Self-Driving Car Technology: Technological advancement is the call of today’s era, every sector is using latest technology and giving tough competition to their rivals in their respective fields. Unlike other industries, automobile industry is also getting advanced technologically every new day, we get to introduce with new technology and advancement sometimes it is beyond our imagination.
One such technology is self-driving which we all are going to use practically soon. Might be you are going through this line again, but yes, you read it correct it is going to possibly happen to drive a car without any driver. This is a great news for those who loves cars but unable to drive due to lack of driving skills, physically impaired or feel unsafe while driving.
Reason:
The rising rate of accidents, reckless cases, according to a latest research 94% of accidents occur due to human error. Cars with advanced safety features and eventually, self-driving cars, can significantly reduce the number of collisions. The impact of this innovation can be far-reaching, including reduced demand on emergency response systems and reduced auto insurance and health care costs.
How self-driving technology works?
The basic keys are:
Sensors:
Sensors required for autonomous driving most of them are available today and are used in advanced safety features such as blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assistance, and forward collision warning.
Also, sensors for other features such as radar, ultrasonics, and cameras provide the input necessary to navigate the car safely.
Connectivity:
Connectivity means cars have access to the latest traffic, weather, surface conditions, construction, maps, adjacent cars, and road infrastructure.
This data is used to monitor a car’s surrounding operating environment to anticipate braking or avoid hazardous conditions.
Software/Control Algorithms:
Software/control algorithms are needed to reliably capture the data from sensors and connectivity and make decisions on steering, braking, speed, and route guidance.
“By far the most complex part of self-driving cars. The decision-making of the algorithms, must be able to handle a multitude of simple and complex driving situations flawlessly. “The software used to implement these algorithms must be robust and fault-tolerant.”
Tesla recently has with latest statement to meet its goal of having a fully self-driving car ready by 2018. Tesla’s CEO announced in October last year their cars models Model S, Model X and the future Model 3 will be launched in 2018 will be built with new hardware and latest technology that will enable these cars to be fully driverless. Tesla has rolled out a software system called Autopilot. Which employs high-tech camera sensors as a car’s “eyes,” to some of its cars already on the market.
Other companies like Honda, Uber, Mars rover are in series to bring their product in the market.
- Uber released Ford Fusion cars modified with the company’s self-driving technology as part of its pilot program. But it was shut down after a legal action for not obtaining the proper permits. Uber and Volvo have also agreed to a $300 million alliance to develop a driverless car.
- Honda has been testing its autonomous cars since March 2015. So, turning out its semi-autonomous features in its cars is part of Honda’s plan to achieve full autonomy on the roads in 2018-2020.
- Mars-Rover researching about the technology might find its way into the self-driven car’s competition.
- Nissan Motor Company Ltd. announced that it will use the technology that NASA used to control the fleet of self-driven cars. The system used in SAM (Seamless Autonomous Mobility) allows autonomous cars to ask a person when the car does not know what to do. For example The Mars-Rover technology could find its way into the self-propelled cars.
It will be a milestone if the manufacturer launch successfully, this self-drive technology. This would be very grateful for those who are physically impaired or people of older age. Definitely, it will a great achievement for humankind. As if now, We all of to wait for the latest launch.
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