From a dream to utter reality, autonomous cars have come a long way from being a figment of the imagination to now on the peak of implementation.
Scientists and engineers have been working for years to perfect the model that will finally be used by the public, with the world so close to its implementation, one cannot help but take a moment and analyze how these robotic cars will revolutionize the world we live in.
Autonomous or self-driving cars are automobiles that are capable of moving without the need of any human intervention. These cars can sense the environment with high tech and super speed GPS, radars and computer visions to navigate their way around other cars and road obstacles. Some people claim these cars to be safer than manual drivers owing to the plethora of accurate information and digital vision they rely on. Speed is one of the biggest benefits these autonomous cars will aid us in, with such great precision it will be possible to move cars at greater speeds and hence life will become much faster than ever before. With faster iterations, safety will also be improved considering the technology these cars would rely on to maneuver their ways around the roads. The world will be seeing a decrease in road accidents and other fatalities. Drunk driving will be a thing of the past and road kills will diminish.
Another benefit of these cars will be the increase in safety due to anti-lock brakes incorporated which will allow greater stability control and traction management. Consistent self-parking, blind spot detection and active lane control will allow cars to keep in the safe distance of each other, without posing threats that were ominous before.
While on a whole, the public seems interested in the idea, many are now wondering over its drawbacks. In the next 10 or 20 years, these will be the cars that would drive our kids to school or take us to our offices. A major debate is brewing whether we can trust our most precious commodities to a robotic car, our children and our lives? While these self-driving cars can navigate by using countless data and high technology to steer better; any aberrations in the data will be like driving in the dark for these cars and can result in accidents. In such cases, who would take responsibility, the car owner or the car creator?
There is another issue of these cars making our lives further immobile than they already are. After working a full day in front of the computer, we will make our way home driven by a car. There will also be individuals who will lose their jobs such as drivers and chauffeurs.
Despite the drawbacks, many successful companies in the automobile world have jumped on the bandwagon and are working with the most skilled and adroit professionals to perfect the first autonomous car that would be driven by the public. Big names like Tesla, BMW and Ford are investing countless dollars to make these machines a living reality. Google has also become one of the contenders in favor of these cars, however, a recent self-inflicted crash of their prototype has set them back to the laboratories. There is a long way these companies have to go before they can introduce an innovation that can promise high safety and consideration to the public so trust can be developed.
Autonomous cars might make life smoother and safer by reducing traffic accidents and observing proper traffic rules. However, the cuts in human resources and professions will be heartbreaking for many people whose earning depend on this job. While they will make life easier, there is a possibility of making life lazier and more immobile. Driving takes real physical effort and as we incorporate less energy in our daily habits, we are looking at hordes of diseases and disabilities that will have to be countered. Will autonomous cars bring greater benefits than downsides; their final implementation will show us. Large corporations in the automobile worlds are singing their praises, however, what their actual impact will be on the world will be a completely different story, and one that most of us are anxiously waiting to find out!
