Introduction The development of technologies and information systems enable us to do things beyond our imagination. With the evolution of new technologies, self-driving cars are no longer a futuristic auto technology anymore. In fact, there are already cars with the self-driving feature on the road. Google had been working on the self-driving cars project since 2009, but the dream of self-driving cars started on early 1939 at New York World’s fair, where visitors have presented a vision of automated highways. In the mid-2000s, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency organized the Grand Challenges where teams gathered to compete with self-driving vehicles. In 2009, Google started working on the self-driving cars project with the team members who had already dedicated years to the technology. …show more content…
Google started testing their self-driving technology with Toyota Prius on freeways in California in 2009. Later on, they began testing with the Lexus RX450h and completed testing over 300,000 miles of testing on freeways in 2012. Finally in 2014, Google introduced fully self-driving vehicle (Appendix 1, 2), which equipped with sensors and software that allows the car to detect objects around the cars, classifies them based on the size, shape and movement pattern, and then predicts what all the objects might do next. For example: If a pedestrian will cross the street, the software chooses to slow down to lets the pedestrian cross the
Since the dawn of time, humanity has improved technology in order to perform tasks more efficiently and effectively. However, particularly within the last few year, the development of technology has increased significantly. As technology continued to improve, many believe the time has come to replace humans with machines that can do the same job. According to a survey done by Delphi, 98% of industry respondents say they are automating to increase efficiency. (Source 11, 455)
Imagine a world where you can get into a car, push a button, and go where ever you want to go without the hassle of driving. Several car companies, such as Tesla and Honda, have been rumoring about self-driving cars (also known as autonomous cars). The real question people ask is how do they work and when are they coming out?
Major incumbent companies expect that the autonomous driving systems will be ready for the market in five years. This may be optimistic, but by 2050, cars that drive themselves could well be major production units for companies like General Motors. GM first revealed in 2010 that it had been working on self-driving cars[1]. Last year, GM demonstrated that the prototypes can follow the pace of traffic, while allowing the driver to have his hands off the steering wheel.
Self-driving cars are now hitting a few roadways in America, and are showing people just a small glimpse into what could be the future of automobiles. Although Google’s self-driving cars are getting a lot of attention now, the idea of a self-driving car has been around for quite a while actually. These cars have been tested to their limits, but the American people have yet to adopt the technology into their everyday lives. A brief description of their history, how they work, and finally answer the question, will self-driving cars ever be adopted widely by the American public?
Companies like Google, Tesla and Nissan, among others, have announced over the past few years that their companies are trying to develop self-driving or autonomous cars [Ref. 1 and 2]. Self-driving cars can provide many benefits to the average consumer. Studies have shown that because computers can react and process information many times faster than a human being, crashes on streets and roads can be decreased with quick and consistent evasion maneuvers by the autonomous car. They can also help maximize fuel economy by calculating the most direct and fastest routes. When the driving of an autonomous car demonstrates that the computer can safely and reliably transport the passengers to their destination, this frees up the passengers to do other things that they would not normally be able to do if they were driving the car manually. For this reason, self-driving cars can help maximize productivity of their passengers.
The term autonomous refers to the capability of acting independently, or having the freedom to do so. A self-driving car is an autonomous car, which has the ability to sense its environment and navigating without any human operations. These types of cars are built to make safe and smart decisions on the road. In the past years, automobile companies have begun to introduce advanced driver assistance systems that are capable of parking, switching lanes, and braking in case of an emergency on their own, without the driver’s assistance. Automated vehicles are capable of maneuvering through street traffic, as well as other natural and man-made obstacles along the way. Therefore, this technology might completely change the methods of transportation.
Recently, the transport company Über released a small group of self-driving cars in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This breakthrough in technology seems to be something a million years away, but there are people already experiencing the thrills of a self-driving car. However, this car was not achieved without years and years of the greatest minds in multiple fields congregating together and scrutinizing each and every model. The only way this was created was through an abundance of conflict and sleepless nights.
I awoke, frightened and alone, with a monster standing beside my bed. Although my body was paralyzed with fear, my mind was awake, trying to figure out how this hideous creature could have found me. As I gazed into the hypnotizing, dark eyes of this giant, the room altered, and I found myself, once again, in the basement of my father’s house. Surrounded with medical equipment, a rush of adrenaline pulsed through my tired body, forcing it awake. The monster walked slowly through the room, dragging his long, boney finger along the table. I remembered this basement very well, as I spent a great deal of time occupying it; however, there was something different, something was missing, something had changed. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Before I could spot the difference, an odd aroma began filling the air, making it somewhat difficult to breathe. Once again I found myself spinning, falling through a dark tunnel with no sense of direction or time, I closed my eyes tightly. Whenever the spinning sensation concluded, I opened my eyes. The aroma was stronger here, forcing tears out of my eyes and my dinner back up my throat. I knew exactly where I was…
While researching the topic, artificial intelligence and the automobile, I was amazed that Google has been conducting this test on roads and highways for the last three years. Although Google is the current leader in developing the automated cars, many other major auto makers are also onboard in this competitive market. Many large name Technology companies are also major players in the future of the automobile industry.
Google has successfully built a self-driving car, yet “Google insists on developing a car without a steering wheel partly because it contends that people often don’t pay attention while their cars are operating autonomously” (Vock 37). Even though autonomous vehicles drive themselves, passengers are still able to manually control certain features of the car. For example, the person in the vehicle “can manually control the car to go a little bit faster than the car might on its own” (Swant). Google has put much consideration on how the car drives and handles interactions at traffic signals and signs. For example, “Google has begun programming its fleet of self-driving cars to inch forward at for way stops” to make sure there are no cars before proceeding (qtd. In “Making Robot Cars More Human 1). When there are multiple cars traveling together, “computer control enables cars to drive behind one another, so they travel as a virtual unit (Fisher 60). The autonomous Google Car has proven to successfully drive on the roads with other vehicles, but the technology that is in the car is more complicated than it
Self-driving cars are the wave of the future. There is much debate regarding the impact a self-driving car will have on our society and economy. Some experts believe fully autonomous vehicles will be on the road in the next 5-10 years (Anderson). This means a vehicle will be able to drive on the road without a driver or any passengers. Like any groundbreaking technology, there is a fear of the unforeseen problems. Therefore, there will need to be extensive testing before anyone can feel safe with a vehicle of this style on the road. It will also take time for this type of technology to become financially accessible to the masses, but again alike any technology with time it should be possible. Once the safety concern has been fully addressed
Technology is evolving faster than ever these days, however there is one technology that could revolutionize the transportation industry. This technology is called autonomous cars, also known as self-driving cars. Autonomous cars can be defined as a vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment, and navigating without human input. Using different techniques such as GPS and radar, autonomous cars can detect surroundings, thus removing the human element in driving. This would have a positive effect in more ways than we could ever imagine. Research suggests that self-driving cars will become more abundant in the future because they will be more cost-effective, enhance safety, and decrease traffic congestion.
Google is taking the next big leap forward with something that will change the world forever. It is an invention that might be their most innovative product yet, the Google driverless (smart) car. “Google first announced its driverless car division in 2010, and has been testing its technology in modified cars built by other manufacturers. ”(Miller) When this technology is in full production around the world, it will impact our daily lives like never before.
Autonomous cars, they are an extraordinary move in the vehicle industry! For those who do not know what autonomous cars are, they are cars that drive themself, cars that have an autopilot feature. Autonomous cars are cars of the future, there are very few as of today. One of the first are made by the Tesla company.
As society further integrates with technology it fast approaches a major milestone. In the near future the transportation industry will be turned into a fleet of self-driving cars. This potential future comes with certain hazards and obstacles that will need to be overcome before the industry is able to fully progress. Having a vehicle be able to drive itself creates scenarios where accidents may happen and as a result those accidents will have to be accounted for.