Interesting Facts About Self-Driving CarsPosted by Kiara Sanger on May 10th, 2017 Self-Driving Cars are here! Self-Driving Cars are the talk of the present, and no more a dream or the future. Check out these interesting facts about driverless cars.
Hello to all the folks breathing in the 21st century, which would be remembered for technology and innovations. Technology has not left anyone. It has touched everyone by one or another mean and it has become an important part of our life with time. Today, it is very hard to imagine a day without technologies and innovation around our life. To be precise - It is quite impossible! When you look around, you would see technology everywhere – starting for a LED bulb lightening your home to your smartphone or PC/laptop on which you are reading this article. And not to forget, your precious car parked outside. The worldwide automobile industry is highly profited after the advent of innovative technologies in the sector. It is worth to be noted that the several safety and convenient features we see today on cars like ABS, collision warnings, blind-spot detection, airbags, infotainment systems, and more are all blessing of technology. The Self-Driving Car is undoubtedly the biggest innovation in automobile industry today. Let’s have a close look at some interesting facts about driverless cars. They Exist! You might have heard that an airplane can be kept on autopilot mode. Similarly, the cars can steer, accelerate, stop and indicate of own without any manual interference. Yes, this is possible. And we are not talking about the future. Self-driving or driverless cars exist today, and they are already under rigorous testing in many parts of the world. Recently, Tesla had a deal with Dubai Taxi Corporation to deliver 200 self-driving Tesla Model S and Model X, which would be used as taxis in Dubai. This is just the beginning, and we could expect more developments in the coming time. Switch between Driver & Passenger Mode Self-driving or driverless cars will give you an option – you can sit back and enjoy your ride, or if you want to drive it, you can certainly feel the power in your hands. The automation system allows you to be a part of business meeting on long journeys, or attend a video call without breaking your journey. It also ensures safety of the passenger, as the driver won’t be taking phone calls while driving. The car will drive in automation mode while the driver (now a passenger) can work on his/her laptop or take phone calls.
Fully Automated Vehicle by 2025 There are total six levels of automations ranging from “no automation” to “full automation”, as defined by the international standards by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The fully automated vehicle which can drive in all weather conditions and go anywhere in the road network is expected to be rolled out by 2025. Computer Vision Driverless cars follow the traffic-managing technique called “computer vision”, which works like a human eye. A self-driving car gets a camera that takes 360-degree images of anything and everything in the car’s vicinity. The Computer Vision then decides whether the car should stop or accelerate. It is also useful while deciding the speed at which the car should move. You don’t need to own one Well, you don’t actually have to own one self-driving car to experience it. As mentioned earlier, Dubai is all-set to get 200 self-driving Tesla Model S and Model X, which would be used as taxis. The Dubai Taxi Corporation is working eagerly on its self-driving taxi plan, and Dubai is planning to have 25% of all cars to be driverless by 2030. Similarly, we can imagine Uber-like services offering self-driving cars on a full-fledged mode in other countries soon. Is it safe? According to a survey by US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2008, it was found that human error is the reason for 93% of all car crashes. This means that when human/manual error will be eliminated, roads will be become safer and happier. Drivers under the influence of alcohol, taking phone calls, carelessness, inattentiveness or poor driving skills are the major reason for car crashes today. Automation systems will not only offer convenience and comfort to the driver/passenger, but it will also enhance safety to the next level. Google’s Driverless Car It must be noted that Google, the renowned internet company is the sole driverless car developer. Earlier, Google demonstrated testing on Lexus SUVs and Toyota Priuses. But recently, Google has created its own self-driving vehicle to compete with other automobile brands investing on automation technology. Audi and BMW are two major automobile brands which have demonstrated rides on their test modules. And they are expected to come up with more developments in the coming years. It would be interesting to see how Google is going to answer them with its own self-driving car in the coming future. Electric Self-Driving Cars Danny Shapiro, senior director at NVIDIA, don’t think that all driverless cars will become electric by 2030. According to him, it will take some time to get rid of petrol/diesel engines. Steffen Hoffmann, the Bosch’s UK president stated once, “We have a projection that by 2025, globally 15% of vehicles are going to have an electric component, whether that’s a pure electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid or full hybrid.” Going with the words of industry experts, it can be stated that it would take quite some time now to have 100% electric self-driving cars. Questions which remain unanswered There are number of questions which still remain unanswered. Even the industry experts and government officials are afraid to answer them.
We expect that the future will definitely answer all our queries. What are your expectations from self-driving cars? Do share your comments, thoughts and feedback in the section given below. You May Also Like: Electric & Hybrid Cars in India Source: Autoportal Like it? Share it! |
