Last year two of my closest friends had their first child. Her name is Maya and I lovingly call her "chubby little Biscuit." Her parents drive to work every morning to downtown Atlanta. But, by the time Biscuit is her parents age, she probably won't be driving to work. Oh, she'll get into a car every morning, but the car will be doing the driving, not her.
I've seen the future of commuting and it's computer driven cars.
The rapid advance of technology in cars is quite amazing. Compare what a car made in 2012 is capable of compared to a car made just 10 years ago. Automatic parallel parking, review cameras, navigation systems, the list goes on and on. What you might not realize however, is that the auto industry is even looking farther ahead into the future and developing "automatic" automobiles. Cars run by computers that drive themselves.
Testing of these vehicles has already been approved in the state of Nevada on public roads as car makers and Internet giant Google push technology to the next level.
Leading the charge to a different commute for future generations is Bill Ford, chairman of the Ford Motor Company. Ford has outlined three phases of changes for future driving: near-term (5-7 years), mid-term (2017-25) and long-term (2025 and beyond).
Near-term solutions include vehicle-to-vehicle warning systems where our cars computers "talk" to each other to help avoid accidents. Mid-term solutions include cars that are semi-automatic. Think advanced cruise control where the car could literally drive to a pre-programmed destination. Long-term solutions are outlined by connecting "automatic" cars that form vehicle trains on the freeways. Eventually leading to a point where once you get in your car, the car itself does all the work, and you can kick back and relax.
“If we do nothing, we face the prospect of ‘global gridlock’, a never-ending traffic jam that wastes time, energy and resources and even compromises the flow of commerce and health care,” said Ford. “The cooperation needed between the automotive and telecommunications industries will be greater than ever as we prepare for and manage the future. We will need to develop new technologies, as well as new ways of looking at the world.”
Other automakers are also pushing ahead. Volvo recently released it's V40 hatchback in Europe which takes the first big steps toward a computer takeover. According to Motor Trend magazine:
"It has a pedestrian recognition system using both radar and a camera, and it can auto-brake if you don’t. Other camera-based systems include lane-keeping assist and road-sign recognition. Radar is used for a follow-to-stop active cruise control, while the City Safety brake system relies on lasers."
The hatchback is not scheduled for release in the United States.
I know that there will be quite a push back by American drivers against a computer driven car. We love our cars and we love to drive and there's always going to be the inherent fear of computer failure.
But by the time Biscuit reaches her mid-thirties, I'm betting the car will be driving Biscuit and not the other way around.
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