Autonomous transport is gaining momentum
Have self-governing systems there are errors, but they are not distracting and do not take risky decisions, which are the cause of most accidents on the roads today. The heyday of the car has transformed our society. He changed everything: where we live, what we buy, how we work, who are friends. As cars and trucks become more common, they create new jobs and make other jobs obsolete.
Today we stand on the threshold of the next transformative technological shift in transport from cars controlled by humans, to driverless cars. Long-term impact of Autonomous vehicles on society is difficult to predict, but also hard to overestimate. One thing is for sure: when this technology will become ubiquitous, our lives will change.
Google and other companies are testing driverless cars for several years, and not without success. These cars process huge amounts of sensory data from the onboard radar, cameras, ultrasonic range finders, GPS and mapping, paving the way in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing traffic conditions. Without any human intervention.
Consumer use of vehicles with Autonomous capabilities is just beginning. Adoption will happen gradually, through the steady introduction of increasingly clever security features and facilities in regular cars. Some models, for example, already offer self parallel Parking, auto maintenance lanes, emergency braking, or even semi-Autonomous cruise control. In October of last year, Tesla Motors has released software that enables a limited form of autopilot for the car owners after download.
This trend is likely to continue until the technology will become better, and legal and regulatory barriers fall. In the United States a half-dozen States already allow Autonomous road vehicles and other processes in this key go on their own. Basically the discussion focuses on whose shoulders will fall the legal and financial problems if these vehicles will get into an accident (and it gets) — although they are expected to be much safer modern cars.
Space for many more improvements. Self-managed systems are not error free — the software is very complex — but devoid of the human factor, and this is important. They are not tired and distracted.
Much more profound changes will follow, when cars and trucks are totally independent — even if inside is no will. Exclusive possession of the vehicle, required in the modern world, may disappear. Car-sharing and automated, driverless taxis and delivery will become the norm. General programmable vehicles will reduce the need for Parking, reduce traffic and provide safe travel at higher speeds and at closer distances, along with everything else.
Like any other technology, the Autonomous vehicle will be with its shortcomings. At some point, the driver may become unnecessary. Total transport raises questions of security and privacy. In some regions, increasing the availability of car can significantly exacerbate problems of traffic and pollution, and not to mitigate. But the benefits of self-driving vehicles are so compelling, but their widespread use is a matter of time, not common sense.
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