A Car that can Drive Itself

If technology is characterized as living in human years , our technology is about to hit puberty in efficiency and speed. As intelligent mammals it is an interesting fact that communication and transportation were the two first aspects of technology we thrived in (besides technology in warfare which will always have an upward sloping y=4x, x being time, y being advancements in guns, ships, etc relationship). For example, the telegraph was an innovation which brought a new meaning to the word efficiency. We no longer waited days or even months to obtain messages from across the world. Trains transported goods in days rather than utilizing carriages driven by horses. The internet allowed individuals from across the world to face time with each other. Innovative ideas that once changed the way the world operated are now history. Communication and transportation have both hit a wall in terms of advancement in technology(what can they possibly do after the Iphone 4's face-time capability? Petroleum is still the main source of energy used in cars and has been for the past eighty years). It is surprising to me that we have not hurdled past our issue with dependence on petroleum.

Newton’s first law states that an object in constant velocity or equilibrium does not experience an external net force. This first law is then complemented by his second law which states that an object with a certain mass that accelerates contains a net external force to overcome its state of equilibrium. An extra source of energy is required to create this external force needed for acceleration. When we are driving and are maintaining a constant speed, we are in equilibrium and therefore are in a state of efficiency. Contrary to a car moving with constant velocity, a car in stop and go traffic is at a peak in inefficiency because it is accelerating. This car which stops and accelerates at a high rate is constantly creating this next external torque force through a great usage of fuel. Stop and go traffic is a source of inefficiency.

Our first option is to seek an alternative source of energy other than petroleum to power torque or we could limit our constant use of acceleration. I believe that limiting acceleration through halting the frequency of stop and go traffic can patch our problem of efficiency. Cars which control themselves will cause a halt to stop and go traffic (This only fits the situations for freeways where human mistakes are the most prominent cause of traffic).

There are two parameters that are to be met if this implementation is placed into society. First, a self driven car will have to be programmed to know the road ahead of it in order for it to know when and where to turn and at what speeds it could handle each change in direction. Second, each car will have to be in constant communication with every car in its vicinity. This automatic communication between cars will have to translate to the control(speed and direction) of each individual car to avoid contact. These basic parameters of a self driven car are only vague technical aspects of the actuality of them being placed into society. Financially, not everyone will be able to afford a self driven vehicles and therefore the second parameter of the technical aspect will be met. To facilitate this, the government will add toll roads to cater to individuals who own self driven vehicles. These toll roads which are built for self driven vehicles will limit accidents which will carry over to a chain reaction of a halt to stop and go traffic and inefficiency.