Test Self-Self Driving Cars Would Cut Carbon Emissions
An experiment by Google scientists saw driverless cars released on to the roads of California. The automated cars could cut around half of the 1.2 million lives lost on the road each year. Environmentalists say the cars could cut carbon emissions.
Seven cars drove successfully around LA and San Francisco using video cameras, parking sensors, sat nav and a laser range finder to avoid other vehicles. Thus far the vehicles have clocked up 140,000 miles. Google engineer Sebastian Thrun stated in a blog entry that automated vehicles would see a significant cut in accidents and energy consumption. It is estimated that people spend an average of 52 minutes a day driving to work, driverless cars could see road users use their time more productively.
US Military tests and a number of other global projects are being conducted. The transition of the car to a V8 engine was accelerated when a recruitment campaign got underway to pick competitors from DARPA Grand and Urban Challenge which were run by the US Military forces to encourage the development of self-driving vehicles.
There are undoubtedly still a number of technical issues which will be needed to be ironed out. Many critics have questioned the potential hazards which could occur with a malfunction. Google are keeping a number of technical details under wraps. According to the engineers, the only issue with the car security was when it came to a halt at traffic lights and was hit from behind by another vehicle,
Thrun has reassured that the automated car experiments in California were never a danger to the general public: “Our cars were never unmanned. We always have a trained safety driver behind the wheel who can take over as easily as one disengages cruise control. And we also have a trained software operator in the passenger seat.