driving america | driverless cars

april 29th, 2014 Neo-Luddites vs. Non-Luddites: a Heavyweight Champ When we first started to research Google's Driverless car, we considered it to be an advancement that had great potential and reason for its existence. Many had argued with us that the vehicle was purely another luxury for the wealthy, big companies, and the government--a technology that would simply strengthen social inequality; however, we were ensnared by the technology's aspirations to provide assistance to those with disabilities, as well as the potential it had to significantly improve safety on the roads. Nevertheless, after having completed our research and analyzing the Google's car via the 5 Principles of Social Informatics, it is quite clear that there is no true "need" for Google's car. The main intent behind the car is to improve human error when driving, but human error does not necessarily need to be eradicated by way of implementing an extremely expensive car that can experience a plethora of glitches and malfunctions that could result in massive destruction. Driverless cars, essentially, represent a means for humans to relinquish their (social and ethical) responsibilities behind the wheel. Computers have provided answers for many issues in the past, and this technology just evidences an example of this, for human error could be solved by human means rather than technological. The development of driverless technologies has manufactured its own need. Yes, Google's car could prove to be extremely useful for those in need of assistive driving, as well as helpful in creating safe roads, but the risk of the system's failure shows that Google's Driverless Car is just the result of society's embracement of an institution of technological reliance.

april 27th, 2014 We all have needs, don't we? I just spent three hours driving from my hometown back up to Rutgers. Want to hear about it? I hit traffic pretty much as soon as I got onto the turnpike, and engaged in a stop and go routine for about 30 mins. straight. I was bored within the first 5, so I decided to start eating my McDonalds McFlurry. After a while, my lane (now) inconveniently began to slowly move, right as I was enjoying my McFlurry the most, and in order to ensure that my McFlurry did not melt, I ate it while I drove. Yup, thats right. I held a McDonald's cup in my hand, used the spoon, and balanced the steering wheel all at the same time. I bet you wished you were on the road with a driver as talented as myself. I mean, who cares if I swerved sometimes because I could not position my hands correctly: it's not an easy task balancing a cup of ice cream on a steering wheel. I now sit back and think about how unsafe this was and irresponsible on my part. At the time, I was confident I had complete control over my car. I was confident that my swerving was not detrimental in any way possible. But honestly, it was, wasn't it? What if I had hit a pot hole the wrong way, forcing my car to veer off to the right. Would I have been able to grip the steering wheel as necessary to gain back control? I doubt it. Or could one of those instances in which I was looking at my spoon to make sure no ice cream dripped on me ended in me rear=ending the car in front of me because I did not see its brake lightS? Most definitely. I was a risk today. I was a risk today because of my inability to be okay with just starting at the road and holding a steering wheel. I was also at risk today because I did not have a driverless car, which would have permitted for me to do all of the same things, plus more. Or is this that just the easy way out, a way for me to avoid ethical responsibility and judgement. Or does the true ethical responsibility lay with society? With an assortment of biological, mental, and emotional needs, no one can expect a person to concentrate on driving and only driving for long; therefore, am I to blame for my needs, or is society to blame for having manufactured and promoted a machine that will most likely kill.

april 26th, 2014 A Portrayal of Autonomic Advancement

One of the most interesting photos i've come across while doing research is this one above. if the information is correct, this photo outlines the progression of driverless cars, estimating that by 2025 or later vehicles will be completely automated. while i know this must be taken with a grain of salt, this photo maps out the advancement of the technology. nevertheless, what is truly interesting about this image is what is depicted artistically. from this image, we can see that each lane represents the level of automation each car will have. the individuals within the cars identify what type of interactions drivers will be able to participate in. As one can see from the car in 2016, the driver remains undistracted, indicating that a high level of user interaction and control is still necessary. The next car demonstrates that by 2020, driverless cars will have advanced to the point in which drivers will be capable of focusing on interacting with passengers rather than focusing in on the road. lastly, the car from 2015 and later depicts the automated car driving significantly faster than other cars. it also illustrates the driver as being preoccupied with another technological device, clearly implying that users will not need to contribute any type of concentration or control over the car: it operates completely independent of the driver.

april 26th, 2013 A Cure to Drunk Driving With the increasing number of accidents and deaths related to drunk driving, one cannot help but wish google's driverless car was a fixture in every household. As someone who recently loss a friend due to someone making the selfish decision to drink and drive, I can see how driverless cars can seriously impact the future of our nation. The desire to have a social life, as well as the desire/pressure to drink, influences many many people to operate a vehicle under impaired conditions. There are times when these peoples have successfully managed to safely navigate without harming themselves or others; however, there are also a devastating number of cases where the opposite has been true: where drivers have harmed themselves and others. This forces families and friends to mourn their loved ones and the life never lived. Nevertheless, autonomic cars present an opportunity for any individual to be safely driven to their home. It could even transport someone to a hospital if they felt they have drank too much. Furthermore, if equipped with a breathalyzer, it could also refuse operator take over, making sure that no drunk driving occurs at all.

april 25th, 2014 A Pragmatic Endeavor So even though I look anxiously into the future for days in which human beings have the power to teleport ourselves wherever we desire, I know this is unrealistic and will never happen. However, I cannot accept the fact that the risk that driving presents will have to exist as the only possibility for motor vehicular transportation. I recognized that there had to be some type of solution, either in the making or expected to be developed in future. And then, we remembered the movie I, Robot and its presentation of Will Smith's driverless car, the car that only had become considered dangerous after Will Smith's character disengaged the autonomous driving feature. Seeing as we were looking for a technology based off of its' ability to resolve a serious safety risk, the technology of driverless cars seemed to be exactly what we were looking for. Driving a motor vehicular is a safety issue for a number of reasons, especially for the college student.

For instance, having to commute/travel for extended periods of time to go from home to college puts a student at risk for getting into car accidents. We've found that these increased times do nothing to help keep up concentrated on the road. In all actuality, sitting in the same position, performing the same feat, reduces our ability to concentrate on the task at hand: safely driving. As studies have found, humans are only capable of focusing on a task at hand for _________. As time progresses, I find myself becoming fidgety in the car. I change radio stations frequently. I switch modes of music playback, switching from AUX, to CD, to FM, and back. My resolve to not touch or look at my phone dwindles every minute after awhile, and if not properly distracted, I even go as far as to break some laws. Furthermore, my chances of falling asleep at the wheel, as well as becoming absorbed in the scenery, drastically increases as well. I am confident others have experienced them as well. Essentially, driving for extended periods reduces my safety, as well as those on the road around me. But people are not going to stop driving. I am not going to stop driving, and we also are not going to begin relying heavily on public transportation, for nothing is as inconvenient as public transportation. A driverless car would eliminate the need for a driver to give the road their undivided attention, reducing the the chance of an accident to occur because safety will not be dependent on driver concentration.