Innovation | Taking a Closer Look at Autonomous Vehicles
Image Source | http://www.dirtytoiletpaper.com/?tag=cars
Yes, the idea of a car driving itself makes me think of The Jetsons.
On the 25th of September, California Governor Jerry Brown did something bold: he signed California Senate Bill 1298 legalizing autonomous (“driverless”) cars for further evaluation and testing within a two-year period. “SB 1298 allows driverless cars to be operated on public roads for testing purposes, provided that each vehicle has a fully licensed and bonded operator in the driver’s seat to take control if necessary. The bill also instructs the [California] Department of Motor Vehicles to adopt regulations that govern the licensing, bonding, testing and operation of autonomous vehicle technology.”
So What is an Autonomous Vehicle?
Autonomous vehicles - An autonomous car, also known as robotic or informally as driverless or self-driving, is an autonomous vehicle capable of fulfilling the human transportation capabilities of a traditional car. As an autonomous vehicle, it is capable of sensing its environment and navigating on its own. A human may choose a destination, but is not required to perform any mechanical operation of the vehicle. From | Wikipedia
Who is leading the charge?
Anthony Levandowski, business lead on Google’s self-driving-car project, sits in the passenger seat, lanky and spectacled, wearing loud athletic shoes and clutching a MacBook Pro with a bumper sticker that reads “My other car drives itself.” ~ Reports, Wired Magazine
Google and several automakers are creating a future in which we’ll cede control and let the robot drive. It’s a brave new autonomous world, with Google having logged over 300,000 miles in its fleet of autonomous hybrids, and Audi, BMW and General Motors all racing to bringing the technology to market. But with great changes comes greater regulation, and after recent legislation making autonomous cars legal in California, Nevada and Florida, federal regulators are attempting to stay ahead of the rapid rise of the robo-car. Read More | Wired Magazine
The Promise
Designers of self-driving – or autonomous – vehicles are promising the technology is moving closer to reality, creating a future where crashes, speeding tickets, congestion, poor fuel efficiency, and all the stress they cause will be history.
Driverless cars promise to revolutionize transport. In the article, Look, no hands by The Economist takes us inside the autonomous vehicle.
The Road Ahead
Three states, Florida, California and Nevada, have legalized testing of autonomous cars already and today, the federal government made a small show of support. “The development of automated vehicles is a worthy goal,” National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland told a forum in Washington. He said the government is beginning to research what safety regulations are needed for a world where cars drive themselves.
Read More | Transportation Nation, As Gov’tConsiders Regulations, Autonomous Car Boosters Show Off Plans
If you are not following the technology news surrounding autonomous vehicles, then it is time to tune in. According to all my sources these vehicles could be coming to a road near you soon.
Until Next Time…
Turn on your light for the whole world to see.
Read More | Transportation Nation, As Gov’tConsiders Regulations, Autonomous Car Boosters Show Off Plans
If you are not following the technology news surrounding autonomous vehicles, then it is time to tune in. According to all my sources these vehicles could be coming to a road near you soon.
Until Next Time…
Turn on your light for the whole world to see.
No comments:
Post a Comment