A Robotic Car ?

Google recently demonstrated a self-driving car and reported having driven its fleet of such cars 20,000 miles without an accident.  The operator sits in the driver’s seat, but the car operates, navigates, avoids other vehicles, avoids pedestrians and parks by itself.  Nevada has issued the first license for a robotic car.  The California Senate has passed legislation establishing safety standards for self-driving cars, a first step in licensing.  Is this a curiosity or a thing of the future?

I, the eternal skeptic, ask why such a car?  What good is it?  Who would want it?  But then, I’m the guy, a while back, who thought there would never be a reason for a computer in every home.  So what do I know?  Best to keep an open mind to this new thing.

Safety is a major advantage.  Electronic sensors and decision-making algorithms when properly developed can be much faster and more reliable than a human’s reaction.  But, you ask, what about the idiots (sorry—other drivers who are tailgating, lane switching, inebriated, sleepy, or distracted) in non-robotic cars?  Well, the idea is to protect number 1 from being one of the 30,000 annual highway fatalities.  And the more self-driven cars on the road the safer it should be for all.

 

The morning commute is a time when it would be good to have the car drive itself while you have that second cup of coffee, read the newspaper, make notes on the day’s plans at work, apply make-up or make those important phone calls.  Yes, I know, there are people doing that now.  But since their cars don’t really drive themselves, they create a safety hazard.

A person with impairments that preclude normal drivers’ licensing--vision, limb malfunction, etc--would find a great boost to quality of life to be able to get around independently.  Those or us not so impaired have difficulty fully comprehending this freedom.

Traveling in a self-driving car on a road trip with friends or family would allow all to enjoy the scenery and communicate without the need for intense road concentration.  (Of course, the kids might still  be zombies with their video games and smart phones, but we can always hope.)

Who knows whether any of these scenarios will create the impetus for bringing robotic cars into production and the market?  But it might be like in the movie Field of Dreams which has the famous line, “build it and they will come.”  Or in this case, “build it and they will use it.”