Autonomous cars: benefits and disadvantages

An autonomous car is a vehicle that is able to move by itself sin la necesidad de la intervención humana. Utilizan tecnología avanzada, como sensores, cámaras y sistemas GPS. También se basan en inteligencia artificial y algoritmos. Muy pronto cambiarán la forma en la que nos movemos y tienen un gran potencial en la industria. La FP en Electrical and Automatic Installations and the FP in Automotive offer professional development opportunities in this area. There are two options that are also undergoing a transformation thanks to the future of autonomous vehicles!

The first steps of autonomous cars go back to the comienzo del siglo XX. ¡Toma nota de los hitos más destacados! Los primeros sistemas de control automáticos para barcos y aviones se empezaron a aplicar hace un siglo. ¡Este fue el germen! En la década de los 50 they started to implement in autonomous cars technology of cruise automatic. A partir de 1980, empezaron a surgir proyectos de investigación en universidades, que consiguieron que vehículos autónomos fueran capaces de circular sin la intervención humana. With the arrival of the year 2000increasingly received a great impetus in this sector. It has been in recent years when companies like Tesla, Uber, Audi, Uber o Waymo present projects solids. Currently, tests are being carried out and deploying fleets. Although there are still challenges that must be overcome, every day continue to improve the technology!

Autonomous cars offer a number of benefits that could revolutionize the way in which we drive. These are some of the most important benefits!

• – Entre ellos, destaca la optimización de las rutas y la reducción de emisiones. Pueden ser programados para circular de forma más eficiente, reportando beneficios para el medio ambiente.
• – Los coches autónomos también pueden improve mobility, being of great help for people who can't drive themselves. In this way, they could maintain their independence, without being subject to other people.
• – La tecnología que se utiliza ofrece también beneficios en términos de reduction in the number of traffic accidents caused by human errors. Minimizing failures associated with distractions or, simply, the fatigue on long journeys. They are equipped with the necessary means to detect hazards before a human drivers do.
• – Estos vehículos pueden comunicarse entre sí, lo que podría increase fluency in traffic and to reduce the congestion on the roads. I can coordinate the speed and direction of the operation to reduce the time of the trip!

Although autonomous cars offer numerous benefits; however, there are also some disadvantages in its use. ¡These are some of the main!

• – El uso de los coches sin conductor puede provocar que las personas no sean capaces de utilizar un coche por sí mismas. Aunque estén diseñados para ser altamente eficientes y precisos, pueden surgir problemas técnicos. Por ejemplo, si la señal de internet se pierde o hay problemas de conectividad, estos vehículos pueden dejar de funcionar correctamente.
• – Según se vayan convirtiendo en recursos más comunes, pueden surgir cuestiones legales pendientes. Estos vehículos están programados para tomar decisiones basadas en algoritmos, lo que puede plantear problemas éticos en situaciones complejas. Es por ello por lo que es necesario un marco legal para abordar posibles incidentes. La legislación todavía no está completamente desarrollada y su actualización puede demorarse.
• – Los coches autónomos presentan un high price. La fabricación de estos vehículos es costosa y la contratación del seguro es sensiblemente más cara. Al ser una tecnología en desarrollo, también repercute en el gasto del consumidor final. ¡Estos factores son un obstáculo para la adopción masiva de los coches con piloto automático!.
• – Estos nuevos medios de transporte requieren una geolocation constant and internet connection. When we collect information about the environment and the location continuously, this may raise privacy issues. This information may also violate the security of the occupants of the vehicle and other moving down the road.

The autonomous vehicles work thanks to a combination of advanced technologies. They are equipped with sensors, cameras, radar and GPS systems, as well as with the tools of artificial intelligence and machine learning, among others. This information is processed in real time by high-tech systems. In this way, decisions are made fast and accurate.

The sensors and the cameras are constantly observing what's around. The internal computer usa algoritmos para determinar la forma de conducción y cómo llegar. El ágil procesamiento de datos y la comunicación entre vehículos permite la toma de decisiones de forma coordinada. Los mapas digitales son imprescindibles para planificar las rutas y conocer el terreno.

There are different levels of autonomy in autonomous cars. From those that require some human intervention, until they are completely autonomous. In addition, the autonomous cars can also be used in a wide variety of situations. Conduction can take place both on the road, such as in urban environments and in situations of heavy traffic. It is important to keep in mind that you are still in the testing phase and are not to be marketed in a generalized way!

The arrival of these means of transport is transforming the industry automotive. Despite the fact that the technology of autonomous cars has significantly advanced, still we are faced with challenges that must be overcome. As we said, the autonomous vehicles are still in the testing phase and are not available in mass. Although the technology has had great progress in this regard, still need to perfect it. To continue taking steps is necessary perform rigorous testingto ensure that the systems are reliable. Since it is a technology in constant evolution, implies that the regulations for their use are also in the process of development.

The companies that are engaged in the development of vehicles are creating new opportunities and business models. Vehicles require a large amount of sophisticated technology, leading manufacturers to work closely with technology companies. The acceptance of autonomous cars by the general public it is also an important factor to take into account. These vehicles will change the experience of the users!

It is important to continue to research and develop the issues previously addressed before these vehicles become the norm. In these moments, have a great potential and challenges to deal with. Each day we get closer to the future of transport revolutionizing the way we travel!