Self-Driving Cars
Several Automobile companies are developing autonomous
(self-driving) cars, mostly electric. Tesla Motors Inc. recently unveiled an
all-wheel-drive luxury electric car that has an automated driving system which
allows vehicles to park themselves and also helps prevent accidents. Mercedes is developing a self-driving car
called the Robo-car. Freightliner
recently introduced its Inspiration semi-truck which is fully autonomous and is
officially licensed to operate on public highways in Nevada. Google developed a
software that powers Google’s cars called Google Chauffeur and in May of 2014,
Google presented their new fully functioning driverless concept car that did
not have pedals or a steering wheel.
They will begin testing on San Francisco Bay Area roads in 2015. Their goal is to have them available to the
public in 2020.
Autonomous vehicles sense
their environment and navigate without human input. They sense their surroundings by using radar,
GPS, lidar and computer vision. The
advanced control system then interprets the sensory information to identify
obstacles and relevant signs to determine the appropriate route. Autonomous
cars can keep track of their position by updating their maps based on sensory
input even when entering unchartered areas. Today many airports utilize self-driving
vehicles for shuttle transportation.
The development and
implementation of self-driving cars will have a dramatic impact on the way we
live and what can be accomplished on the way to work. Imagine siting in your car and working on
your DePaul homework, updating Facebook, tweeting, or catching up on the latest
news. A lot of us will probably work to
and from home. Industry will also find a
way to communicate with us while in the car with computers and live Wi-Fi
connections. Imagine how different the
drive to work would be if everyone had self-driving cars. No road rage, no accidents, no speeding
tickets and no getting lost., a lot less stress. I am
ready….
Toyota Prius modified to operate as a Google driverless car driving a test
course
Freightliner Inspiration Truck Mercedes Robo-car
- A law proposed in Texas would establish criteria for allowing autonomous motor vehicles.
- Legislation has been passed in four U.S. states and Washington, D.C. allowing driverless cars.
Autonomous vehicles are coming! I think a perfect application of this technology will be with freight and taxi vehicles first. That will bring them into the public perception.
ReplyDeleteI would be somewhat worried about the ways that will inevitably be discovered to disrupt these transportation methods, through hacking, or interfering with sensors, or how they react when vandalized or in accidents, or during certain failures. They could easily drive without windshield wipers for example, but will they continue to drive under certain error conditions? Such as a broken window? They should know if there are passengers or not. And maybe when they need service, they will drive themselves to the shop!
Hello Nick,
DeleteHacking could be potential problem with Autonomous cars, just as it is with most technology. Security will need to be in place to prevent it, hopefully it will work.
I didn't think about driving in the rain without windshield wipers, that would be a new experience!
JJ