How many of you have been in a car accident, or know some who has?
Autonomous Vehicles
How do they work and what will they solve?
NICK FELKER
Car Accidents Are Commonplace
- Millions of traffic accidents happen annually in the US
- About 30,000 people are killed in accidents each year
- 1.2 million die globally each year
Data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Causes of Accidents
- Distracted Driving
- Driving While Impaired
- Driving Misjudgments
History Of Autonomous Cars
- Autonomous cars have been promised but haven't delivered for decades
- Manufacturers now pursuing internally
- Basic safety automation is already implemented and inexpensive
Fully Autonomous
- No blind spots
- Quicker response time
- Transportation for disabled
- Less traffic and fewer accidents
- Should be commercial by 2020
- General Motors
- Ford
- Mercedes Benz
- Volvo
- Tesla
How It Works
- LIDAR - Laser Illuminating Detection and Ranging
- Radar
- Camera
- Sonar
- GPS
- Machine learning
How It Doesn't Work
- Traffic lights can be blocked by strong sun
- Doesn't work very well in wet or icy conditions
- Sensors are limited in what they can identify
Legal Considerations
- If an accident should occur, who is responsible?
- Will you be allowed to be distracted?
- Will you require a driver's license to operate?
- How will auto insurance change?
Effects of Self-Driving Cars
- Google and Uber are each making autonomous taxi services
- Driving related jobs will quickly diminish
- Limit where one can drive
In Review
- Current issues in transportation
- How autonomous vehicles work
- How driving will change
I leave you with this:
autonomous transportation in of itself isn't a cure all,
but it's one step in building a transportation system that works for everyone.
Questions?
Sources
- http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811059.PDF
- http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/transportation/motor_vehicle_accidents_and_fatalities.html
- http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-self-driving-cars-work-the-nuts-and-bolts-behind-googles-autonomous-car-program/
- http://www.celent.com/reports/scenario-end-auto-insurance
- http://spectrum.ieee.org/robotics/artificial-intelligence/the-unknown-startup-that-built-googles-first-selfdriving-car
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2013/12/19/will-the-google-car-force-a-choice-between-lives-and-jobs/2/?ss=future-tech
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/10603933/Mass-unemployment-fears-over-Google-artificial-intelligence-plans.html
- http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/2/7966437/6-reasons-to-be-terrified-about-the-future-of-transportation
Future of Transportation
If things don't change:
- More drivers will create more traffic
- Energy demands will rise, as will carbon emissions
- Crippling infrastructure will slow down commerce
From USDOT
"Beyond Traffic"