The closest we have to a self-driving car on the road today is the Tesla.
In reality, its little more than a fancy cruise control.
Will self-driving cars ever be good enough for cities?
Kenneth Koh / Unsplash
And do we even want or need them?
“As such, we’re not likely going to see self-driving cars become ubiquitous any time soon.”
Charlie Sorrel / Lifewire
For you and me, spotting a road is easy.
Charlie Sorrel / Lifewire
But for computers, its a hugely complex task.
They combine highly accurate maps with cameras that look at the road ahead.
The computer must then work out, on the fly, what its seeing.
Essentially, the project is just Uber in tunnels.
And what problem do self-driving cars solve, exactly?
you might play sudoku on your morning commute, but you might do that on the bus or metro.
And we already have cars you dont have to drive: taxis.
And unlike autonomous Teslas, you dont have to own one.
Where Can Self-Driving Work?
But autonomous vehicles have other uses.
Highways are amuch less chaotic environment than cities, and trucks can even drive in formation to save fuel.
But the obvious case is public transit.
Many public transit systems already are autonomous.Londons Docklands Light Railway opened in 1987, and operates without drivers.
Many airport transit systems also work autonomously.
