Autonomous Cars – The future is now
As long time auto enthusiasts, naturally we like driving cars. It’s just fun for us to get in and drive, regardless of where we are going, or why. There are times however, when even we admit it would be really nice if the car could drive itself. Many of us already use cruise control, which admittedly doesn’t make the car “self driving”, but it does take some driver interaction out of the mix, especially in cars with adaptive cruise.
We’re talking about the car having 100% control. Like you don’t even have to be in the driver’s seat. The car can just drive itself to your destination with no input from you. There are any number of scenarios we can think of where a self driving car would be a huge benefit.
In our fantasy scenarios, we could be dropped off at a location, and the car could then go park itself. It would then be summoned via smart phone to come pick you up. Or, you’re working on a project and you need supplies. You could theoretically call ahead, pay, and have your car go pick the items up. This would obviously work well for take out food too. Commuters could work in the car without worrying about hand held electronics. Parents could look after their kids without worry.
Other scenarios we can think of might skirt legality or common sense, but we could see a self driving car being helpful for people who are very drowsy, ill, or even intoxicated. We’re not sure if we think it’s good for a drunk person to be in control of any vehicle, but in theory, getting into a self driving car and telling it “take me home” might be safer than trying to actually drive.
The beauty of this for us though, would be that the car would still be able to be driven like a normal car. Current Audi models already have the ability to accelerate, brake and steer themselves given the chance, yet they are delightful cars for a human to drive as well. We see no reason to assume that making an Audi fully autonomous would dampen the enjoyment of driving, yet the perceivable benefits would be huge.