Thanks for sharing this, DukeW. I hadn't heard anything about the work Volvo had been doing on this, and it sounds super-exciting. After reading your post, I did a quick search and read about the project's test in Barcelona. The road train traveled 120 miles autonomously; way cool! Volvo's also tested it in Chlle.
Leave it to our friends at Volvo, who have been working on this very issue for years now. They have demonstrated, in live traffic, their concept of a "road train," in which cars can come and go by attaching themselves electronically to a lead vehicle (a heavy truck in Volvo's test, but that can and probably will change). The lead vehicle's driver keeps the train moving, and communications between the cars keeps them at a safe speed and distance, completely without manual intervention beyond pushing a button. When they want to join, they just roll up and request a spot, and the computers take over, easing the car into line and getting everything lined up neatly. When you want to leave the train, just push the button again, and you're eased out and gently releaed only when you signal you're ready to take control. Slick, safe, and a lot closer to reality than anybody thought. Yet another Swedish Surprise....
As Mitch has pointed out to me before, single passengers in robo-cars shouldn't present a problem in many states, but in urban areas like New York the congestion would be horrible.
I like the fact you've taken into account the fact that people typically prefer -- or seem to prefer - riding alone. That's something that has stymied city planners for so long. Sure, many urban areas have successful subways and buses, but more areas don't. And car-share plans have limited success, often doing okay during gas shortages or price surges, and then falling by the wayside as soon as everything nornalizes. I don't know that people will ever rush to adopt car pooling, and this futuristic tale doesn't force people into what is, apparently, unnatural behavior. Based on your blog, the robo-cars could really be powered by whatever means is available at the time; it doesn't really matter to your vision.
"No doubt, these cars will make travelling an adventurous and pleasurable experience as they have got
such incredible features. I just want to know if they have any alarms set in, that can indicate any unexpected happenings. There can be medical robo cars that can dock & provide first aid to the ones who get into any unexpected situation requiring medical attention."
Actually, I'm curious about the technology which allows robo-cars to avoid unexpected objects. Not other traffic so much as pedestrians, stray animals, objects in the street. Is it well-tested and safe?
Yes, energy. And affordability (what is going to cost someone to make the kind of solo journey you describe?).
But also, what happens when the robo-car breaks down? When another vehicle rams it? If the passenger needs to get out in an emergency? In case of sickness?
It's a nice idea, but there are many questions which remain to be answered.
I expect robo-cars to be an excellent experimentation platform for different forms of energy - electric, gas, hybrid, etc etc. I don't have a solid prediction for what will power cars in 10 to 20 years.
Also, I think, even if a robo-car is fueled in the same manner most cars are today, they'll be driven in such a manner that they'll be far more fuel effecient than if humans were driving them. There's no real need for sudden acceleration, etc etc. If most cars on the highway are self-driven then most cars will be able to maintain a computer controlled constant speed which should save fuel.
I'm hoping that along with advances in robotics, we'll see similar advances in engine tech.
The ThinkerNet does not reflect the views of TechWeb. The ThinkerNet is an informal means of communication to members and visitors of the Internet Evolution site. Individual authors are chosen by Internet Evolution to blog. Neither Internet Evolution nor TechWeb assume responsibility for comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and ThinkerNet bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
Social networking sites and search engines continue to hone the tools they use to help advertisers spread their messages, measure results, and avoid fraud.
The US National Security Agency learned the hard way that it can be dangerous to give a contractor too much money and access, with too little scrutiny. The NSA and other government agencies hire tens of thousands of contractors
a year to analyze data. Edward Snowden -- who revealed himself as the NSA leaker after fleeing the country -- was one such contractor, reportedly holding a $122,000 salaried position at Booz Allen Hamilton at the time of his departure.
Big-data and analytics tools enable marketers to understand customers as individuals, identifying unmet needs and addressing each customer as a "segment of one," says John Kennedy, VP corporate marketing, IBM.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
The whole Amazon.reader debate is a double-stupid. It's stupid to think that there's any e-book buyer who doesn't know Amazon's URL, and it was stupider to let ICANN launch the whole free-form TLD initiative to start with.
While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Enterprises would like to move to cloud computing but are hesitant because they are concerned about providers’ ability to secure company data. Here are some tips that help to ensure that if breaches occur, the business is not left holding the bag.
Edmunds separates customers into segments based on the info it collects on its site and from partners, and uses that to push out custom content, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
The IBM Smarter Commerce Global Summit in Monaco kicked into high gear today, and we've already begun to see news emerging from that lovely city-state by the sea.
Expert Integrated Systems: Changing the Experience & Economics of IT In this e-book, we take an in-depth look at these expert integrated systems -- what they are, how they work, and how they have the potential to help CIOs achieve dramatic savings while restoring IT's role as business innovator. READ THIS eBOOK
your weekly update of news, analysis, and
opinion from Internet Evolution - FREE! REGISTER HERE
Wanted! Site Moderators Internet Evolution is looking for a handful of readers to help moderate the message boards on our site – as well as engaging in high-IQ conversation with the industry mavens on our thinkerNet blogosphere. The job comes with various perks, bags of kudos, and GIANT bragging rights. Interested?
To save this item to your list of favorite Internet Evolution content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
