Just as KITT (KNIGHT RIDER) or the futuristic vision of flying cars in the 5th Element, we have ever wondered when will the visions turn into reality and we will witness the dawn of a new day. Well, merely taking baby steps, Google has brought anew its market niche, the self -driving car (pictured below…
With all the everyday rush, social media takeover and the evolution of the electronics, people, the majority, are not paying attention to the road. There are 660k people behind the wheel who are checking their devices instead of watching the road, which leads to them weaving in and out of their lanes, endangering pedestrians and inevitably causing accidents. But after six years of research, Google has pulled back the curtains on its autonomous vehicle research and revealed the Car of the Future. The software is programmed very conservative, mimicking what a new and cautious driver might be like behind the wheel. The vehicle has sensors all over the outside of its body and a big flat box of motherboards in the back. In the bulb on the roof are lasers, radars and cameras aimed in all directions. The vehicle is the product of 1.2 million miles of accumulated testing, it contains computers that compare what they see with what they predict and respond accordingly. Google hasn’t only developed a good understanding of minor accident rates on suburban streets but also identified patterns of driver behavior such as lane-drifting, red-light running, etc…
With a safety prone, without a fallible human behind the wheel, these cars have the potential to reduce accidents; they could also ease congestion, improve fuel economy, reduce parking needs and bring mobility to those who are unable to drive. As it may seem like a fairytale come true, would it receive a warm welcome from all? Would we all want a four wheel computer to make all the decisions for us on the road? What will happen to people who value their special relationship with their roadsters, BMWs and Porsches? Humans are fallible by nature, but we haven’t come across a computer that is indestructible, without a glitch or even safe from being hacked. Which leads to question how safe is the self- driving car from its own doomed malfunctions? We would love to have the possibility of being driven from point A to B, without worries, having our streets ruled by Robots…
However….
Until Google proves, without a doubt, that their treasure is free from software failures, the market might not be as welcoming as one would hope.