What Is A Self-Driving Car?

Automobiles that function without the intervention of humans are called self-driving or autonomous cars. These automobiles use advanced software, sensors, and cameras to perceive and respond to pedestrians, traffic, and other obstacles on the road to drive on their own.

A self-driving car can drive from one place to another, just like a conventional car, but without the need for a human behind the wheel. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about self-driving cars, including their working mechanism, as well as their benefits and the challenges associated with them. So, without further ado, let’s dive into it!

How Do Self-Driving Cars Work?

Self-driving cars rely on highly advanced software, embedded systems, sensors, and cameras to perceive and respond to pedestrians, traffic, and other obstacles on the road to drive on their own. The exact design and working mechanism of each self-driving car differ from one another.

Having said that, most self-driving vehicles use a wide range of sensors to collect data from the surroundings of the vehicle. This data is then processed using the built-in software, which in turn instructs the vehicle to drive. From setting the navigational path to operating the breaking, accelerating, and steering systems, the software controls everything based on collected data.

Are Self-Driving Cars Fully Autonomous?

Self-driving cars come with a steering wheel, pedals, and all the other equipment one might need to drive. Most of these cars are made to shift between manual driving and self-driving; hence, they have all the features one would find in a normal car. Therefore, self-driving cars are not 100% autonomous, and the passengers still need to be attentive while the car drives by itself.

There are some organizations focusing on removing the steering wheel and pedals altogether as well. Although experts believe that a hundred percent autonomous car is a huge challenge, companies are still trying to achieve this goal. These self-driving cars will not require human input at all.

Benefits Of A Self-Driving Car

One of the greatest and proven benefits of self-driving cars is the significant reduction in traffic accidents. Around ninety percent of accidents on the road are caused by human errors. This includes poor decision-making, impaired driving, distraction, emotional state, etc. Autonomous cars are free of these human errors and emotions, which reduces the chances of accidents significantly.

Some other advantages of these automobiles include:

A reduction in traffic congestion thanks to the communication and coordination between self-driving cars.
Mobility for people who cannot drive cars themselves. This includes the elderly and the disabled.
As people will not have to drive themselves, they will have more free time to engage in other work while commuting.

Challenges Of Fully Autonomous Cars

Although self-driving cars have a lot of benefits, there are a few challenges associated with fully autonomous vehicles. These include:

Weather Conditions: If there is heavy snow or rain, how will an autonomous car respond? Since self-driving cars rely on cameras and sensors to detect road markings to drive straight, extreme weather conditions can impair their capability.
Radar and Lidar: Lidar is costly and has not yet struck the balance between resolution and range. There is a possibility that the lidar signals coming from two or more autonomous cars may interrupt each other if they are traveling on the same road or if they are in close range.
Human vs Artificial Intelligence: Humans have the ability to make split-second assessments and predictions when on the road. They can communicate with other drivers through eye movement or hand signs to make decisions. However, an autonomous car might not be able to do so. There is no certainty whether a self-driving car can make the same life-saving decisions that a human can when faced with a possible accident.

Can Self-Driving Cars Bring A Change To Society?

If self-driving cars outweigh normal cars on the road, there can be a lot of changes in the dynamics of society. However, these changes will bring forward questions like:

Who will take responsibility when 2 self-driving cars have a collision?
Is there a possibility of the car being hacked and controlled by a third party?
What will happen to the people being laid off due to technology taking over their occupations? This will include truck drivers, taxi drivers, and deliverymen.
If self-driving cars communicate with one another, how the personal data like one’s location and destination will be protected from others?

Currently, there are no proper answers to these questions. Until lawmakers answer these questions and reduce ambiguity, there can only be a controlled amount of self-driving cars on the road. Although self-driving cars might become the future of society, they are currently not reliable enough to mass produce. Having said that, a day might come when the ambiguities surrounding these automobiles will be cleared, and we will see more autonomous vehicles on the roads.