无人驾驶汽车

什么样的汽车不需要司机就可以在道路上驰骋？随着不断发展革新的技术，目前已有越来越多的公司决定接受研发无人驾驶汽车的挑战。驾驶员这一角色在未来会成为过去式吗？

As the relentless pace of technology continues to advance, companies must adapt or get left behind. One of the key areas of contention these days is the driverless car. Autonomous cars have long been featured in science fiction movies and books, but in recent years they have moved from a pipe dream to a reality.

The development of the autonomous car actually started in the 1920s, but it wasn't until the 1980s that the first prototypes were successfully created, one of which was designed by Mercedes-Benz.

Since then the technology has gone from strength to strength and these days many companies are jumping on the bandwagon. Uber is the latest to announce its plan to unroll a fleet of driverless cars. It follows Apple and Ford, who have announced similar plans, and Google and Tesla, who already have autonomous cars on the road.

Two questions arise: Do we really need them? And are they really safe? Advocates of driverless cars would argue 'yes' to both. Vehicular autonomy, if perfected, could lead to much safer road conditions for all, lower insurance costs and enhance mobility for the elderly, the sick and those with disabilities. They would also allow roads to increase their capacity between 200 – 400%.

Perfection, though, seems to be just out of reach at the moment. To date Google's self-driving car, launched in 2012, has had 14 minor accidents. Even worse, Tesla's Autopilot has caused one fatality in 2015, where the vehicle simply did not see the obstacle.

While the technology exists, driverless cars and full vehicular autonomy is still embryonic. That said, you can rest assured that further development in the field is inevitable. And what’s the future? Well, George Marcus, co-founder of Geometric Intelligence – Uber's autonomous development department – imagines a world of flying cars taking us to work. He says "They're going to allow people to take long commutes at 75 or 150 mph where you'd otherwise get stuck in traffic. It's really, in a not-too-distant future, going to be something that is practical." Wouldn't that be fine?