ACtion Magazine - September/October 2013 - (Page 8)

Freeze Frame Licensed to drive Jacques Gordon I saac Asimov wrote his I, Robot science fiction stories in the reading in its entirety (http://tinyurl.com/n2j5rpr), but I’ve 1940s, and a scene from one story appeared in the 2004 movie highlighted some of the opening paragraphs here. of the same name. During a high-speed chase, the vehicle “America is at a historic turning point for automotive travel. notifies the driver that he has illegally disengaged the automatic Motor vehicles and drivers’ relationships with them are likely to controls and assumed manual control of the vehicle. That little change significantly in the next ten to twenty years, perhaps bit of science fiction is so close to reality more than they have changed in the last now, our federal government has begun one hundred years.” preparing for it. This is already happening. The same America is at a historic This past May, the U.S. Department of week this Policy Statement was released, turning point for Transportation released a policy statement CNN contributor Andrew Keen asked that included recommendations for “Are we really falling out of love with automotive travel. licensing and regulation of “autonomous” our cars?” Keen’s research shows that or “self-driving” vehicles. They define much of the younger generation views a these vehicles as operating “without car as an expensive appliance, and many direct driver input to control the steering, of them would rather not have one. The acceleration, and braking and are designed so that the driver is fact that General Motors has a Global Director of Infotainment not expected to constantly monitor the roadway while operating Strategy and Alliances gives some idea of what our “relationship” in self-driving mode.” The 14-page policy statement is worth with a car has become, and that’s a critical detail. As people become less involved in driving, many will lose (or never acquire) the skill to actually drive if their automated car “goes off-line.” The Policy Statement also says, “Vehicle control systems that automatically accelerate and brake with the flow of traffic can conserve fuel more efficiently than the average driver…(and) yield corresponding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.” Later it says, “To the extent vehicles can communicate with each other and with the highway infrastructure, the potential for safer and more efficient driving will be increased even more.” These statements reveal the kind of technology that government and the auto industry will embrace to increase fuel mileage, reduce emissions and improve safety. It’s easy to see a future where driving manually will be prohibited on specific roads and highways. Google’s self-driving car passed the 300,000-mile mark last year. It uses powerful software, a sophisticated navigation system, and other technologies that are on the road right now: radar, laser and optical sensors for cruise control and lane-keeping, ultrasonic sensors for self-parking, infrared night vision, electric power steering and automatic braking. Right now, in 2013, all we need to achieve Asimov’s vision of self-driving cars is a legal framework, and that’s on the way. If you’re planning to be in the automotive service business ten years from now, it’s time to start learning about these systems. ❆ 8 Reader Reply ACTION • September/October 2013 You can reach Jacques at Jacques@macsw.org http://tinyurl.com/n2j5rpr http://www.ackits.com/ http://www.ackits.com/ http://www.autoacforum.com/ http://www.macsw.org/imis15/MACS/Publications/ACtion_Reader_Reply/MACS/Publications/ACTION/ACtion_Reader_Reply.aspx?hkey=ac24bddb-c045-442a-813c-cbf05f88ac4d

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - September/October 2013

ACtion Magazine - September/October 2013
Contents
Outlook
Freeze Frame
Virtual View
Leonard’s Law
Cooling Corner
Member Profile
News & Updates
Special Update on R-1234YF
Technician’s Operating Procedure
Emergency Business Plans
Association News
Quick Check
New Products & Services
Last Watch

ACtion Magazine - September/October 2013