by Our world today is being covered by a thick blanket of complex and advanced technology. It is very evident nowadays, from our hand-held gadgets that we use every day to devices that help make life easier. In this digital world, everything is indeed possible.
Case in point: transportation. Over time, certain innovations in automobiles were made to address certain issues. Ever since the dawn of automobile ownership, people began building roadways that connect states, cities, and local towns.
As soon as vehicles filled the roads, accidents then became a very serious issue. As such, the need for something new was incorporated in automobiles, from seat belts to air bags. With that, safety has already become a necessity for driver and passenger protection, which led auto companies to manufacture units to promote convenience.
These innovations still continue today, with more and more features added in these vehicles. But with the existence of advanced digital technology already in our hands, it is possible that it can be applied in transportation. What you might think as impossible during the old days may become a reality any time in the future.
Such is the case of driver-less vehicles. This may be something out of a science fiction depictions and TV, film, and literature, but we are closely getting to that reality.
In the United States, a lot of car companies have been taking on the concept of “autonomous car technology.” This concept is simple; take away the driver from the automobile and turn the latter into a self-driving one. Sounds impossible? No, it IS possible, and a lot of car companies such as Volvo and Audi have been venturing on such technology for years now.
To add concrete evidence to this, engineers from Google (yes, our most reliable search engine), have already developed cars that operate on their own using autonomous car technology. In fact, the company has installed the “autopilot” feature on a dozen Toyota Prius units. In fact, test runs have been successful, logging in a total of around 300,000 miles worth of mileage, without any scratches on these vehicles.
It is said that self-driving cars were made to address the issue of accidents. Most accidents are caused by human error, and Google’s self-driving cars are a way to reduce such incidents. Even though this is so, a licensed driver should still be inside the vehicle in case of an emergency.
In the U.S., the State of Nevada was the first state to approve legislation on testing autonomous cars on its roadways. Recently, the State of California followed suit, with its Governor Jerry Brown signing into law a legislation of the same purpose. It is basically paving the way for driver-less cars in the state.
Such is the wonders of advanced technology. While the above mentioned states provided a blueprint on this out-of-this-world concept, it still takes years (and baby steps) to reach the goal of driver-less cars across America. The future of motoring is still far from the end of the tunnel, but with these concepts and developments, we’re certainly on the right track. Any time soon, these innovations will change the way we perceive autos and transportation in general.
