How would your mornings improve if you didn’t have to pay attention to traffic nor to steer your vehicle? You would no doubt have time to catch some extra sleep or read the daily newspaper. Many advantages could emerge from the introduction of self-driving cars. However, many wonder if this technology is ready for the open roads.
Self-Driving Cars Today
Although it may not be apparent, self-driving cars are slowly being introduced into the public every year. According to Stewart J. Guss, several companies are developing self-driving cars and they are already on the road in 21 states in the US. One of the most successful self-driving cars on the road right now is Aptiv, located in Las Vegas. This smart-vehicle was introduced at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show and has since accomplished over 50,000 Lyft trips with safety drivers present. This is just one of the firms breaking new ground in the field.
The Challenges Ahead
Although many advances have been made in the field of smart-vehicle technology, there are still those who believe that this technology is far too undeveloped for our very unpredictable world. Even some of the biggest names in self-driving tech share these concerns. According to Perfect Score Driving School, Waymo CEO John Krafcik said that “autonomy always will have some constraints.” Critics wonder if the utility of self-driving technologies will run into roadblocks in the confusing, crowded environments of major cities.
A Path Forward
So, if self-driving vehicles are not ready for big cities, should this technology be put to rest? Entrepreneurs and scientists certainly don’t think so. They have devised a plan to first roll out these vehicles into less populated, more predictable areas of the country. According to 55 Places, one of these proposals is for the technology to debut within retirement communities. These communities offer businesses predictable areas to test and upgrade their technologies. It can also be very beneficial to the residents as the vehicles could transport them to their doctor’s appointment or simply to the pharmacy to pick up their medicine. Rural areas can also provide great opportunities for autonomous development, and many also look forward to the further development of autonomous technologies for warehouses, farms and other places of work.
Though we may be years away from actually being able to pick up a self-driving taxi in New York, the pursuit of this goal becomes more real each and every day. Many challenges and obstacles will be faced on the way, but there is no doubt that the tech community is moving toward a real future in self-driving vehicles.
