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, Audi and General Motors have fully developed the technology for automated driving systems and are currently trying to get permission from the government to allow these models on their roads. Currently in the United States, Nevada, Florida, California and Michigan have been permitted to test these cars on public roads whilst Texas, Wisconsin, Arizona and New Hampshire have rejected these new autonomous car laws.
Apart from the cars with built in automated driving technology, there has also been a new development in the automotive industry. A small start-up company called Cruise created a mount-up system that will be fitted on any vehicle, giving it the ability to drive itself. The accessory is works using sensors and a software which will be integrated into a vehicles specs allowing it to assume control. This project has allowed the company to bypass the added workload of building an actual car and focusing solely on the technology. The product is set to retail for about $10,000 and will begin sale in 2015. Currently the software will only be available for the Audi A4 and S4 models, however, there are plans to make it available to all cars in the near future.
As one could imagine, the buzz around a self-driving car in the tech community has led to a number of people coming out and giving their opinions regarding the matter and it is fair to say that there is an overall split opinion regarding the matter. Some of the noteworthy advantages of these vehicles include the fact that it could reduce the number of road accidents, it could reduce traffic particularly in congested cities, reduce number of redundant passengers on the road and eliminate the need for traffic police. The significant disadvantages include resistance of some individuals to give up the control of their vehicles as some people are passionate about driving, potential unreliability of the software, loss of driving related jobs and damage liability should a collision occur. One study out of the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute have concluded that 6 to 12 percent of Americans in self-driving cars will experience moderate to severe motion sickness.
Despite the many advantages and disadvantages of the idea of an automated vehicle, one thing that can't be disputed is the fact that technological advances have been coming thick and fast recently and much quicker than anyone would have expected. Every new technology is initially met hesitantly and with a lot of potential downsides, however, skepticism is simply a defense mechanism we have as humans and is the added incentive for manufacturers to go the extra mile and test these products thoroughly before releasing them to the public. It is certainly an exciting prospect having cars carry out the often daunting task of long daily commutes and it will certainly make our lives safer and easier.
A self driving at first glance comes of as science fictiony and not feasible. However, the new advances in technology are really starting to make his dream a reality. I'm excited to see what's around the corner for self driving cars.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. I've been extremely interested in learning more about self-driving. However will the car be modified to drive how you want it to drive and at the speed you want it to drive. I believe that this is something great for road trips. Many people do not know how to drive on the road and fall asleep while driving on road trips. This is a great way to reduce these types of accidents. It would be a great Idea if you could choose when you want the car to drive itself and when you want to drive. Overall I am fifty-fifty when it comes to self driving cars. It will take more modifications and convincing to get my 100% support.
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