Once again the technology websites, as we here at TecMundo, are facing news and more news of autonomous vehicles. The automotive industry and technology area are increasingly close:. Giants like Google and Apple have made clear they will yes, at some time in the future, share the car market with more traditional manufacturers
yet at the same time we see designs and concepts that constantly vie for the post of “car of the future”, as was the recent case of BMW with its Vision Next 100, the same future still seems far away.
“the next 100 years” Vision next 100 is the proposal of BMW for the car of the future
what is lacking to finally get to the period in which the autonomous direction will to be news only and will become an everyday? When will we have a Google car in our garage and will be taken to our work without even touching the steering wheel? And most importantly: why the future is so
The answer to these and other questions can be simpler than it sounds, but to understand it, one must look back?. The ultimate fusion of cars with the technology depends on a common look and feel older than some people realize.
The motivation for the development of cars
When the first car was produced, in the late 19th century, the world was facing a giant leap in terms of technology. The vehicle itself became the biggest icon of evolution and the automotive industry has grown alarmingly in no time. The cars were becoming larger, more comfortable and also more powerful.
Before long, having a car did not mean simply having a means of more advanced transport but have at hand a symbol that represented his status. One aspect, however, has beaten long since the car birth:. Security
They died more Americans in traffic than in all the wars that the United States participated
To get an idea, killed more Americans in traffic than in all the wars that the United States participated – were on average a thousand deaths recorded a week in the early years of the 60s, the so-called “golden years” to Detroit, the city that was synonymous with austerity of the automobile industry in the uS
Warning:. the video below contains strong scenes:
that’s why, in the late 60′s, Ralph Nader prosecutor entered a real war against car manufacturers, especially General Motors. Nader, who wrote a book entitled “Dangerous at Any Speed”, claimed that the neglected automakers, consciously, the need to produce safer vehicles not to hurt their profits.
The first achievement of this battle was the compulsory fitting of safety belts in vehicles, which happened in 1966. the problem is that their use depended on a driver’s action and, well, the Americans did not deal very well with it – it was no wonder that the statistics accident changed very little in the following years.
Nader continued their struggle and succeeded, despite political maneuvers and intimidation behind the industry’s most powerful, the government forced automakers to include an item that, at the time, was seen as the latest technology in terms of automotive safety:. airbags
the turning point
If even the 70′s the great appeal for the development of the car was its power and its “symbolism” in recent decades have seen the industry use car safety as one of its key pillars. It was no longer to make great, powerful and comfortable cars only, but they were safe as well.
The development of nearly all parts came to be We thought from the perspective of safety
This is where technology played a key role and became part of the principles of production of an automobile. The number of airbags has increased considerably, the creation of the ABS system that prevents wheel lock-up during braking, finally, the development of nearly all parts came to be thought of from the perspective of making reliable vehicle and transmit the necessary security for drivers.
in recent years, other variables have become part of the equation, such as economy, energy efficiency, interactivity, connectivity, but security has never ceased to be the great protagonist. It would not be surprising if, in the end, it also pautasse the future of the automobile.
A standalone future needs to be safe
The reason why even the streets were not taken by car autonomous – and, let’s not fool ourselves, but it will happen. – is that everything needs to be tested and stressed to the point of exhaustion
not only to ensure that it works, but you are sure of it is safe to take control of a vehicle in the driver’s hands – which, incidentally, is named as the main problem of security on the streets and roads:. 90% of accidents are caused by human error
question is that while the autonomous systems are highly advanced, there are still gaps that need to be corrected:. there is no completely rely on technology available at the time
so automakers believe that the near future, tangible cars is that the power steering is not a mandatory aspect, but an option or a form of aid.
of course there are other purposes for the development of autonomous technologies, as is the convenience of the case, comfort and entertainment. However, it is not just to take the human factor of direction, but make it absolutely safer.
The safety off the streets, but inside the cars
Another reason which the “car of the future” has not come yet also it has to do with security, but is not related to driving – at least not directly. This is the information security issue: multimedia systems increasingly advanced and connected, there is concern about the treatment of the data collected by the car
In addition to the privacy issue, another key question that. automakers need to respond before turning definitively key is: to what extent people want to be “taken” from its position of drivers? After all, many people like enough to drive – and perhaps here the “option” proposed by BMW is a very relevant solution
In the end, the answer is simple. We will have a stand-alone car when finally we can go into one of them and go anywhere we want so naturally as when we are we in control.
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