While the concept of driverless cars can be found in science fiction, the seedling has definitely broken through the ground and investments pour in from all quarters. But with a truly automated car still at a distance, the question arises who will be the first consumers of this latest innovation?
Given the alarming (and ever increasing) statistics regarding road accidents, it comes as no surprise that the primary motivation behind driverless cars is to improve road safety. Other implications like the shifting of insurance policies from drivers to manufacturers and the average time saved by not driving will be factors for consideration once a fully working model is available for the masses. It follows that the primary market for this invention will likely be the segment which is most at risk on the road: senior citizens.
With big names like Google, Tesla and Apple on the move with autonomous technology, Toyota’s recent $50 million investment into AI research was not a big surprise. The Japanese automaker cites the ageing population of Japan as its main motivation for allying with MIT and Standford on research centres focused on autonomous driving.
The investment is equally divided between both institutes with the Stanford team working on recognition and sensory information software (the inputs from which an autonomous car can derive data), while the MIT team will work on algorithms that can lead to intelligent decision making without driver’s input.
The first instalments from the combined efforts of auto-manufactures are likely to be parts of a system rather than the whole, meaning assisted driving. Systems like collision avoidance are already set to become a standard part of new models. Combined with cruise control and parking modules, the first AI cars will be well equipped to take the edge off the driving experience for the elderly.