One I thought especially noteworthy…
Self-driving cars.
During the Chicago Auto Show (I did not attend) Continental exhibited
its Automated Driving prototype. With the flick of a switch the car takes over,
allowing the driver to take feet off the pedals and hands off the steering
wheel. The car then not only maintains the speed and lane, but also uses
side-sensors and free-space detection to move into another lane or slow down if
a jerk actually driving his car tries to cut you off.
This is especially attractive for me, being married to the
highway. While my road trips have been hindered by my residence in the most
expensive city of all god damn time – a short rum and coke cost me $11 the
other weekend – I will eventually go crazy here and drive off into oblivion. My
next destination is likely South Dakota.
I can already drive an incredible amount – my current record
is 17 hours in one day. But this technology could make the roads much safer
while I’m on them. With this I could take a nap, read a book, and write freely,
instead of bounce around talking to myself scaring other drivers with cruise
control on and both my feet stretched up on the dashboard.
But in a Wired article about a casual drive on Chicago’s South Lakeshore Drive, Ibro
Muharemovic, an engineer at Continental, brought up a good point and obstacle
for the self-driving machinery makers, now how do they convince motorists it’s
good for them?
They've got one subscriber in me already though. Anything is
safer than the late nights I put in on the road, scribbling thoughts while
glancing at the road just in time to see my wheels in line with a furry
woodland creature or shelled reptile.
Making roadkill cute...
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