About the author:
Beth Kelly is a freelance writer and blogger based in Chicago, IL. After graduating from DePaul University in 2011 she traveled throughout Southeast Asia teaching English, today she’s saving up for her next adventure and writing as much as she can in her free time. Find her on Twitter @bkelly_88
Flying cars and various other
automatic automobiles have been the stuff of dreamers for decades - until now,
when they really might be just around the corner (provided the reader lives in
Mountain View, CA). Self-driving cars, which can navigate through traffic
without any input from the driver, are currently being tested by Google. After
extensive testing using automobiles supplied by third parties, Google has
debuted its own prototypes, which can now be seen puttering around on public
roads throughout the city.
These cars feature an extensive
array of sensor technology, cameras and other equipment that can observe
conditions all around the vehicle, replicating the behavior of our own five
senses.
Using data collected from these
sources, the car creates a virtual model of the road, nearby vehicles, cyclists
and all other objects in the vicinity. It then adjusts its speed and lane
position accordingly, making turns and completing all other functions normally
performed by a human driver.
While sitting in a car that
drives itself may strike some as spooky or scary, most people who have had the
opportunity to ride in one of these vehicles quickly became acclimated to the
experience. These cars are programmed to act cautiously and to obey all the
rules of the road. Google’s safety record attests to the dependability its
autonomous fleet: the company’s vehicles have driven about a million miles
during previous testing and have only experienced a handful of accidents (12 at
the time of this article). Google spokespeople have stated that none of the
accidents resulted in injury and that they were the fault of other motorists,
not of the self-driving cars themselves. As the programming is further refined
in coming years, car accidents could become freakishly rare events instead of a
leading cause of death as they are today.
Only once these cars have fully
been integrated onto public roads and into the “Internet of Things” will we
comprehend their vast potential for change. Capable of communicating across
wireless platforms, each of these small vehicles are essentially computers with
wheels. Technological research company Gartner expects that there will be 250
million cars on the road by 2020 that are connected via wireless. Google seems
to be preparing for this eventuality as it has developed Android Auto for use
in cars and is rumored to be working on a more sophisticated OS that will be
embedded directly within automotive hardware.
Taking this into account, we
can speculate numerous ways in which the autonomous vehicle stands to impact
the tech industry, as well as society more broadly. Merging Google’s new
mobility tool with other devices within the IoT ecosystem will open up new and
unforeseen avenues for convenience and connection. While wearables, home
security and automation, and
automobiles may stand alone for now, experts predict more cross-pollination as
each area continues to expand.
The three most significant
developments for personal enrichment in the 20th century have been the
automobile, the personal computer and the Internet. As we move forward into the
21th century, it seems like they will all be fused together within Google's
vehicles, creating a diverse marketplace for expansion. Robot taxis, unmanned
delivery vehicles and on-demand rental cars are all likely applications of this
technology. One can imagine combination automobile/offices, allowing small
businesses to handle all their transportation, data storage, communications and
other needs right inside their vehicles with no need for expensive real estate
or landline phone and network infrastructure.
A few people in the automotive
industry dismiss self-driving cars as a fad or as something that most drivers
won't be terribly enthused about. Most industry insiders, however, realize the
potential that these developments bring to the industry. The seriousness with
which auto manufacturers contemplate these new advances is evidenced by the fact
that many of them are working on their own models. Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover,
Nissan and Mercedes-Benz are just a few of the big names developing their own
iterations of the self-driving paradigm.
There are significant resources
being invested today in cars that operate themselves. Even in the unlikely case
that Google's efforts falter, plenty of other firms are ready to take up the
slack. One way or another, completely automatic transportation machines will
change the way people commute, communicate, and carry out almost every aspect
of their lives.
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