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| Image Source: autotrader.ca |
We are living in the future, or at least that’s what works
of fiction set in the year 2015 had us believe.
According to the movie “Back to the Future II”, 2015 was a time of major
technological advancement, such as hoverboards, video calling and flying cars. Predictions that in retrospect, weren’t too far
off. In present day 2015, we do have video
calls (FaceTime, anyone?) and although you can’t buy an actual hoverboard at
your local mall yet, a few companies have introduced a prototype for a
functioning one. As for flying cars…well two out of three isn’t bad. Yet, although you may not see flying cars in
the sky anytime soon, look around and you may spot some driverless ones.
Driverless cars, also known as autonomous vehicles, are
meant to function like conventional cars with one exception: the actual driver is optional. That’s because the robot cars are equipped
with advanced control systems capable of sensing their surroundings and keeping
track of their positions, and thus can navigate without human input. The idea for autonomous cars is not new, with
references dating back as far as the 1930s.
However, it is not until recent times, that autonomous vehicles have
started to make wave.
Search engine giant Google is perhaps the most common name
when talking about driverless cars. The
company has been experimenting with the concept since 2009, self-driving over 1
million miles in the streets of California and Texas. On November 12th, 2015 a Google
self-driving car was even stopped by Police officers for driving too slow, (24 miles per hour
(mph) in a 35 mph zone).
Traditional automaker companies such as General Motors, Toyota and Nissan, to
name a few, have also joined the revolution, all working on their own model. The most recent breakthrough in self-driving
technology, however, came from Ford Motors.
In November 2015, the company became the first automaker to test
their vehicle, the Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle, in a
simulated city. The 32-acre fake city, Mcity, was created by the University of
Michigan and closely resembles a real life urban environment, complete with
real road scenarios, such as a variety of street surfaces, traffic lights, stop
signs and crosswalks.
However, driverless cars are not just being tested, a French
company called Induct Technology, has even put one on the market. The electric
vehicle is called the Navia and comes with a hefty price tag of $250,000. But even if you have the money, it is
doubtful that you will be speeding down in this car any time soon. Its top speed
is only 12 mph and it is only meant to be used in closed spaces where the use
of a traditional car would be impractical, such as college campuses,
hospitals and resorts. No flying car, but still pretty awesome right?
Still, the argument
for automated cars is not just that it’s a cool concept; many believe that it
is safer as well. According to Google,
94% of car accidents occur as a result of human error. Experts believe that self-driving cars would
decrease this number significantly. In
addition, it would save the US millions of dollars in medical cost and
insurance costs associated with traffic accidents. Saving lives and money? Now that’s a future
we can all get behind of.
Originally published in LatinTrends Magazine, Jan/Feb 2016
