The much-hyped (or at least much-promoted) Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League was a stark reminder of just how far autonomous driving technology has to come.
Instead of being a technological marvel that wowed the crowds with the speed of the cars and the ability for self-driving cars to literally race each other, the Autonomous Racing League’s maiden event turned into an unfortunate series of accidents, delays and stopped cars.
I don’t want to bash the series organisers for trying something different and experimenting with new technologies, but this was not the advert the car industry would have wanted for self-driving cars. It showed the huge amount of complexity that’s required to conquer even a clearly defined racing circuit, so you can only imagine the levels of challenges that await the automotive industry trying to navigate open roads with cars going in all directions, pedestrians, cyclists and so many other random variables.
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Tesla is arguably a leader in the field, although its use of the term ‘Autopilot’ to describe its system has long been a cause for concern. There have been multiple accidents, some resulting in fatalities, that have been linked to the Autopilot system by US authorities, and whether it’s human error or a computer glitch the end result is unacceptable.
Other car makers offer similar technologies to Tesla, with the ability to couple adaptive cruise control with active lane keeping assist to effectively keep you driving at a safe speed and in the one lane now a relatively common feature across the industry.
But it’s the next step, the idea that you can jump in your car, enter your destination and have your car drive you there – around corners, through intersections and avoiding all traffic obstacles – is the bit that scares me.
Not to sound like a Luddite, but I find this recent fascination with autonomous driving – both on the road and track – disturbing. Computer programmers will have you believe that leaving our fate up to code is safer. Yet I’d ask everyone reading this article to stop and think – has your computer or phone always worked perfectly? Ever had the ‘blue screen of death’ or the ‘frozen pinwheel’? The answer is probably yes. Now imagine that your computer freezes and needs a reboot at 110km/h on the freeway with stopped traffic ahead. Still sound perfectly safe?
I think we underestimate the computing power of the human brain sometimes. We have the ability to process a lot of information and our survival instinct will help us avoid an accident as much as any computer will.
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I have no doubt that car makers can improve on the current systems, just like I’m confident the next Autonomous Racing League event will feature much-improved performance, but personally I’m unconvinced on the long-term value of autonomous driving.
Not surprisingly as someone who writes about cars for a living, I enjoy the act of driving. Do I like putting on the mild-autonomous highway driving assistance systems and relaxing on long stretches of driving, sure. But I can’t see myself ever trusting the car’s computer to drive me through crowded streets and around corners.
For those who do want that, a car that completely drives itself, it does make you wonder why they want to spend money on a car in the first place?
Judging by the relatively thin crowd at the Yas Marina last weekend for the Autonomous Racing League, it seems the majority of people still prefer the human touch.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to self-driving cars or do you prefer to remain in control?
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