What was once a dream is quickly becoming a reality as AI becomes capable of driving cars. Companies like Waymo are bringing self-driving cars for everyone to try. These cars are mainly available in populated cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, but slowly and surely, these cars are becoming more and more available for everyone to try.
The thought of self-driving cars was always a hope for the future, but the first steps were taken in the 16th century. According to Mobile Eye, “Leonardo da Vinci designed a small, three-wheeled, self-propelled cart regarded as not only the first self-driving vehicle but the first robot of any kind.” Leonardo da Vinci created a design of a car that would be able to drive itself. This first step inspired people in later generations to create the cars we see today.
So, how do these cars even work? These cars use Lidar, cameras, and radar. According to Waymo, “Lidar sensors are located all around the vehicle to send millions of laser pulses in all directions, then measure how long it takes for them to bounce back off objects.”(Seeing the road in multiple dimensions). Secondly the cameras, according to Waymo it states cameras, “Give the Waymo Driver a simultaneous 360° view around the vehicle. They are designed with high dynamic range and thermal stability, to see in both daylight and low-light conditions, and tackle more complex environments” (Seeing the road in multiple dimensions). Lastly radar, “Uses millimeter wave frequencies to provide the Waymo Driver with crucial details like an object’s distance and speed” (Seeing the Road in Multiple Dimensions).
In conclusion, automatic vehicles have traveled a long distance since the journey of creating them began. Autonomous vehicles utilize sensors and intelligent technology to navigate and make choices. Although there are a few issues to be improved on, such as making the vehicles safe and humans trusting them, self-driving cars may become a normal part of daily life in the future, possibly the pathway to cleaner, safer, and more convenient travel.