CSA Online by James Dolan You Can Drive My Car Autonomous vehicles are hitting the streets. How will they change the way we get around? What is a self-driving car, anyway? A self-driving car – probably more accurate to call it an autonomous vehicle – is one that’s equipped with a range of technology allowing it to navigate and drive with minimal (or theoretically, zero) input from human beings. It does this by using an around-the-vehicle array of range sensors, motion detectors and cameras. Input from those sensors is then fed through a sophisticated computer, which processes real-time driving and environmental data through a set of algorithms or “rules of the road.” The computer then commands the various auto components – such as the throttle, the brakes, the steering wheel and so on – to drive the vehicle. Portions of these technologies have existed for a long time: if you’ve ever used adaptive cruise control, you’re already familiar with what might be called a very crude form of automotive automation. In the years to come, we’ll likely see the range of automation go through several different stages of evolution: Partial automation – at this level, the car can steer itself and control its own speed, but only under certain conditions. Tesla’s much-hyped hands-free Autopilot is an example. Conditional automation – describes a vehicle that can handle all driving tasks in certain driving environments (on the highway, for instance). An example would be Audi’s Traffic Jam Pilot, which can handle heavy traffic, but asks the driver to take over if conditions change. High automation – at this level, the vehicle is fully computer-controlled within a specific geographic range, or under strictly defined conditions. Google’s self-driving subsidiary Waymo is testing self-driving robotaxis in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco, for example, but they only operate in strictly defined zones within the city. Full automation – no human required at this level, as the vehicle drives itself anywhere, anytime and in all conditions. Self-driving technology has yet to advance to this level; for now, such automation is purely the subject of science fiction. Mercedes is working on it. Ford and GM too. Toyota and FedEx are testing it – as is Tesla. Google has poured buckets of money into the idea. Even Apple is working on it, or so the rumours say. Over the next several years, you can expect a fleet of self-driving cars – essentially, vehicles operated by powerful artificial intelligence – to hit the streets. But what does that mean for the rest of us on the road? Or for an entire economy and culture that’s “driven” (pun intended) by automobiles and road transportation? What difference will self-driving cars make to the world? Let’s take a look under the hood and find out. 42 | www.snowbirds.org
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