Self-driving cars
Imagine an elderly non-driver being able to hop into a driverless car for a trip to Folklife. Or having such a vehicle drop you off at the ferry terminal before driving itself over to Twin Beaches to take your friend to dance class. This kind of technology could change all kinds of things.
The Economist has a good article on the subject: Look, no hands.
Driverless cars would provide further benefits beyond safety. They could co-ordinate their routes and travel in close formation, increasing the capacity of road networks, reducing congestion and saving fuel. They would be able to drop someone off and then go and park themselves. They might even usher in an era of widespread car-sharing, with vehicles dispatched on demand to people who need them, rather than spending most of the day sitting idle by the side of the road. And they would, of course, do away with the stress of driving, allowing their occupants to read, browse the internet or take a nap. It may sound like science fiction, but much of the technology needed to turn ordinary vehicles into self-driving ones already exists. Indeed, almost all carmakers are developing sensors, control systems and other equipment that turns cars, in effect, into autonomous robots. Prototypes are on the roads today. [continue]
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One Response to “Self-driving cars”
nick on 12 Sep 2012 at 12:53 pm #
When they run low on gas can they check to see which local gas station has the best price?