Self-Driving Cars Gaining Speed
Two interesting reports I’d like to mention: Firstly, Nevada has legalized self-driving cars! (Hat-tip to wildcat2030)
Yesterday, Nevada became the first state to approve regulations that permit self-driving cars. Since the legislation process began last June, Nevada officials worked with insurance companies, car manufacturers, law enforcement and testing professionals to develop rules mainly aimed at safety, according to PC magazine. The regulations spell out procedures for testing the vehicles now and requirements for use by residents in the future. The robocars in the testing phase will have red license plates. Cars that have been approved for use by Nevada residents will sport green plates. The person in the car is considered the operator (and two people will be in testing-phase cars at all times). TechCrunch notes that as of right now, while people cannot operate the car drunk, they are allowed to text and make phone calls.
Via slate.com
Nice! Gotta say, didn’t that would be worked out so soon. I wrote about Nevada beginning the legislation process last June (here). While it’s known that companies like google were lobbying for such legislation so that they could more easily test their prototypes, there was some legitimate controversy over allowing self-driving cars on the road.
But for those more adventurous, tech-loving souls, this is really good news and a great milestone. Not only will it allow for more and better testing, it helps provide a framework which other states can copy to similarly pass legalization legislation. All in all, it means improving the tech and getting it out to consumers quicker. Which, as far as I’m concerned, is pretty damn awesome news.
With all the talk about self-driving cars, and milestones such as this, some people believe we’ll see fully autonomous cars in ten years… but that doesn’t mean we’ll have to wait till then to see any of this new tech - which brings me to the second item. There are already some great innovations on the market for semi-autonomous and augmented cars (e.g. this, and this), as a recent technologyreview article explains, including crash and lane-veering warnings, self-parking, & electrified steering. (Hat-Tip to futuramb.)
Here are some RCS highlights about the trend, but check the article if you’re interested in some of the cool technologies already rolling out:
…These kinds of high-tech features have been available for years in luxury cars, especially high-end Mercedes and Volvo models. Now they’re going mainstream. “It’s the democratization of advanced driver assistance technology into high-volume cars,” says Mark Boyadjis, a senior analyst for automotive research at IHS iSuppli. “The biggest trend is going to be these technologies finally making their way outside of the luxury space.”…
“You see steps toward autonomous driving—that’s exactly the transition that sharpening, and that what this is the beginning of,” says John Capp, director of active safety technologies at GM… “Camera and radar systems talking to each other are starting to show up on the marketplace, and this progression will go on,” Capp added
Some studies have shown that such features can reduce accidents and insurance claims. That’s a clear benefit, considering that 32,788 people were killed in vehicle crashes in 2010 in the United States alone, and that driver distraction is increasing.
The trend toward more active safety technologies is not being driven by regulatory mandates. Rather, the industry is responding to the falling costs of sensors and computers that drive the systems, and to a growing awareness of the technologies’ marketing benefit in showrooms, says Steven Bayless, director of telecommunications and telematics at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, a nonprofit industry and advisory group…
As more models become saturated with sensing technologies, the next big shift could see cars transmit data between each other… to notify drivers approaching the problem areas…
“It’s a continuous evolution of these technologies,” says Alan Hall, director of technology communications at Ford. “We view these and develop them as safety features, and it’s really about moving beyond passive safety.”
So while your next car may or may not include its own built-in chauffeur, you can be sure it’ll be smarter than even the Ferraris of yesteryear - but no guarantee it’ll be as cool! (A smart Ferrari though… )
