Self-driving automobiles are no longer a fantasy
Imagine this, you exit a shopping mall with handful of bags and you can summon your car to come and pick you up with the push of a button. Another scenario where you have an early meeting at the office and you don’t have time to drop kids at school — just summon your car to drop your kids at the school and return back to home.
This might be possible in the next few years with the advent of self-driving cars which eliminates the frustration of driving in traffic, searching for parking or the fatigue of a driver.
In terms of technology adoption lifecycle, it falls under “innovators” category. Autonomous or assisted driving capabilities are already rolled out in TESLA Model S cars. It looks inevitable and more compelling as more automakers have embarked on self-driving car projects.
Technology companies like Google and Apple are focusing on this and automobile giants like BMW, Mercedes and Nissan are already working on these projects. Companies like nuTonomy and Comma.ai have proposed to build kits which can transform existing vehicles into autonomous vehicles
There are several benefits and use cases for self-driving automobiles, cars in particular. There might be driving aficionados who couldn’t even begin to contemplate the idea of not driving a car. But for millions around the world who drive to work amidst traffic might see this as a chore.
So a self-driving car can let a passenger to prepare for a meeting, take a nap or have a Skype call without putting their safety at risk.
World Health Organization estimates there were 1.25 million road traffic deaths globally in 2013. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) of US, human error causes 94% of car crashes. These include errors like drunk driving, speeding, distraction and fatigue.
Apart from cars, there are other incarnation such as trucks and drones. Walmart has a fleet of 6000 trucks to deliver its merchandise across US. Given that there are autonomous trucks used in mines already, it could potentially be leveraged for companies working on Autonomous long-haul trucks (ALHT).
This multi-billion dollar market could be a potential target for companies to disrupt and could create a new business ecosystem. Similarly, Amazon is currently exploring the potential option to deliver goods and parcels by drones.
Personally, to me one aspect of self-driving car which I would like to explore is the aspect of making driving a safer experience. Although it is a nascent technology and it is hard to predict how and when it will be available to the masses, the traction it has gained in the past five years is immense.
A major technology company, Uber, have started testing self-driving cars in Pittsburgh. Will they eventually replace their fleet of cabs with self-driving cars as it becomes more efficient and safe? Combined with Artificial Intelligence and big data it might mean self-driving cars can be more reliable, punctual, efficient and safe.
Governments are now considering this more seriously and are grappling with the legislative implications. Additionally, there is the social and economic aspects of the technology which need to considered.
So, what does these developments mean for the society and Governments? Are individuals, infrastructure and economies ready to adapt? Will it help to provide a reliable and safe transport for millions of people? How long and what forms this technology might take shape when it comes to existence. These are the areas I intend to explore in subsequent posts.
