Autonomous vehicles

Driverless (autonomous) vehicles are increasing in number every year. These are very complex robots, but the big problem is not really the technology (because problems will be solved over time) – it is human perception. It will take a large leap of faith for humans to ride in an autonomous car or an aeroplane with no pilot. We are already used to autonomous trains, as these are used in many cities throughout the world. These systems have been generally accepted; but that is probably because trains do not overtake other trains and have a very specific track to follow.

Security and safety when using autonomous vehicles

Autonomous vehicles use sensors, cameras and microprocessors to ‘understand’ their immediate environment. These vehicles run using complex software systems and a large number of external sensors. This makes such vehicles rather vulnerable to cybercriminals. A hacker may not even have to break into the vehicle’s control system; they may be able to cause many problems by blocking sensor information or sending false information back to the vehicle. There are many reasons why this would be of benefit to a hacker, but it is outside of the scope of this textbook. However, the hacker probably is not really interested in gaining control of the vehicle; they may be more interested in knowing where the car is, where it is going and finding personal information about the owner of the vehicle. Remember, these vehicles could be a car, a train or even an aeroplane – so the potential security and safety risks are vast.

However, there are many positive sides to autonomous transport. If the security issues can be resolved, all forms of transport will become safer by removing the human element. Vehicles will be able to drive in cities or on the open road, for example, and be totally aware of their environment, thus removing many of the current safety issues (both to vehicle occupants and to pedestrians).

Consider some of the advantages and disadvantages specific to autonomous vehicles.

To read more about the specific autonomous vehicles, click on the following:

1. Autonomous cars, buses, vans

2. Autonomous Train

3.Autonomous Aeroplane