Staff Writer
Google’s
new driverless cars are becoming more and more popular on the streets of
California where they have been test driving the car. Modifying the Toyota Prius to operate as a
Google driverless car has turned a corner on technology for Google. After it passed the test course on mountain
roads, the goal has now shifted to mastering city street driving.
A
car that can drive itself is the latest in auto technological projects. With jaywalkers, lurching cars, and blocked
views, a typical city street can leave even the most experienced drivers irritable. A mile of city driving is much more complex
than a mile of freeway driving, with hundreds of different objects moving
according to different rules of the road in a small area. There are many pedestrians, buses, and
bicyclists. Google has made sure that
this new self-driving vehicle can pay attention to all of these things in a way
that a human physically can’t—and it never gets tired or distracted. By improving the software, Google has made
this car able to detect many distinct objects simultaneously to make it as safe
as possible.
Driverless
cars must be able to plan a route and navigate through traffic safely without hitting
other vehicles or obstacles. In order to accomplish this, they must be equipped
with computer programs, radar sensors and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The
public already has access to some of the systems used by driverless cars. An
example is the Automatic Cruise Control in more modern cars. This enforces distance between a car and the
one driving in front of it. However, driverless cars have the added advantage
of technologies that the public doesn't have access to yet. These technologies
enable them to sense other cars, give or take the right of way on the correct
occasion, or arrive at an intersection and stop.
A
huge debate over driverless cars exists between major car companies, like BMW
and Audi, and possible buyers everywhere.
Although driverless cars sound intriguing, they are still somewhat
frightening to today’s drivers. Whether
or not these cars will be safer has not yet been proven. With continued enhancements and trials,
consumers may eventually become comfortable with the concept.
Google
expects driverless cars to be pretty common by 2025. The expected release date is in the next
three to five years. Even though there are
many questions regarding driverless cars, driving on busy city streets might be
made safer and easier.
