Tesla’s Autopilot system proves the future really is here — VIDEO
With the dawn of self-driving cars, the world is getting closer and closer to looking like the sci-fi action movies of mostly every nerds' dream.
Elon Musk was quoted by Bloomberg this week saying, "I'm confident that in three years, the car will be able to take you from point to point — like from your driveway to work — without you touching anything. You could even be asleep the whole time, and do so very safely."
We may not be in the "sleep on your way to work" stage yet, but the early stage is already impressive. With the future right upon us, here are five things to know about Tesla's Autopilot.
It's kinda creepy
Obviously — you're putting your life in the hands of a computer. That's not very comforting to many people, especially after watching "iRobot." But if it eases the user's mind at all, the most advanced technology is at work to get it going, according to Tesla — a foward-looking radar, a front-facing camera, 12 ultrasonic sensors and GPS are all at work to keep the car safe on the road.
It's also pretty cool
We're just shy of 130 years since the first car was invented and soon they'll be driving themselves. That's less than the average life span of a tortoise. Think about that.
It won't make decisions for you
Think of it as the ultimate cruise control. The car isn't supposed to be making navigational decisions and will be constantly asking the for permission of the user. Drivers won't need to worry about losing control.
You'll be able to jump in and drive the car like normal at any given moment.
You can see everything the car is thinking
The new dashboard feature of Autopilot shows everything that the the car is processing. This includes which of the 12 sensors are being used by the car and how far away is the car in front. To put it bluntly, it's the reassuring mother saying, "It's okay."
The driver is still liable, unfortunately
In the future, there won't be any, "It was the autopilot!" excuses. If an accident does happen, it will ultimately be the driver's fault. It should also be noted that the car can't function in every situation yet.
In their written review, Jalopnik mentioned a situation with a "suicidal taxi" where the car sounded alarms and actually asked the driver to take control.
Is autopilot something that you see yourself using on the drive to work? Let us know by taking the poll down below.
Contact Ron Paul Gavino at rgavino@reviewjournal.com. Find him on Twitter: @rp_gavino
