More companies are looking into investing billions each year into thing technology. They want a vehicle that’s truly autonomous, one that doesn’t need a driver or an employee. Self-driving cars are slowly becoming a part of the future. While this is still considered a luxury that only a few vehicles feature, it’s projected that this will become the norm.
With these large investments in a truly autonomous vehicle, it’s easy to see it’s gaining so much popularity. While this already makes driving easier and safer for drivers, and those on the road, it still begs one question: is it driving itself? Let’s dive into the potential future of self-driving cars.
What is a self-driving car?
Also known as autonomous vehicles, these are driven technology powered by AI and power the driverless assistance system. Since there is a growing demand for safety within roads, on top of all the environmental changes, it means reducing the carbon footprint of drivers and making the road and surroundings safe for everyone.
Safety technology advancements
They also provide the processing power needed to navigate densely populated cities. While automated vehicles have yet to reach full autonomy, some are already being tested. Some of the leading brands in this space include Tesla and BMW. These vehicles rely on a combination of cameras, software, and sensors to operate safely.
Can major brands fill in the gaps when it comes to breakthroughs? Can the current state of auto safety provide this? The answer is yes! Of all things, it’s more important to consider crash avoidance, as this could wipe out at least one-quarter of the crashes that do happen. How? This is due to sensors and control units; these were made to avoid any collisions specifically.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has created a list, and a spectrum of self-driving care technology and has sorted these out into levels.
- Level 0: The driver needs to be in the vehicle to react to the threat.
- Level 1: Lane-keeping is considered level one, as this allows the car to steer the car into the right area of the lane.
- Level 2: Drivers are able to take their hands off the steering wheel but must keep their eyes on the road.
- Level 3: The driver must be present, and the vehicle can drive in restricted scenarios.
- Level 4: The car can drive itself in good conditions
- Level 5: Can drive itself on any road condition. Currently, this technology has yet to be created.
Is self-driving cars just a trend?
It’s far from a trend, as the technology slowly becomes more prevalent, it will make it into newer models of cars and not just exclusive brands. The self-driving car technology is here to stay and we’ll see a lot more of it in the future.
