Mind / Iron
by Bryan Bergeron, Editor ª Published Monthly By T & L Publications, Inc.
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ERVO FOR THE ROBOT INNOVATOR
6 SERVO 07.2016
My first car — a ’68 Camaro — had a standard stick-shift ransmission, manual
windows, manual brakes, and manual
steering. Although anti-lock brakes
might have saved me from a spinout
on a wet winding road, direct manual
control had a lot going for it. For
example, not only was the car fun to
drive, but everything under the hood
was readily accessible and
inexpensively replaced.
My only other “accident” was a
passenger side collision from a drunk
driver who ran a red light.
Fortunately, no one was hurt in either
accident. However, that the accidents
occurred points to the limitations of
human thought and human reaction
time.
We’re simply no match for
inexpensive microcontrollers than can
tirelessly monitor sensors and activate
brakes and other systems in a matter
of microseconds as opposed to
several hundred milliseconds.
In recognition of this reality, the
major automakers have agreed to
install automatic braking systems on
nearly all model cars by 2022. The
technology is relatively mature; it’s
standard on many luxury cars, but is
significantly more expensive than
manual brake systems.
The immediate driving force, of
course, is the promise of a reduction
in the number and severity of car
accidents.
There’s also the longer-term view
that automatic braking is simply one
step in the path to fully autonomous
vehicles that have featured
prominently in SciFi movies for
decades.
However, despite the promised
time and cost savings of an
autonomous UPS or Uber fleet, there
are millions of drivers who actually
enjoy the process of driving.
There are also others who are
simply uncomfortable with change.
Even automatic brakes are an
unwelcome change to some drivers
who are used to putting their foot on
the brake pedal at the sight of a red
traffic light or brake lights from the
car ahead.
Fact is people take time to
change. I’m sure that the major
automobile manufacturers would love
nothing better than to sell millions of
fully autonomous models to the
masses. However, it’s going to take
time and exposure to the technology
before ordinary drivers are going to
accept a fully autonomous vehicle.
To that end, automatic braking
systems represent baby steps toward
the realization of autonomous cars.
Moreover, although there may be
some initial pushback from
unenthusiastic customers, I expect
that insurance companies will have a
hand in propelling automatic braking
systems and other components of
fully autonomous vehicles forward.
Twenty years from now, a fully
manual ’68 Camaro may not be illegal
to drive, but the insurance premiums
will certainly be cost prohibitive. SV
Automatic Braking Systems: A
Gentle Introduction to
Autonomous Vehicles