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Driving no more?
Wednesday 3rd October 2012 | Philip
Imagine riding in a car where there is no driver, the blind seeming riding in a car alone, this has been the vision for Google for years, but a major breakthrough might have pushed this into reality.
The governor of California got driven to the Google headquarters before signing a new legislation. This legislation results in the ability for google to start testing their computer controlled cars on state roads. The breakthrough follows the cars logging more than 300,000 miles of self-driving without an accident.
The system works using computers, sensors and other technology to operate independently, however in case of safety there is the ability for a human driver to take over and drive. It has been compared to the self-driving in airplanes, where the pilot can take off the autopilot when needed. The hope is that people who are unable to drive themselves can get around with the autopilot function but Google see that other benefits might be making the roads safer and reducing congestion. However concerns have been raised for car manufactures who are not protected if their car has the system fitted.
Other manufactures who have been working to self-driving cars include Volvo, Audi AG and BMW. But don’t start saving up yet, it is predicted that it will take about another ten years to fully develop and to hit our shores.
By Philip Domingue
