10 AM
R09
SELF-DRIVING CARS
Thamar Speksnijder (tes60@pitt.edu)
human driving techniques waste 3.7 billion hours of time
annually [1]; said time could have been used developing a
cure for cancer or creating something important. Third,
during that wasted time the modern car uses 2.3 billion
gallons of fuel [1]. The self-driving car could be much more
efficient; on top of the efficiency the self-driving car would
create an entire new mindset about the car. The new found
freedom could allow younger people to travel to practice and
other activities without direct parent supervision. So parents
of school aged children can enroll their child in sports and
activities without having to worry about how that will affect
their job. Also blind people will be able to function like the
rest of us. A basic driverless car was already tested by a
legally blind man and he was able to perform his daily
routine without the help of others [3]. This advance will
provide mobility to people who otherwise would not have
any. The ability to go places without the help of others is
very rewarding, especially to those people who have been
limited their entire lives. It will be like getting a drivers
license for the first time, except the people gaining this
mobility will not have had to deal with the DMV and they
have spent a long period of their lives dependent on others
for mobility. All these improvements will make living in this
world a better place to live in, the ethics codes of
engineering all mention the importance of helping society
and the environment.
INTRODUCTION: DRIVERLESS CARS,
FOR A SAFER TOMORROW
The future of the automobile lies in driverless
capability. In the United States, there are an average of
42,000 traffic deaths annually [1]. When cars gain the ability
to drive themselves that number could become practically
zero. Driverless cars rely on lasers and GPS systems to
safely navigate the road. I feel that due to inherent flaws it is
impossible for a human to always drive safely; the creation
of these self-driving vehicles could prevent loss of life and
reduce travel time because robots could drive faster in all
conditions. Also self-driving cars can provide mobility to
anyone without the person needing to be physically or
mentally able to drive. Driverless cars follow ethics rules
because they improve safety and they are better for the
environment. As a future engineer I believe driverless cars
provide a direction for the stagnant field of land
transportation, and it would be quite fascinating to watch the
creativity that occurs when people no longer need to follow
the current linear design of vehicles.
HOW IT WORKS
The concept of driverless cars originated in the
1950s with the dream cars like the Firebird II [2], which
include a wire on the road that the car would follow. Since
then technologies have come that allow for computers to see
the world around them and react. The basis for the driverless
car is GPS; without it the car would not know where it is or
where it should be going. The car sees the world around it
with lasers that are sent out and then reflect off objects. The
computer can calculate the position and size of objects by
analyzing the time it takes for lasers to make the trip. The
third source of information for the computer is the speed,
rpm and other basic information from a normal car
dashboard that allows the computer to manage the vehicle.
The computer then takes the GPS, laser and vehicle data and
compiles it to create a virtual representation of the world
around it that it then navigates to a desired destination. [1]
WHY I CARE
I am interested in autonomous vehicles because I
grew up in an area where, without a car, one is completely
immobile. For this reason I had to wait for my parents to
drive me places and that made it impossible to stay out late
or go somewhere in a hurry. A driverless car would have
made it possible for a young me to not be dependent on my
parents. Also though currently I have a driver’s license, I
loathe driving and would prefer a computer drive me; I also
dislike driving with other people now that I can see the
unsafe choices they make. A self-driving car would allow
me to party without worrying about having to drive at night.
I dislike night driving due to the fact that at night it is more
likely for drivers to be tired or drunk; also at night human
visual range is limited and head lights from other cars are a
major distraction. Therefore, having an autonomous car that
would not be hindered by darkness would greatly improve
safety at night. If everyone had one then drunks and people
who do not understand the value of sleep will no longer be a
threat to the lives of others.
As an engineer-to-be I feel that the introduction of
driverless cars would be a fascinating challenge to all the
fields of engineering that are involved in creating a car,
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DRIVERLESS
CAR
The driverless car is important because of all the
waste that modern land transportation creates. Today’s car
wastes lives, time and fuel; about 42,000 people die annually
in automobile accidents [1]. In the future the proliferation of
driverless cars all those minds whose thoughts are lost will
advance humanity. Also traffic jams caused by inefficient
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Swanson School of Engineering R09
Thamar Speksnijder
especially mechanical engineers because they have to
incorporate the instruments required for autonomous driving
with the rest of the vehicle without creating excess weight
or ruining the aerodynamics of the car. Also the driverless
car will inspire technology advances in all the necessary
components of the car. For example the use of lasers to
guide the vehicle will drive down the price and size of
lasers, allowing other devices to utilize the technology. Also
I can envision how the basic design of the car can change
without the need for a drive and cars could be made to carry
more people or made to make longer drives more
comfortable. People have already created advances like cars
that guide themselves through traffic and cars that park
themselves [4].
I feel that the code of ethics for engineers supports
me fully in my belief of a future with driverless cars. The
first canon of the codes says that one must believe that
heath, welfare, and safety are our number one priority. By
not pursuing driverless cars we are disobeying the code of
ethics because we have the potential to drastically increase
the safety of public roads. Then the canons also state the
importance of the environment. Since driverless cars use less
fuel and less space than their conventional counterparts they
clearly support the code of ethics. The future will bring
many more developments.
accidents. It improves health by reducing stress caused by
hours spent in traffic. Also it improves public welfare by
reducing the pollution and noise from highways; making the
world a more pleasant place to live. The self-driving car also
is reinforced by the canon “Engineers shall consider
environmental impact and sustainable development in the
performance of their professional duties.”[8] The selfdriving car will help the environment by reducing the
consumption of fossil fuels. The driverless car uses less fuel
because it will travel at a constant speed and it will
maximize the fuel efficiency in all its driving. A computer
can be set to obey restraints that no human could follow
perfectly. A fuel efficient driver accelerates and brakes in
moderation, travels at a constant speed and follows the most
economical route. A normal person is to impatient to always
have a light foot on the throttle while a compute can be
made to do so. Also people tend to be impatient ant try to
find short-cuts or they try to find roads with exciting curves;
A computer on the other hand has no such interests, all a
computer in a car will want to do is safely and efficiently
transport their passengers to their desired destination.
Therefore a computer guided vehicle will be superior to a
human in every way. The driverless car is an ethical
advancement for society as it corrects the flaws of modern
transportation.
THE FUTURE OF THE AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLE
EDUCATION
I believe that a project like this one has benefits in
an engineering program. The research into a field of
engineering and a current issue in that field forces a student
to see what interests them and truly see what excites them in
engineering. Before this paper I had little to no idea what I
like about engineering, I had chosen engineering because I
like using what I learn in school to make something work. It
is important to be able to use what you learn in real life [9].
While I was browsing topics I found my niche. I believe that
every student should find their subject before they have to
choose a major. I also like this assignment because it forces
engineers to write. Writing is a skill that many do not
possess. The best way for someone to learn writing is to
have them write about something they like. In high school
teachers make students write about literature. I personally
did not enjoy that at all. This paper is the first time I ever
went out of my comfort zone and tried to improve my
writing ability and truly embrace the challenge. I feel that all
engineers should be placed in a position where they can
improve their writing skills.
This assignment has its downsides because after
writing about something they love a student must write
about ethics. I personally do not enjoy learning about or
using codes of conduct written by other people. I have a
strict moral code that I follow on a day to day basis. I do not
need a code of ethics to keep me in line because the bar I set
for myself is much higher and much stronger than anything
anyone else has. I feel that a student must find their own
In the future the driverless car will change the very
landscape of the automotive industry. The auto insurance
industry will have to deal with the change. Insurance
companies have already calculated that with the decrease in
accidents the premiums will go down and their industry will
lose revenue [5]. People are predicting a decline in other
driver related industries as well, taxis will no longer be
necessary, when things like automated car sharing becomes
prevalent [6] and truckers will lose their jobs since a robots
can drive longer and safer than humans. Though some
people lose the majority of people would win because they
no longer have to wait in traffic or in line at the DMV.
Imagine a world where instead of parking one just gets out
and the car will keep itself busy while you shop [6], and
instead of vast parking lots there are other buildings or
parks.
ETHICS
In Engineering, like all fields there are certain
codes of ethics that must be followed to promote fair play
and progression in the field. Self-driving cars are an
excellent example of an idea that will improve society and
follow ethical codes. The Self-driving car is reinforced by
the canon to “Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare
of the public” [7]. It improves the safety by reducing
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Thamar Speksnijder
morals and follow them, if an employer does not like their
beliefs they should remove them. The writing about ethics is
a major hit to a student’s motivation. I generally consider
myself a motivated man but the prospect of writing about
ethics shut down all the excitement I gained from the first
half of this assignment.
I do feel that this section about education is an
excellent part of the assignment, it is a formal method of
discovering what students are taking from this assignment. A
student who generally speaks poorly of the assignment or
has an obvious lack of excitement is probably not
enthusiastic about the assignment and could be having
trouble finding their niche in engineering. This is a good
way for a third party to indirectly see how a student is doing.
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA300363048
&v=2.1&u=upitt_main&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w.
[6] "Google's Revolutionary Self-Driving Car." PC
Magazine
Online.
(Online
Article).
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA289186433
&v=2.1&u=upitt_main&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w.
[7] National Society of Professional Engineers. (2007)
“Code of Ethics for Engineers.” (Code of Ethics).
[8] American Society of Mechanical Engineers. “Society
Policy.” (Code of Ethics)
[9] Bernard M. Gordon and Michael B. Silevitch. “Reengineering Engineering Education.” The New England
Journal Of Higher Education. (Print Article). pp. 18-19
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
CONCLUSION: WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
“A
look
inside
Google's
‘Driverless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J17Qgc4a8xY.
The future of land transportation resides within the
driverless car; the impact on society will be great but the
benefits of cars that drive themselves will make the change
worth it. The fact that computers can drive faster and better
without the risk will reduce the amount of time people spend
stuck in traffic, which will save time and money due to
increased productivity. One of the most important aspects of
a world where cars drive themselves will be the
independence of the otherwise limited individuals in society.
For example, the blind, the young, and the disabled will be
provided the same transportation that any able bodied adult
gets. This breaking of the chains will allow these otherwise
immobile people to function on their own and not burden
others with their need for transport. Once people get over
their inhibitions of cars without drivers, there will be a new
freedom in the world. The autonomous car will help people
that would otherwise not be able to travel alone realize the
freedom and beauty of independent mobility. (2301)
Car’”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Keely Bowers, writing
instructor who graded my other paper, the feedback was
helpful for attempting to improve my writing for this paper.
Also I would like to thank Dr. Budney for his in class
formatting advice. Finally I would thank Jared Helms for his
help with grammar.
REFERENCES
[1] S. Thrun. (2010). “Toward Robotic Cars.”
Communications of the ACM. (Print Article). Vol. 53 Issue
4, p99-106.
[2] "Self-driving cars set for future highways." Business
Daily
Update.
(Online
Article).
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA300054513
&v=2.1&u=upitt_main&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w.
[3]
"Smarter
car." Optician.
(Online
Article).
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA285945470
&v=2.1&u=upitt_main&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w.
[4] "Safer at any speed? Self-driving cars." The Economist.
(Online
Article).
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA281700634
&v=2.1&u=upitt_main&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w.
[5] "Insurance industry sees future with self-driving
cars." New Orleans CityBusiness. (Online Article).
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