21st Century Technology
The 21st century has already seen the development of several innovated technologies that have changed the world as we know it. From the development of the cell phone, to social media, to the internet, we are surrounded by inventions that make our daily lives run more efficiently. Self-driving cars are on the newer side on these technologies. With the development of self-driving cars, we step into an entirely new realm of possibility for transportation on a day to day basis.
The idea of self-driving cars, however futuristic it may sound, is not a new concept. The concept of the self-driving car first came about in 1925 when Francis Houdina drove a radio-controlled car through the streets of Manhattan without anyone at the steering wheel. The car was known to be able to start its engine, shift gears, and sound its horn on its own (10 Major Milestones in the History of Self-Driving Cars). For the entirety of the 20th century, the concept of a fully operational self-driving car seemed to be something from science fiction. John McCarthy in the late 1960s wrote the essay "Computer-Controlled Cars," in which he describes a car with an “automatic chauffeur.” This car would be able to drive around because of a “television camera input" (10 Major Milestones in the History of Self-Driving Cars).
Before the emergence of self-driving, cars started to develop other technologies to help assist in driving. In 2003, Toyota’s Japanese Prius hybrid was the first vehicle to develop automatic parallel parking assistance (10 Major Milestones in the History of Self-Driving Cars). This was a huge step forward in the automotive world and the first real innovation that was unlike anything ever seen before. Other technologies, such as self steering, the ability to stay within lanes, accident avoidance, and more emerged within cars like Mercedes in 2014 and others following (10 Major Milestones in the History of Self-Driving Cars). At the same time of these new innovations, car companies still work on developing the technology for self-driving cars. However, within the last several years the emergence of Tesla's self-driving feature has changed the game. The "autopilot" feature of Tesla cars uses cameras to watch the road, allowing it to steer, change lanes, control the speed the car is going, use the brakes, and self-park. The autopilot feature has also been shown to reduce accidents on the road by 50%, showing how safe this feature can be (Here's How Tesla's Autopilot Works).
Even with the emergence of Tesla and the several innovations to cars made before that, there is still room to improve. The development of a fully self-driving car is on the horizon for the new future. This would mean an improvement in traffic and efficiency of driving would skyrocket. If everyone had these types of cars that drove themselves completely, there would be no need for licenses; there would either be reduced traffic or no traffic on roads because cars would be moving swiftly and efficiently. Car accidents would be nonexistent; the danger of drinking and driving or texting and driving would vanish. This technology would change the way we go about our daily lives and make society safer and run smoother as a whole If an individual could simply plug in an address and go to that destination without having to actually drive there themselves, that would be the beginning of the future of travel.
The idea of self-driving cars, however futuristic it may sound, is not a new concept. The concept of the self-driving car first came about in 1925 when Francis Houdina drove a radio-controlled car through the streets of Manhattan without anyone at the steering wheel. The car was known to be able to start its engine, shift gears, and sound its horn on its own (10 Major Milestones in the History of Self-Driving Cars). For the entirety of the 20th century, the concept of a fully operational self-driving car seemed to be something from science fiction. John McCarthy in the late 1960s wrote the essay "Computer-Controlled Cars," in which he describes a car with an “automatic chauffeur.” This car would be able to drive around because of a “television camera input" (10 Major Milestones in the History of Self-Driving Cars).
Before the emergence of self-driving, cars started to develop other technologies to help assist in driving. In 2003, Toyota’s Japanese Prius hybrid was the first vehicle to develop automatic parallel parking assistance (10 Major Milestones in the History of Self-Driving Cars). This was a huge step forward in the automotive world and the first real innovation that was unlike anything ever seen before. Other technologies, such as self steering, the ability to stay within lanes, accident avoidance, and more emerged within cars like Mercedes in 2014 and others following (10 Major Milestones in the History of Self-Driving Cars). At the same time of these new innovations, car companies still work on developing the technology for self-driving cars. However, within the last several years the emergence of Tesla's self-driving feature has changed the game. The "autopilot" feature of Tesla cars uses cameras to watch the road, allowing it to steer, change lanes, control the speed the car is going, use the brakes, and self-park. The autopilot feature has also been shown to reduce accidents on the road by 50%, showing how safe this feature can be (Here's How Tesla's Autopilot Works).
Even with the emergence of Tesla and the several innovations to cars made before that, there is still room to improve. The development of a fully self-driving car is on the horizon for the new future. This would mean an improvement in traffic and efficiency of driving would skyrocket. If everyone had these types of cars that drove themselves completely, there would be no need for licenses; there would either be reduced traffic or no traffic on roads because cars would be moving swiftly and efficiently. Car accidents would be nonexistent; the danger of drinking and driving or texting and driving would vanish. This technology would change the way we go about our daily lives and make society safer and run smoother as a whole If an individual could simply plug in an address and go to that destination without having to actually drive there themselves, that would be the beginning of the future of travel.
Works Cited
“10 Major Milestones in the History of Self-Driving Cars.” Digital Trends, 4 Feb. 2019, www.digitaltrends.com/cars/history-of-self-driving-cars-milestones/.
Thompson, Cadie. “Here's How Tesla's Autopilot Works.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 1 July 2016, www.businessinsider.com/how-teslas-autopilot-works-2016-7.
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