1. Introduction/overview of topic and issues to be discussed: While the idea of self-driving cars seems futuristic and far away, society is actually very close to seeing them on the road. Taking the wheel away from humans and putting them into the hands of computers and artificial intelligence will obviously change travel forever. As a result, there are many questions that need to be addressed before people feel comfortable trusting automated vehicles. What type of technology will be necessary to ensure self-driving cars operate safely and think like humans? Will they really make roads safer? Will people buy them? How will they affect traffic? 2. History of cars and self-driving vehicles First, lets begin with the progression of cars towards Early innovations included the electric starter, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, windshield wipers, automatic transmission, power steering, front-wheel drive, and independent suspension. By the 1940s, as cars were already established in society and began to modernize, manufacturers started improving the appearance of cars and the power of engines (Hosansky). In the 21st century, environmental concerns drove manufacturers to design electric cars and hybrid engine cars. Constant developments caused some people, including Francis P. Houdina, to dream of science fiction type scenarios when one day, cars could drive themselves (Hosansky). In 1925, Houdina presented a radio-controlled, driverless car that navigated traffic on Broadway and Fifth Avenue in New York City (Hosansky). Houdina’s vehicle had an antenna that allowed it to be controlled by a second car, which followed closely and sent out radio signals. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, testing proved that buried magnetic cables could manipulate cars. Yet, technological advancement had some believing that vehicles could be designed to operate themselves without special roadway devices (Hosansky). Congress passed legislation in 1991 requesting that the U.S. Department of Transportation present an automated vehicle and highway system. This legislation sparked multiple demonstrations of automated vehicles, such as While most people haven’t noticed, many of the important features that would be required for self-driving cars already exist. Many vehicles utilize Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS, such as rearview cameras, lane monitoring, and self-braking systems (Snyder). As one could imagine, employing enough ADAS essentially allows vehicles to operate themselves. Another concern of self-driving vehicles is their ability to react to obstacles and obey traffic laws. Google has implemented a laser system and other sensors to account for this issue. Google engineer Chris Urmson, states that the Velodyne 64-beam laser, “is the heart of our system” (Guizzo). The laser produces a comprehensive 3D map of the surrounding environment; then the car uses the laser measurements and other maps to analyze data models, allowing it to drive while avoiding obstacles and respecting traffic laws. Additionally, four radars attached on the front and rear bumpers enable the car to "see" far enough to assess fast traffic on freeways and a camera positioned near the rear-view mirror that identifies traffic lights makes it seem as if a human is behind the wheel
Remember being younger and joking around with friends about self-driving cars? Well, it is quickly becoming a reality. With more advancements to technology and greater use of robotics, car companies are implementing certain things that will supposedly make driving easier and safer for all humans. While self-driving may be safer on the road, their giant impact may do more harm and good. Self-driving cars can harm the economy, be used against the driver and others through hacking, and may not even be available to everyone.
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.
A self-driving car also known as an autonomous car is basically a computerized robot. The computer in the car is programed to take the car and often a traveler from point A to point B without intervention from humans (Rouse). There are three things required for a self-driving car. According to Sridhar Lakshmanan, a self-driving auto expert, the three things are a GPS system, a second system to “recognize dynamic conditions on the road” and “a way to turn the information from the other two systems into action” to drive the car (Pullen). A lot of enthusiasm or lack thereof depends on whether you love to drive or just consider cars as a tool to get from where you are to where you need to be.
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?
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.
The driverless cars work all by today’s technology the google car for example needs a (LIDAR) a lidar is used to build a 3D map and it allows the car to see potential hazards or objects by bouncing a laser beam off surfaces surrounding the vehicle to accurately determine the distance of that object. A (RADAR) the radar is hidden in the front bumper with two sensors there and two sensors in the rear this allows the car to avoid impact by sending a warning to the person on board to apply the brakes or to move out of the way when appropriate. (HIGH POWERED CAMERAS) the cameras are mounted to the exterior of the vehicle with a slight separation. This gives the viewer an overlapping view of the cars surroundings and it also looks at the depth and filed of objects around it. Each camera has a 50-degree view and it is accurate to around about 30 meters, which helps in many ways. (SONAR) the sonar is another camera but with a narrow field of view and its range is a lot shorter this camera only goes to about 6 meters. However, it provides
What would happen if self-driving cars started to fill the streets? Self-driving cars are computer driven cars. They are going to be produced in the next 3-4 years. Self-driving cars should not be produced because there is controversy between people in are they safe and if they should be produced, they can have technical problems and they will create a lot of legal complications.
The goals behind self-driving cars are to decrease collisions, traffic jams and the use of gas and harmful pollutants. The autonomous automobile is able to maneuver around objects and create swift lines of cars on roadways (How Google’s self-Driving Car Works, 2011). The autonomous vehicle can react faster than humans can, meaning less accidents and the potential to save thousands of lives. Another purpose and vision for these cars is that vehicles would become a shared resource. When someone needed a car, he or she could just use his or her Smartphone and a self-sufficient car would drive up and pick him or her up.
One of the most recent technologies advancement society has made is the new self-driving car, it combines the new radar and computer knowledge humanity has gained and the new design of the top new cars.
It might be hard to see where the self-driving car could have issues with safety but an interesting question arises when an accident is unavoidable. The question posed is “How should the car be programmed to act in the event of an unavoidable accident? Should it minimize the loss of life, even if it means sacrificing the occupants, or should it protect the occupants at all costs? Should it choose between these extremes at random?” (ArXiv). This is a very interesting question surrounding ethics. I’m not sure if there is a right answer to the question, which could stall the self-driving car industry. Before self-driving cars are mass produced a solution needs to be found to the question about unavoidable accidents. Although this question is a problem, there may not be a need to address the problem. It is said that “"driver error is believed to be the main reason behind over 90 percent of all crashes" with drunk driving, distracted drivers, failure to remain in one lane and falling to yield the right of way the main causes.” (Keating). Self-driving cars could eliminate those problems entirely and maybe with all cars on the road being self-driving cars, there would be no “unavoidable accidents”. Safety is the main issue the self-driving car is trying to solve in transportation and seems to do a good job at
Cars are now have the technology to help drivers stay in their lane, avoid collisions, and have become very advanced over the years. And these kinds of features are not just on luxury cars, they also come on models that everyone can afford. The advancement of technology in cars has come a long way since Henry Ford first invented them. These features are there to keep the driver and other people on the road safe. The first driverless car should be available for the public very soon, since so many companies are working on a model.
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.
Although there are issues with implementing self-driving cars on the roads today, self-driving cars can ultimately benefit society. According to public announcements made by companies like Tesla and Nissan, we may start seeing self-driving cars on the roads within the next 3 to 6 years [Ref. 1 and 2].
Many feel that driverless cars are the future of the automobile industry. When someone hears “Robot cars hitting the road soon” is that guarantees that the roads will still remain safe? With the rapid growth of technology through the centuries more specifically computer software, the issue arises of whether or not roads and other drivers will be safe behind the wheel. Currently there is very few knowledge on how driverless cars will be engineered, which brings concerns to peoples eyes. Subsequently, driverless cars can be prone to hacking, which leads to out of control situations for drivers behind the wheel. However driverless cars should be tested more due to the lack of knowledge because of growing concerns around hacking, lack of confidence