These days, technology has taken over our lives. We can’t seem to survive without our smartphones, laptops, computers through to electric scooters. Technology has exploded in the market in such a short period that many people can no longer imagine life without it. All innovations are created with a specific goal in mind. Search engines, for example, were designed to sort through the vast quantities of data available on the internet. With each new update, existing technologies are combined to make something better than what was previously used. The list goes on and on. It’s no surprise that many people have struggled to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancement as it changes daily. Why should the way we travel or get about be any different? Companies are investing tons of money to help develop this evolving industry. Let’s look at a couple of ways we will travel in the near future.
Autonomous Cars
Sensors, actuators, complex algorithms, machine learning systems, and powerful processors are used to run software in autonomous vehicles. Based on a variety of sensors located in the car, autonomous cars build and maintain a map of their surroundings. Radar sensors keep an eye on the movement of surrounding vehicles. Traffic lights are detected by video cameras, which often read road signs, monitor other cars, and check for pedestrians. Lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors measure distances, track road edges, and distinguish lane markers by bouncing light signals off the car’s surroundings.
When parking, ultrasonic sensors in the wheels sense curbs and other vehicles. After processing all of this sensory data, sophisticated software maps a direction. It sends commands to the car’s actuators, which control acceleration, braking, and steering. The software follows traffic laws and navigates obstacles thanks to hard-coded rules, obstacle avoidance algorithms, predictive modelling, and object recognition.
Fully autonomous vehicles are being tested in various locations around the world. Still, none are yet open to the general public. We’re still a long way off from that. The difficulties vary from technical to legislative to environmental and philosophical in nature. The advantages in terms of comfort and improved quality of life are significant. The elderly and the physically disabled would have independence. However, the true hope of self-driving vehicles is their ability to reduce CO2 emissions drastically.
Self-Flying Planes
Modern planes are now self-flying in the sense that they can follow a flight plan developed by pilots on their own. On the other hand, these planes can’t think for themselves; they’ll stick to the flight plan until it’s modified. When a commercial aircraft is still on the ground, the pilot enters the flight plan into the flight management system. The autopilot is usually turned on a few minutes after take-off by the pilots and not switched off until it’s time to land.
This isn’t always the case, however. Suppose the plane and runway are authorised for autonomous landings in low visibility. In that case, the aircraft can direct itself to a precise, smooth landing. Pilots are on hand to deal with shifts and potentially dangerous circumstances such as diversions, turbulence, and emergency situations, and can manually take over in the event that something goes wrong. If the plane is in need of help, the pilots will be able to get into contact with ground control using their pilot headsets to discuss the next steps and keep a constant line of communication in case anything happens with the plane during the takeoff, flight, and landing. The human pilots are a safety feature in the cockpit that keeps an eye on what’s going on with the aircraft. So, in the fight for autonomy, can we conclude that the aviation industry has beaten the automotive industry? Well, it’s perhaps winning, but there is a long way to go yet.
Driverless Trains
Railways and light rail systems, such as metros, are being increasingly automated or even driverless around the world. Forty-two cities already run automated metro lines. Cities’ public transit networks are based on metros. Driverless vehicles are obviously the technology of the future, with many benefits and advantages over traditional vehicles. What exactly is Driverless Train technology? What distinguishes the system?
Trains are automatically managed by the Operation Control Centre, and changes by demand can be made quickly. Trains are automatically positioned for service early in the morning, prior to the start of everyday activity.
Year after year, technology evolves with tremendous promise and potential, as well as uncertainty. While the future is uncertain, technological innovation continues to reshape our planet and help improve our lives.
