Self-Driving Cars: Is Science Fiction Becoming Reality?

The self-driving car is a fantasy fiction trope that has proved enduringly popular. It’s popped up in films and TV shows like Transformers, Knight Rider and Total Recall – and, of course, Herbie. However, recent advances in Artificial Intelligence technology has made the self-driving car a real possibility. Cars are being fitted with systems that allow them to park, navigate and react to a changing environment at high speeds, and with big brands like Google, Mercedez-Benz, Apple and Audi backing development programmes, it seems that they aren’t far away.

Automated Vs Autonomous Vehicles

At Automated Doors & Gates Ltd, we’re experts when it comes to automation. If something is automated it performs tasks that you ask of it in an identical fashion every time. An automated garage door is a good example of this. Early prototypes of self-driving cars that relied on following a magnetic strip in the road were automated, not autonomous. An autonomous vehicle must be capable of sensing its changing environment and reacting accordingly. This is important when it comes to dealing with unpredictable situations, like potholes, poor weather conditions and other road users.

Overcoming the Technological Challenges

The problems to overcome in order to create an autonomous car are many. A self-driving car must be able to do everything better than a human driver can do. It must be equipped to react in real time to all of the possibilities that road driving presents. Cameras and proximity detectors must be able to provide far more accurate detail to a Central Processing Unit than glancing at a wing mirror can provide to your brain. The CPU must be able to process and respond to this information as well as global positioning and traffic data and be able to make minor and major course adjustments accordingly. The car must be able to respond to sudden changes in its environment more effectively than a human driver.

Overcoming the Psychological Challenges 

In Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger jumps in a Johnny Cab - a Martian robotic taxi - but when it doesn’t pull away fast enough to escape his pursuers, he rips out the robotic driver and takes the controls himself. Similarly, in I, Robot, Will Smith has to take control of his autonomous Audi RSQ to outdrive robotic cars that are trying to run him off the road. The psychological challenge to the autonomous vehicle is that humans are always going to think that they are better drivers. If all cars were linked to a central system, new kinds of traffic management would become possible, ensuring people reach their destinations faster without breaking the law.

With Google’s new self-driving system making a new legal breakthrough towards becoming roadworthy, it seems that autonomous cars are only a few steps away. It’s an exciting world that’s coming – a world of increasing automation. If you’re still opening your garage door or gate by hand, remember that we can make it fully automatic. Be part of the automation revolution and call us now on 01603 787069.