Do you remember the time when Google promised, through its autonomous vehicle division, that we would have self-driving cars? Well, the idea of being chauffeured around by a robot car is fascinating just as much as it is terrifying. There were a lot of questions and concerns as to the practicality of the project. It even attracted some criticism from the main players and pundits in the automobile industry.
But the reality on the ground is that this dream has suffered major blows and is even turning into a piped one. And the main concerns have been around the safety of people both inside the self-driving cars and those outside. So, what really went south with this promising project?
How Exactly Do Self-Driving Cars Work And What Does A World With Self-Driving Cars Look Like?
A self-driving car, otherwise referred to as an autonomous car, can sense its environment and operate 100% without human involvement. A human passenger isn’t needed to control the vehicle at any given time. In fact, a human passenger doesn’t even have to be present in the car for it to get to its destination. How about that for pure coolness?
Self-driving cars can head to any destination that the conventional cars do and can do everything that a typical experienced driver can. A fully autonomous car is self-aware. Therefore, it can make its own choices and decisions without any form of human support. For instance, you can decide to tell the car to drive you to work and it would decide to take you to the beach as its own decision. But a fully automated car will follow your orders and then drive itself to the place of your choice. Then there’s the term self-driving, which many tend to confuse with autonomous. A self-driving car can drive itself in some or even all of the situations. However, it needs a human passenger there to take control.
So, how do autonomous vehicles work? They depend on sensors, complex algorithms and actuators. They also take advantage of machine learning systems and potent processers that can execute different tasks. They maintain a specific map that they use for their surroundings based on the sensors that are present in different parts of the car. Radar sensors help to notice vehicles within the vicinity, while video cameras can detect traffic lights, look for pedestrians, interpret road signs and track other vehicles also.
To measure distances, lane markings, and road edges, light detection and ranging sensors come into play. Ultrasonic sensors are situated on the wheels to help with parking and detecting curbs. These cars use complex software to send the instructions from sensors to the actuators.
And it is the actuators that in turn control steering, acceleration, and braking. Fully autonomous vehicles are still not available for the general public, even as they continue to undergo testing in different parts of the world.
What Are The Leading Self-Driving Car Programs, And What Are They Doing?
Here, we will look at five of the leading self-driving car programs and what they are doing.
Motional
Motional was founded in 2020 and their team of product design engineers has been continuously working to build a driverless system with the main emphasis on safety above everything else. It is partnering with taxi companies such as Uber and Lyft to bring driverless experiences into the mainstream.
Cruise
It started in 2013 and has been in a bid to provide autonomous transport to people interested in the same. They thrive to reduce emissions through the use of clean engineering and their products have cutting edge AI technologies and robotics.
Waymo
Waymo started in 2019 and it builds a variety of autonomous vehicles. They have been working on both personal and commercial options for their clients. They trace their origins to their parent company – Google.
Optimus Ride
Optimus ride has focused on comfort, safety, and security in their autonomous vehicle designs.
ABB
This is one of the earliest entrants into the self-driving space. Since 1988, they have been producing different technological tools, including for self-driving options.
What Are The Safety Issues Involved With Self-Driving Cars?
There are different concerns in play regarding self-driving cars. Some of them include the following:
- Accident liability – who is going to be liable for accidents occurring from self-driving cars? Is it the manufacturer or the owner of the car?
- Weather conditions – what happens when there is heavy precipitation and even snow that blocks lane markings? Will the cars still be able to drive when their sensors can’t report different features of the road?
- Traffic conditions – how will autonomous or self-driving cars penetrate through deep or bumper to bumper traffic?
Why We Still Don’t Have Self-Driving Cars on the Roads In 2022
Pros and Cons
There are different advantages to using self-driving cars. Some pros include:
Why We Still Don’t Have Self-Driving Cars on the Roads In 2022
- Improved livability.
- Cut transportation costs.
- Reduced traffic congestion.
- Free up parking lots for other uses.
- Reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80%.
- The cons of self-driving options include:
- Security concerns such as hacking.
- Machine error that could be fatal.
- Initial costs of production.
- Moral machine dilemma.
- Job losses for those who raise income through driving.
What Role Does Policy Play In The Development Of Self-Driving Cars?
Policy levels the playing field for autonomous carmakers. It helps to ensure that there are regulations enforced during the development of self-driving cars. And these policies mainly focus on safety as the number one priority. Comfort and security of users are also factors that are considered closely.
When Are We Expecting To Get Self-Driving Cars?
It is estimated that by around 2030 or earlier, we will have self-driving cars fully operational on our roads. Whether this is true is a matter of time to tell. But there’s still a long journey to make in terms of the production of safe self-driving cars.
Tools That We Might Need When Getting Self-Driving Cars
Some of the tools that we will need when getting to the production of self-driving cars include, sensors, cameras, GPS, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
Final Thoughts
In quick summary, we are on the way to a revolutionised mode of transportation, which is the use of self-driving cars. This might come into full play earlier than we expect thanks to the rapid nature of technological advancements.
