Are you ready for autonomous vehicles on the road?

Are you ready for autonomous vehicles on the road?

(Source: Baidu)

The technological development of the autonomous industry is endless. Autopilot and driverless is the ultimate goal of intelligent cars, and the generating of autonomous driving will bring a whole new revolution in automotive technology. This technology is the result of the deep integration of technologies such as automotive industry, artificial intelligence, high performance computing, and Internet of Things. The application of automatic driving technology can completely liberate the driver without always focusing on driving and road condition. People can read, enjoy and rest in the car. At the same time, traffic accidents can be reduced.

From testing to landing, autopilot may be faster than many people imagine. For example, GM has announced the launch of a self-driving model for sharing-travel in 2019. However, it would take longer, perhaps decades, to increase public awareness and consumer acceptance of automatic driving. Not only depends it on the safety status of self-driving cars, but also on the progress of policies and regulations, such as local laws on the management of automatic vehicles.

Self-driving cars will gradually change people's travel methods. Similarly, it also needs new infrastructure and laws to adapt. At the moment, few people are considering these issues. According to the current situation, the impact of autonomous driving may be positive or negative.

Ideally, self-driving cars can provide convenience for people who cannot drive for various reasons. For ordinary people, it is also an easier and more efficient way to travel.

At the same time, autopilot will promote the development of sharing-travel, which will reduce traffic jam and environmental pollution. The road space and parking space will also shrink accordingly. Home and business garages will be smaller or even canceled  entrance ramps directly.

Imaging what the future community will look like: wider sidewalks, new cycle lanes and more green areas.

However, autopilot technology also has its disadvantages. What happens if a self-driving car choose to driving in empty without parking? It will increase traffic pressure rather than mitigation; if people can drive the vehicle at will, public transportation applications may be less than before; if people prefer to work in the long distance,  opportunities of automatic driving cars are also likely to increase more.

In fact, nobody knows what will happen in the future. Engineers are working on technologies that will be applied in the coming decades. Social scientists, politicians and government officials have recently begun to work hard to overcome these negative effects.

By Hao QU&Ruoqing WANG

Source: Alex Bainbridge (26 Jan,2018), Prepare for impact: autonomous vehicles will reshuffle the travel industry

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