Vehicles are starting to give humans tools to become safer drives, and as autonomous vehicles continue to advance, the future of driving may be a very different landscape than we are used to. But can it keep up with human's advancements with safe driving features to provide a benefit?
The Wolverine Caucus held an event last week, to provide insight into the future of autonomous vehicles; both for the roads, and for the air.
For autonomous cars, while the goal is to provide safer transportation for people, it is also looking at economical and environmental benefits. University of Michigan Research Fellow Steve Vosar said, "The goal is not necessarily zero fatalities, but to surpass human performance." Which, as technology improves in today's vehicles, is getting tricky.
Vosar explained that today's sensors and driver assist features are giving humans the capability to become better, safer drivers. Some of the technology includes braking to help lessen accidents, lane deviation warnings and cruise control.
While these systems are assisting drivers' safety, they still give the driver most of the control of the vehicle. Once the driver is passive for several minutes to hours, to have a mostly autonomous vehicle would decrease the needed human response time when it is needed. In short, increase the risk if one was to arise.
"Humans are not capable to intervene [after long durations of time] … so, it is no to mostly autonomous vehicles, and yes to fully autonomous vehicles," Vosar said. "[It's] keeping humans artificially in place, like bumper bowling."
To test, develop and study autonomous cars, Vosar said that Michigan should be a prime spot for these studies. One great aspect that Michigan provides from other states with autonomous vehicle research is the weather. As Michiganders know, our seasons provide a variety of conditions and obstacles.
"[At Mcity] we can put hard miles on the vehicles, and stretch the capabilities," Vosar said.
Vosar said that the economic benefits include having vehicles drive certain ways to conserve on fuel that humans cannot, as well as emit less pollutants. Other benefits would be lifestyle, being able to work on ones commute to work, having the car take children to school and allow those who currently cannot drive due to disabilities be able to commute.
"It enables people who may not be able to move on their own, so there is a social societal benefit, but there are also economic benefits as well. They can go out, they can spend money and go and have a more -barrier free- life," Vosar said. "If you don't have to drive to work, you can be more productive and get more hours out of the day on your commute. It can lessen your stress, enables you to get work done on your way to and from work; and it can make people happier. Therefore, more productive.
"Some of the research that we are doing is looking even further into the future. Say, if cars are fully autonomous, then traffic lights don’t make as much sense if everyone has an autonomous vehicle. Road lanes don’t have to go into different directions, you can selectively make them when they need to be two way, one way. But that requires a higher penetration of autonomous vehicles, you need 100-percent."
As ground autonomous vehicles seem to be more readily feasible for the human psyche, taking to the air is for another story.
