Recently, Tesla’s Elon Musk announced that their Tesla Robotaxis will be ready for a driverless journey by 2020. However, this revolutionary concept has encountered some challenges with a lawsuit initiated on 1st May, following a fatal accident involving a self-driving vehicle. This incident has sparked conversations around the safety and viability of autonomous vehicles.
What are Driver-less Cars?
Autonomous or ‘driver-less’ vehicles operate without human intervention. They combine a variety of sensors and sophisticated software to navigate and control the vehicle. These self-driving cars are designed to create a map of their surroundings using an array of high-tech sensors such as radar, laser beams, and infrared.
How Does Autonomous Technology Work?
The technology inside a self-driving car uses its internal map alongside software inputs to plot its course. There are two prevalent approaches. First, the software processes inputs from sensors and sends instructions to the vehicle’s “actuators”, which control acceleration, braking, and steering. Algorithms and hard-coded rules help the software to follow traffic laws and navigate obstacles.
The second approach takes advantage of Lidar – a method that employs pulsed laser light to measure variable distances and range. While it requires more computational power and data processing, Lidar is particularly advantageous in dense traffic conditions.
Explaining Lidar
Lidar, short for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technology that relies on pulsed laser light to gather accurate, 3-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics. A Lidar system typically includes a laser, a scanner, and a specialized GPS receiver. It’s commonly deployed on aircraft and helicopters to cover larger areas.
| Lidar Components | Function |
|---|---|
| Laser | Emitting pulsed laser to measure ranges & variable distances |
| Scanner | Receives the reflected light pulses |
| GPS Receiver | Tracks the position of the Lidar system |
The Benefits and Concerns of Autonomous Vehicles
Driver-less vehicles come with potential benefits but also concerns. They could substantially improve safety by eliminating human error, a major contributor to road accidents. The technology lends itself well to providing mobility for those unable to drive, such as the elderly, disabled, or women.
Regarding environmental impact, the total miles driven annually may increase due to the convenience and affordability of self-driving cars. This could lead to a surge in transportation-related emissions, especially if the cars are powered by fossil fuels. However, if these vehicles are electrified, carbon emissions could potentially be reduced.
Despite the benefits, there are significant concerns related to autonomous vehicles. They stand to displace millions of workers currently employed as drivers, potentially affect public transportation funding, and exacerbate existing injustices within the current transportation system. Moreover, while technology can, to an extent, be trusted, it’s still challenged by the unpredictability of human behaviors. In developing countries with unstructured infrastructure and scant regard for traffic rules, the driverless future seems a distant reality.
