Self Driving Cars Essay Example

The article below is a successful analysis of the Toulmin method of developing and impacting self-driving cars. It seeks to analyze the development of self-driving vehicles by incorporating the success of Tesla in their self-driving cars. The article will also discuss the technology involved in self-driving cars, including radar and lidar augmentation. Tesla company was founded in 2003 by a group of engineers who wanted to prove that electric vehicles could be quicker, better and fun to drive, unlike gasoline vehicles. The engineers believed that the world will stop relying on fossil fuels and moves towards a zero-emission future provided by electric cars (Reed). According (McFadden), Its mission is to accelerate sustainable transport by bringing exciting mass-market electric vehicles and self-driving vehicles without emission to the market. As addressed by (Michelle 36-39), the claim describes the core of Google's mission and Tesla strategies to develop self-driving cars using modern technology. The essence of self-driving vehicles is the provision of transportation safety through the help of computer technology. According to the author, Andrew Chatham, the principal software engineer for the Self-Driving Car Project at Google Inc, aims to fulfil the world's vision of people enjoying leisurely activities while their cars transport them through the computer technology facilitated by Google. Therefore, Googles target is eliminating and reducing crashes that would lead to zero deaths as the driving equations eliminate humans. This can be achieved by putting its creative talents and high-tech resources that would lead to the development of self-driving cars that will not be susceptible to behavior and conditions that contribute to crashings, such as speeding and poor visibility as a distraction. Self-driving cars will reduce crashes. The article further explains that self-driving cars that would be developed by Tesla rely on a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system to measure ranges or variable distances to the earth, which are then used to generate precise information. The car is then further equipped with external radar to provide velocity measurement, and its combination with the LIDAR and a camera helps detect the color of traffic lights. Furthermore, the Google car is programmed with a logical google map that enables tracking and car reasons based upon programmed maps and real-time information sent to its sensors. Driving in cities is much harder for autonomous cars than cruising on the highway due to the heavy congestion experienced in cities. There have been numerous efforts to increase the vehicle's safety to reduce deaths caused while driving. Such practices include seat belts, airbags, and the introduction of vehicle design that have advanced security. (Jack 23-26) cites that the company is developing autonomous vehicles to address unsafe driving practices such as driving under the influence of host impairments. The article further suggests that the establishment of a federal standard that is already tabled on the Senate would streamline commercialization, thus providing automakers with greater certainty as the bill would permit about 100,000 autonomous vehicles to be tested on the public roads regardless of whether the process would violate state laws or regulations. This goes in line with Tesla's full vehicle automation, which should also be supported and fostered quickly as it will help reduce the number of causalities on the road. The company tends to use the technologies in providing safety benefits and further build confidence among the public in a longer-term transfer of vehicle control. Tesla introduced driver assistance technologies that could also have significant public safety implications that save lives. In other words, self-driving cars are the future with a safe driving experience, styling, and comfort. However, it is essential to note that driverless cars struggle on the roads without clear lane markings, making it impossible to drive or change lanes safely. Driven by its vision and mission, Tesla has moved swiftly to incorporate and test autonomous vehicles' use in their system. According to (Siddiqui), the company announced that hundreds of thousands of its cars would be able to drive themselves very soon. This was after several drivers received a software update that downloaded automatically into their vehicles, thus enabling their vehicles to steer better and accelerate without human hands and feet. Self-driving cars use technology to detect vehicles and pedestrians in the road and other objects such as trees, making it safe to land in consumers' hand. Self-driving cars are however limited as they also struggle to 'see' in inclement weather. As observed, LiDAR sensors and the cameras of the car are confused during heavy snow and rain. In conclusion, autonomous self-driven vehicles are more advantageous than gasoline vehicles because they are very efficient in reducing crashes, leading to safety benefits, especially to adults and self-impaired persons. To warrant this, Tesla self-driving cars that are already in the hands of consumers have reduced congestion. Self-driving is also the ideal climatic saviors as they help reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. The cars are also energy saving as some companies such as Tesla have placed several freestanding charging stations called superchargers strategically, which are faster than using a common wall outlet. Furthermore, the near future self-driving cars will rely heavily on the inductive inference and complicated software to operate safely.