Imagine sitting in a car, in the driver’s seat, and not having a steering wheel to hold or an accelerator to thrust. Imagine driving home from work and catching a nap or the TV show episode you missed without worrying about colliding with someone. This may seem unimaginable, but it may be what our future may look like. Autonomous vehicles—or popularly referred to as self-driving cars—are cars that perform all driving tasks, such as parking, changing lanes, and navigating, without human interference. They communicate with other fully automated vehicles and the external surroundings, such as traffic lights, signs, and roads, to navigate and make driving decisions.
According to the WHO, there are 1.35 million deaths per year due to road traffic injuries (“Road Traffic Injuries," 2020). These accidents occur due to errors in human judgment, lack of consideration for driving laws, driving under the influence, not wearing safety gear, unsafe roads and vehicles, and speeding, amongst many others. Autonomous cars will eliminate human error and factor out the recklessness of humans as well, making roads a much safer place. Advanced machine design plays a vital role in ensuring that these vehicles are built to minimize risks and maximize precision.
Elderly and differently-abled individuals will be able to travel more comfortably without depending on others. Individuals will be able to sleep during long journeys and not feel fatigued. The struggle to look for a parking spot in a high-traffic locality will be eliminated as the car will navigate a spot and self-park after dropping off its passengers at their location. Thoughtful product design ensures that these vehicles offer a seamless and comfortable experience for passengers.
Due to the removal of several traditional car parts, the vehicle will be much lighter, consuming lower quantities of fuel, hence reducing fuel costs and carbon emissions. Furthermore, insurance costs will be lower as the possibility of road accidents will go down drastically. The integration of industrial design enhances the sustainability and efficiency of these vehicles, making them a cost-effective alternative for the future.
These advantages are the reason engineers, automobile companies, and governments are pushing for innovation in this technology. While the benefits are immense, several challenges threaten to stand in the path of its success.
We still may not have all the technology we need to assemble a fully automated vehicle. We need to develop sensors that can track roads and other cars through heavy rains, thick fog, snow, and any other obstacles that may occur. The vehicle must have the intelligence to identify animals and humans that may come in the path, function during rush hour, and drive in unmapped territory, which are currently all impossible tasks. Innovations in machine design are crucial to overcoming these obstacles and refining autonomous vehicle capabilities.
Autonomous vehicles fail to have the emotional intelligence that guides human decisions while driving. The judgment of how pedestrians and other drivers may react is crucial while driving. The challenge would be to equip autonomous vehicles with artificial intelligence that matches the human. Contrastingly, though, if vehicles were to become autonomous, humans would become reckless, indulging in risky behavior when on the road as they would overestimate their safety. Implementing intelligent product design can help create safer interactions between humans and autonomous systems.
These challenges are not insurmountable. With time and innovations happening daily, fully autonomous vehicles are soon going to hit the roads, and you won’t have to worry about a cop pulling you over for texting while driving.
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