In our world today, technology is consistently evolving. Computers, cell phones, transportation, you name it, and I can bet that the technology that makes it up now is light years better then it was when the product was unveiled. Some of the most intriguing examples of these technological advancements can be found in today’s cars. Being a car fanatic myself, I have always enjoyed reading and informing myself about the ever improving technology being used by todays top manufacturers. The new innovations are very exciting, and will change the way people use transportation in the near future. The technology that I am describing is self-driving cars.
Years ago, only in ones wildest dreams could a self-driving car seem feasible. It was doubtful, at the time, that we would ever be able to develop the technology necessary to even think about a car that requires no human operation. Technology used in cars today are examples of amazing revolutions alone, yet a car that is able to drive by itself truly would be incredible. The first step in the development of this innovative technology can be credited to the engineers at Tesla. Tesla’s designers (geniuses) were able to establish and implement an auto pilot system into their model lineup that 
allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel and relax as the car drives by itself. It uses a combination of ultrasonic sensors, radar, cameras, and data to automatically drive the car. You can see the system in use in a video found here. An article found here also describes the cars abilities to scan for a parking spot once you have arrived at your destination and park itself on your command. This system also uses a lane keeping system and computerized data to analyze traffic, change speeds, and execute lane changes depending on the traffic conditions being experienced. Tesla is continually testing and evolving this system to make it the best it can be. When an update is available, Tesla is able to send it directly to the cars computer just as you would receive a software update on your phone. While this example is not exactly a completely self-driving car, Tesla is the first to stick its foot in the door of a car that requires no human operation.
Google, yes the same google that you use for most of your internet searches, is next to the party.
Their cars, like the Tesla, use a combination of sensors and software in order to navigate whatever the streets have to throw at you. However, unlike the Tesla, Google’s car does not even feature a steering wheel or pedals. The interior, as described by Google, is “designed for riding, not for driving.” 
While this car is just a prototype and has not hit the road just yet, it is still a super exciting advancement to keep in mind for years to come. The idea that a car in the near future will be stripped of its steering wheel and pedals is simply incredible. Not only will the use of self-driving cars make humans lives easier, it should also cut down on the amount of traffic accidents. If everyone has a self-driving car that has sensors to help it avoid collisions, then human error will no longer be the cause of so many accidents. You will suddenly be able to text all that you want when you’re in the car. No longer will you have to worry about sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. You will soon be able to sit back, and relax as your car handles whatever the road has to offer.
Michael,
Wow this article really interested me. Whenever I am in the car and my mom or dad use cruse control I think to what the future holds for me and cars. I think that in the future there is only going to be cruse control and readying this article got me thinking. I also have to agree technology is advancing greater and greater. This is many new things coming out like new phones and new cars? This helped me better understand about these cars since I have heard of them but never have seen them so this helped me to get a better idea of what it will be like? I did some research on the car myself to get a even better understanding and what I came up with was ver interesting. It stated that it could tell when police cars are coming.
This helps me better understand the new google car and information: https://www.google.com/selfdrivingcar/
Hey Michael,
Funny story. I was drawn to your article because some girl in high school tried to convince me that her car could drive to the Chick Fil A drive through by itself, pick up take out, and come home (WITH NO ONE IN IT.} Thank you for explaining that it’s much more complicated than this and clearly needs human supervision and much more work to be done. As shown in your picture, people are still cautious and would not just let their car drive itself without their hands hovering over the wheel. I am very skeptical of this type of advancement in science because of the consequences that could ensue. Did you hear recently that a guy died because he wasn’t focused on the road even though his car could “drive itself?” Here’s the link
As a kid who dreamed of the day there were self driving cars, I am really excited about this. I think in the future, as science progresses and things get cheaper, it will be the way of travel that minimizes accidents and increases road safety. For now though, I don’t know how safe it’ll be. There’s still alot to consider and the one thing I think of is self driving cars on the road with regular cars. In most accidents it might not be your fault but someone else’s. So if these cars are safe that’s fantastic but if they’re on the road with none self driving cars, how safe are they really?
It’s crazy to think that we’ve come to a point in time where self-driving cars is something being talked about. I think though that it will be a long time before any car truly hits the market. Although it does decrease the amount of accidents due to less texting and driving and other forms of human error, I think the risk for accidents is still high. Today we depend so much on technology because it’s all around us but technology is unpredictable and you never know when the system may glitch, which scares me. I think though that engineers will take longer to analyze this self driving technology because it can be so risky. I wonder if there will ever be a time where self driving cars will be required?!
It is actually a cool thing to think about for letting the car to drive on it’s own, but the technology couldn’t reach that point yet. I remembered that the Google self-driving car did cause a lot of car accidents during the past several years. Most of the times because it couldn’t predict some of the situation by itself. It is hard for the machine to do multiple tasks as we do. So I think it wouldn’t be a good thing to give our safety to the self-driving car at this point.