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Week 8 [21.05-27.05.2018] The future of autonomous cars



Nowadays much is said about air pollution, traffic jams and accidental deaths. Most of you have certainly heard about the idea of ​​implementing autonomous cars. This problem may seem simple at first glance, but after a deeper reflection we can see that it is quite complicated.

At the beginning, as with any standalone device, the question of security and reliability arises. Are we able to completely entrust our health and life to a computer? There are many extreme opinions in this matter. One of the most important aspects that experts are considering is the decision making of the autonomous car. When, for example, a pedestrian runs out on the street - it will hit him or avoid collision, for example, going down to the ditch, endangering the lives of passengers.
You must have heard that the first fatal accident happened with the Uber autonomous car, which killed a woman passing in a place that was not intended for that purpose.


Many, negatively oriented to the autonomy of cars, experts recognize this accident as a confirmation of the theory that we are not ready to introduce self-driving cars. In my opinion this accident is a milestone in the safety of these cars, due to the fact that a lot of important information has been registered through systems, so that corporations will be able to refine them. One thing is certain, currently too many people are dying on the roads. In Poland, the number of road deaths in 2017 amounted to almost 3,000.Another important aspect is how autonomous cars will affect traffic in cities. Overwhelming majority believes that owning a car will become a thing of the past. They think it will be replaced by car sharing autonomous cars. Many of you have already seen (e.g. in Warsaw) the idea of ​​carsharing as Trafficar or 4Mobility. How does car sharing work? In a big simplification - through the application we search for the nearest car, book it, get on, drive, leave it, and the app charges a fee depending on the time and the distance travelled. When we add their autonomy, it will be one of the more convenient transports you can imagine. We get into a private transport, which takes us to a designated place, in the meantime we can answer emails or just relax and finally we don’t have to look for a parking space. However, will this positive vision of the future paradoxically increase the number of cars on the roads? Even those who do not have a driving license or are not able to drive cars will be able to use their private transport instead of standing on crowded buses.

        There are certainly many important aspects to discuss, but these two seemed to me the most interesting to discuss. One thing is sure – the revolution in the automotive industry must take place.

Sources:

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/how-owning-a-car-might-soon-become-as-old-fashioned-as-owning-a-horse-a7195836.html
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/19/uber-self-driving-car-kills-woman-arizona-tempe
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2017/11/06/the-future-of-the-transport-industry-iot-big-data-ai-and-autonomous-vehicles/#794ee6441137

Questions:
1.      Do you have your own car or would like to have one? Why?
2.      When do you think will be a revolution in the automotive industry?
3.      Are you positively or negatively oriented towards autonomous cars?

Comments

Unknown said…
The autonomous car-sharing seems to be most effective form of transportation. According to experts smaller busses that stop exactly where their passengers want are faster and more efficient. If we take that to another level small cars occupying little space could take a passenger to a place roughly close to his destination. If it had available space it could take on its way passengers that have similar route. If all the passengers would be in the system, it would also be safer since every use would be registered and vehicle monitored. I don’t expect such a system to be implemented in the next ten years but I’m optimistically looking forward to it.
Lukasz Mroczek said…
I have my own car. It's my 4th car in live and maybe that's why I can't even imagine living without it. Other fact is that I'm a petrolhead but despite that I'm interested in autonomous cars but that's because I'm also IT guy. I like to read about new inventions, particularly in autonomous cars areas. I can say that I'm positively oriented towards this topic but I can't imagine living without normal car with petrol engine and manual transmission and fumes and that's why I will always have one. In my opinion we are actually watching a revolution mainly leaded by Elon Musk and his Teslas ;)
Unknown said…
Since I got my driving licence I have had two cars, but since I went to college I no longer have one. I think that the car revolution is already taking place slowly, looking at electric motors and the creators of Tesla.
I have never considered whether or not I am in favour of this revolution, but when I'm looking at rising fuel prices, I am positively disposed towards autonomous cars.
Jakub Nietupski said…
I don't have my own car, because first, I can't afford it and second, I live close to the subway and I can get everywhere I need pretty quickly.
I think that the revolution is happening right now - more and more countries introduce laws allowing autonomous cars.
I am optimistic about autonomous cars. Of course they have their flaws and accidents, but already they are much safer than human drivers and the situation will only get better.
Iman Masjedi said…
My answer is yes and no.
Yes, because if I have a house outside the city, my only access to the city is using a personal car.
No, if I live inside the city, I can use public transport, and create less traffic and less air pollution in the city.

I think that the future will be the right direction of transportation to the electrical car planes, because the ground is limited, but the sky is unlimited, and the use of more space for transportation will solve a lot of human problems.
I have a positive opinion, as the cause of most accidents is a human mistakes (such as tiredness or driver's sleepiness or drunk driving) and the car can lower this risk.
Unknown said…
Yes, I'm on your side absolutely. I love driving also and I can't imagine if I could only do it on the racetrack. But I believe we will still be able to use them on public roads.
Thank you for your opinion :)
Unknown said…
I fully agree with you. There is also one more question if people will be able to afford for that mean on transport. I think this might be a problem in Poland especially in smaller cities than Warsaw or Cracow
Unknown said…
Well that's kinda futuristic opinion I would say. As a child I used to consider about that idea and it seemed perfect to me. But there is a long way to achieve that, but I hope I will be able to see it for myself.
Thanks for you opinion :)
Unknown said…
I don't have a car and for now, I don't think I need one. If I don't travel big distances or have lots of stuff to carry with me then having a car is not a necessity for me. It's also worth mentioning that having a car comes with big costs not only for fuel but for maintenance too.
I think we are already witnessing a revolution in the car industry. So many companies competing right now in the area of self-driving AIs that I think it's the only question of time when such cars will become ordinary and routine part of our lives.
Of course, I'm positively oriented towards autonomous cars. I think that this idea has a big potential and will drastically change the way we use transportation. There might be some problems involving safe usage of these AI systems in cars but ongoing improvements will definitely allay all the risks and concerns regarding safety.
Marcin Mróz said…
Yes, I have my own car, but I don't use it on a daily basis when I go to work or to school. I can easily get there by underground and using car for this kind of transport just doesn't pay off for me. It's hard to tell when there will be a revolution in automotive industry, but I think it will happen sooner than later. All those big tech companies are pushing hard on this, so I guess that autonomous cars could be a thing in a near future. I think that I'm neutral towards this idea. In my opinion it would be nice to have car that drives itself especially on the longer distances, but I'm not super hyped about this. I can live with the fact that I have to drive my car. ;)
I don’t have my own car and I don’t see much sense of it now. I usually prefer spending time in my way to university/home and so on reading a book or some interesting articles.
But on the other hand driving is my passion but I do it rarely(only when I come back home and have such an opportunity).

I don’t know when it will exactly happen but I am pretty sure that this will be in the nearest future. The idea is just brilliant and will make our lives a way more easier. The implementation is not ideal now but still it’s good enough even now.

Answer to this question derives from my second answer :)
Unknown said…
Yes of course I have my own car. Now I have the fourth car. I hope that I can still buy V8 because this is the last moment. This kind of engine will become extinct in the future. I don't mind autonomous cars but I will miss the engine sound because all engines will change to electric. Cars and driving cars are one of my biggest passions. I don't mind when it will happen. Recently was premiere of new Nissan Leaf. Of course it is electric or hybrid ,never mind. This car introduces something new. You can add gas and break on one pedal. I'm very curios about it and I checked the website. For this car you have to give 180,000zl.
Foodocado said…
Yes, I do have my own car, but it's becoming old and I am considering changing it for a new one. I love driving. During it, I can forget about all thing that worries me. I can't imagine using public transport each day.

I think we are living in quite revolutionary times.

I am not positively neither negatively oriented towards autonomous cars. I think it would be a cool feature to have such car. However, as I said I love driving...
I dont have a car, but i would like to have one, because public transport is not wery pleasant way to move around the city. Revolution will be when all ol producing oligarchs will die out or decide that it is time to make way for progress instead of profit. I think that autonomous cars would need some restrictions and regulations in their work, but generally i think it is a good idea.
Filip Sawicki said…
I don’t have my own car, but would like to one day. I think that revolution in automotive industry will truly begin in 10 years or so, right now we have just barely started researching technologies to allow fully autonomous driving. I’m very positively oriented towards this revolution, however without serious investments in infrastructure this won’t really work, we have to create a common ground for both autonomous and casual cars.
Anna Koca said…
1. Do you have your own car or would like to have one? Why?
Yes, I do. I am a motofreak and wanted a car since I've been, like, 15 y.o. I am also thinking about buying a motorcycle some time soon. I think having a car is not that great in a big city like Warsaw, but even so, the pleasure that I get from driving is incomparable to anything else.

2. When do you think will be a revolution in the automotive industry?
I think it is happening now, since we can observe the presence of electric, hybrid-based and autonomous cars. I have heard that one of the leading companies have even introduced the first flying taxi, so the revolution is now.

3. Are you positively or negatively oriented towards autonomous cars?
Personally I am negatively oriented toward it. Facilitating every part of human's life will eventually make humans dumb and unable to do anything without technology. I would be for partial introduction of autonomy - for example in traffic jams, or when parking only.
Unknown said…
I often drive a car, but I don't have my car. I would definitely like to have my own car, but maybe in the future. We will see how it goes.

The whole time is, the introduction of electric cars, etc. The automotive industry is growing all the time. So every day there are new ideas that are slowly being implemented in the automotive market.

I'm positive, it's a very nice idea. I would like to have such a car in the future.
Unknown said…
Do you have your own car or would like to have one? Why?
Yes, I have one. I think is the best transport choice right now. Cars are accessible for whole year, and are comfortable when on the outside is hot or cold. Cars are fast and can transport many of weights like shopping. On the other hand the traffic jams are annoying and the exploitation is costly. Costs and jams we can avoid by choosing a bike or motorcycle, but only when whether is good, in Poland max three months. I didn’t use car sharing but I think there are not always in the place we need. Also car sharing is bounded to big cities, in smaller one and in villages that could not be possible to share a car. Buses are sometimes the best option, but are in most cases too crowded and because of that not so comfortable.
When do you think will be a revolution in the automotive industry?
I think there changes all the time, cars market develop more advanced cars from year to year. Jams and environment are the biggest problem right now. I think there will be more and more autonomous car in future.
Are you positively or negatively oriented towards autonomous cars?
I am positively oriented for such technologies.
Suddenly, i don't have my own car but i have a strong desire to have it. Why? For being more mobile and for feeling this kind of social status. Revolution in the automotive industry will be after 20 years at least. We can't implement something unordinary new until we fully utilize old one. Definitely i'm on the side of autonomous cars but you need to understand how it will work and will it be without any critical mistakes.
Marcin Górski said…
Yes, I have my own car. There are a lot of traffic jams in Warsaw so I prefer to use bus/train to get to work. I love driving and longer routes are perfect for me :)
I think that nowadays we can see revolution in the automotive industry. There are a lot of interviews, informations about that.
I'm positively oriented towards autonomous cars. If it will be safer than human cars I will buy one for me.
Illia Kalinin said…
I had, even a few. In Warsaw it is faster to use public transport rather your own car, also you always have to pay for gasoline, parking, insurance.. anything else? So bike may become a solution, but the weather here doesn't think so. Revolutionary will be when the first car left the ground, so ultra rich people may discover a world without traffic jams. Absolutely positively, it is our future, but it will take years to develop it perfect.
I dont have my own car yet because Iam unable to carry all the burdens that come with it YET. That does not stop me from driving a lot though :)
When we get higher capacity batteries for electric cars period. Right now what is turning heads off off electric cars are their ranges. While more economical in a long run there are way too few electric stations for them to be effective as a all around cars. If we start to see electric charging capabilities coming to normal gas stations we will see a rise in electric cars usage. Unfortunately thats a dead cycle unless one side is future seeing enough to take initial hit in costs and make it happen.
Im very positive if i can drive knowing that other cars not drivers are capable of keeping them safe i can drive more relaxed even in non autonomous car. We need to realize that even if only 40% of our traffic has autonomous capabilities that the probability of an human caused incident lowers drastically.
Unknown said…
1. I have my own car and I am happy becacause of that. I like cars and it is a pleassure for me to drive. Also I feel that car can gives you a freedom that you can go anywhere in anytime and only traffics can be a barrier.

2. I don't know when but I feel that car sharing will be a revolution in the automotive industry. I like to have my own car but it awesome when you don't have care about any repairs, any insurances or even a parking near your home. When you need a car you take one and then are you paying for it. It is an awesome idea for me and I think that this solution will have a potential in cities.

3. I am positively oriented towards autonomous cars but I think that driver should be responsible for any accidents. We can't trust any AI's algorithms yet.
Unknown said…
Yes, I have my own car and it’s my second car and I love driving it. I can’t imagine life without a car right now.
I think, that the revolution is already taking place slowly, but we’ll see more of it in 5-6 years.
I’m more positively oriented about it. Having autonomous car must be fun(especially Tesla P100D).
Illia Lukisha said…
1. Do you have your own car or would like to have one? Why?
No I don't. But I plan to purchase a car, because I like to travel, and travelling with own transport is much comortable.

2. When do you think will be a revolution in the automotive industry?
I think it's happening right now.

3. Are you positively or negatively oriented towards autonomous cars?
Absolutelly positively, becausee autonomous cars goal is not to eliminate car accidents, but to make chance of it, as small as possible.
Vladlen Kyselov said…
I don`t have my own car, but I deffinetely would like to have my own as soon as possible. It is hard to tell when the revolution will occur. But I guess in the nearest 5-6 years, still it is just my opinion based on others people statements. I am positively oriented towards autonomous cars, but it has to ensure safety first of all and all those cars must have manual control.
Unknown said…
I don't have a car because I don't need it. I don't want to buy one because from my perspective it's not worth it, it would cost me a significant amount of money, and the only thing I would get is the experience of driving. It's also not the game changer because I can rent a car. Having an Uber, car sharing companies etc. I think car it's mostly an expensive toy if you are not using it daily.

I think the revolution in the automotive industry will take place in 2 years. We already had a riot when the first car was able to drive on its own. Now I'm waiting for driverless vehicles. In 2-5 years in the well-prosperous cities around the world, we will see them, I hope.

I'm positively oriented towards autonomous cars because I don't have a car. That's my conclusion after many talks with different people from different countries and areas. I use a vehicle for transferring myself from place to place or to move massive things. I see the point of truck drivers, taxi drivers and other people for whom the car is a primary source of money. I'm not sure how we can solve the problem of unemployment after introducing autonomous vehicles on our streets, but I believe some people will find a way of explaining this way better than me.
Unknown said…
I have a car and I like to drive. It was one of my first investments. From my first salaries. I like road trips and I like to drive it on my own. But for sure I also would like to be transported by autonomous car for some daily routines like getting to the work in traffic jams.
I think revolution is already coming I believe we already can compare the number of incidents including autonomous cars in comparison to human driving one and will see that they are saving lives. But on the other hand, this technology is quite new and still very expensive, this is why I’m sure that it can take years to make such autonomous cars available for everyone.
For sure I oriented positively to autonomous cars. But I also sure that even once autonomous cars will be so common as other ones still a lot of people will drive just because they like it.
Andrzej Gulak said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
I had a car but I've sold it because I don't really need it right now. I live in a place from where I can travel to any place in town in about one hour. Especially during daylight , when traffic jams are horrible. For now If i need a car I can borrow it from my parents , but obviously in a future I would need one to travel with my family. I am not realy sure about revolution in automotive industry but nowadays there are some almost full autonomus cars and I've heard that there were some accidents because of that (of course with normal drivers too), I think I couldn't trust a machine in the level to let it drive without mine supervision. I think it is a matter of decades before people get used to autonomus cars.
Unknown said…
If you don’t have stable income it is not very wise to have a car, especially for a person who can’t drive. For those reasons I don’t want to have a car, firstly I don’t intend to learn how to drive and secondly it is very expensive to take care of it.
Because of the accident of automotive Uber car, and huge debates concerning artificial intelligence, it is very unlikely that revolution will happen soon.
Autonomous cars will have no effect about climate change in positive direction, and if the roads and public transport is good it will not have effect on traffic jams, so mostly I have negative attitude towards this change.
Unknown said…

1. Do you have your own car or would like to have one? Why?
I don't currently have my own car and I would not like to have one. The reason for these two statements is simple - I live downtown, I walk to school couple minutes, I walk to work couple more minutes and when I need to go further, I simply take a taxi or I use subway.

2. When do you think will be a revolution in the automotive industry?
I think it is happening right now, right in front of us. I deeply believe in Musk with his Tesla car series and the Roadster model can be a game-changer if you ask me.

3. Are you positively or negatively oriented towards autonomous cars?
I'm totally positively oriented towards autonomous cars, specially with a great AI system, which is constantly learning and getting better in which is programmed to assist. It may be hard for some people to trust the machine, but it was also hard to trust nuclear plantations and there you go..
I didn't have my own car because I think I don't need it for now but when I will I think first of all I will by electro car and as second option it will be autonomous because I believe that AI will drive car better that human in near future.

I think revolution will be in next 5 years because at this time I have seen autonomous car fom Google and Yandex (I think Yandex at this time has much more better technology than other developers). I think that this will be great thing in our future.
Unknown said…
1. Do you have your own car or would like to have one? Why?
I am importing car's from US so of course I have one. Actually I can't imagine life without a car because I love to drive.
2. When do you think will be a revolution in the automotive industry?
Actually it's happening now, lot's of automotive factories are using hybrid engines instead of diesel due to environmental problems, so I think autonomous will be also available within few next years.
3. Are you positively or negatively oriented towards autonomous cars?
I am absolutely positively oriented about it.
Unknown said…
I'm a car enthusiast, I have my own car that I'm proud of. I think in 10, max 20 years, autonomous cars will be something normal on our roads. What's my opinion? I'm positively oriented towards autonomous cars. I think they will solve many problems and what is more important will make our lives easier.
Unknown said…
I dont have a car, but i would like to have one in future) i think revolution starts now or even has started already! I hope that in 5 or 10 years autonomous cars will take their part in road traffic. And of course, i would like to have one, because good robot can control situation much better than tired me)
Patryk Górski said…
I do have. It's a very cool thing to have a car, it's some kind of freedom for you and your lifestyle. You want to go to work by car? Sure, go! You want to go to the shop? Of course you can, and you don't have to go by bus or other transport possibilities. You can listen to music, relax and drive away any time.

Maybe in a 10 or 20 years? I don't know

I think it's a future, and I'm looking into it!
Unknown said…
Yes, I'm also aware that car in big city especially in rush hours is the worst choice, but I still prefer it than standing in crowded buses without any space for yourself.
Unknown said…
I think that the revolution will affect the transport of goods at first, so we will see autonomous trucks which will drive in convoys. That would be a huge milestone, because unmanned car doesn't have to stop after X hours to rest and so on, but I can't believe it is able to allow them to drive alone within two years. The world isn't prepared for that yet.
Anyway thank you for your comment :)
Unknown said…

I love cars, i have my own car but it's my first and now i will buy other one if i will change for next. I think that it's great to move from place to place by car and I think that it's really relaxing to travel in that way.

I have a hope that changes comes never. I don't like idea of autonomous cars. I don't think it will works good and it will make problems with morality.
Unknown said…
Yes I agree that car gives you independence and freedom. It is also your private place where you can listen to music loudly or just spend time with yourself. That's why I love driving.
Thanks for your comment :)
Unknown said…
Yes, the car generates a lot of expenses ever year and it's not only fuel(which is very expensive compared to the cost of travelling by public mean of transport), but also insurance or car repair. So I agree, car is still some kind of luxury good and not everyone is able to handle with the costs of it
Cecylia said…
I’ve never driven a car, and even though currently it’s very popular to get a driver’s license and buy a car, I’m not so keen on doing so, for a few reasons. First of all, cars are one of the most dangerous means of transport – all the time we hear about accidents that happen or how bad cars are for the environment. Despite all this, the industry is blooming – perhaps because more and more improvements are made, and cars keep getting safer and more eco-friendly each year. I believe that what we’re witnessing right now Is a revolution in the industry – many brands are switching to electric or at least hybrid cars that produce less pollution and are overall better that their predecessors. Regarding the autonomous cars, I believe that it’s a good thing to be researched, but there is still a long way before they can be used by the masses – still, I’m optimistic about their development.

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