How would you like your car to drop you off at the mall, go
park itself, and return when you’re done at the beck and call of a smartphone
app?
And, yes, that’s a rhetorical question. Because, um, who wouldn’t want that?!
Well, the reality of that happening may not be that far
off—with Google’s driverless car technology.
This technology, which allows cars to drive themselves with
the help of lasers, cameras, and other gear, first debuted in 2009 when Google
co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin worked with
engineer Sebastian Thrun on
the technology.
Since then, it’s made much advancement, including developing
powerful sensors, long-range radar, and thermal imaging.
Seen as tools for preventing accidents, saving lives, and
helping the disabled, autonomous vehicles have already gotten political
support, most notably in Nevada and California, and are expected to gain
support in other states soon.
The impact driverless vehicles will have on the business
world is expected to be extreme indeed.
With driverless automobiles available at an instant summons—imagine Uber
without a driver at the helm—the inevitable question arises: “Who needs a car,
anyway?” As car-owning becomes obsolete, information sharing will become a
business necessity, as autonomous cars will rely on sophisticated data networks
to communicate with each other and within the transportation infrastructure.
So, how this affect the future of A/E? In several important ways:
· Transportation
infrastructure is evolving. As driverless vehicles continue to make
headway, transportation infrastructure will need to have designs ready to
support them.
· Cities that
accept this technology will generate new business. Lobbyists and political
powers that back this new technology will bring their cities to the forefront
of development, resulting in more business and economic growth.
· There’ll
be a change in the design of parking lots, malls, and office parks.
· There’ll
be more walking and biking options for pedestrians.
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