Driverless Car Research Paper

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Problems with Driverless Car Technology

Many Automotive consumers think that driverless car technology has only been around for a few years. However, vehicle manufacturers started to develop systems to support driverless car technology back in the 1980s. In order to push this dream of an automobile that requires no human interaction, carmakers needed to lay down the foundation first.

They needed to take everything in a vehicle that operated with a hand or foot and develop an automated system to control these functions. In addition, they had to get rid of any mechanical cable that performed an action. These individual systems required a complete redesign so electronic devices could operate them remotely. As an example, let me take you down …show more content…

In the early days of the automobile we had a shaft that connected to a steering box. This moved the front wheels using mechanical linkage. However, it took a lot of muscle to move the wheels at low speeds. Automotive manufacturers came up with power steering.

They would spin a hydraulic pump and send pressurized fluid that assisted drivers in moving the wheels. Now you could turn the steering wheel when the vehicle was completely stopped with almost no effort at all. Unfortunately, this still required hands. If a driverless car is to become an actual thing, we need to automate the steering of the vehicle. This remains one of the more interesting upgrades on the way to driverless cars. People needed the ability to override the automated steering system in case of a problem. The general public just wasn’t ready to give up the steering …show more content…

They added an electric motor capable of taking automated commands from a steering control module. They mount this motor to the present day steering rack and pinion assembly. This left the entire steering system intact so drivers could intervene if necessary. Since they installed the electronic controls over an existing steering system complaints have been few and far between. With that said, isolated problems do exist. Toyota, BMW and Lexus, among others experienced problems ranging from bad steering motors to defective control modules. As we march to an automobile that drives itself, problems with driverless car technology continue to surface.

Real World Problems with Driverless Cars

In addition to on car problems people are now turning their attention to the fallout of a world dominated by autonomous automobiles. The elimination of jobs is starting to push its way to the forefront of the problems created by driverless car technology. Think about the displacement of the professional drivers. The LA Times reports an estimated job loss of over 5 million jobs in the United States within the first few years.

However, this continues to trickle down throughout the economy in ways many of us haven’t thought of. As an example, if the driverless car technology operates as per design intent, say goodbye to car accidents. This affects the automotive insurance industry and the mechanics that work in retail body shops. And what about

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