Brandon Moon

Remember the cars from Minority Report? Yeah, the ones that drive themselves. Kinda like your own personal bus. Sounds like a good idea right?

Well, what if this became a reality within the next few years? Would you trust it?

According to the CVIS project, this could come sooner than we think. Although the CVIS project is not really an automated transportation system, it is working towards it. The basis of the project is to design mobile routers that can be placed along roadsides and provide all sorts of information for your car. Sort of an automotive internet, if you will. For example, you’re driving some where, and your car alerts you that there is traffic ahead and that you should slow down. Or perhaps you’re driving to a popular restaurant, and it is able to look up the closest available parking spot. Sounds pretty cool huh?

So how much further off are cars that drive themselves? We’ve been talking about it for years. Personally, I think the technology is more than there. But there’s so much more to making this a reality. There are big issues with deployment (no one can use it until it’s widespread), costs (both for cars and for the roadside systems), and the biggest of all — people. Will we actually trust it?

I’ve heard (and I’m sure you have as well) that for the most part, commercial airplanes fly themselves. Yet the airlines invest thousands in making sure there are qualified pilots on board. Why? The answer is not as clear as you might think. Yes, it’s good to have them there in case something goes wrong, but I bet that’s only part of the issue. I think they’re there to make us feel safe. Because the idea of a plane flying itself gives us the willies.

But maybe if it’d been proven, we’d trust something like that more. Or if there was a manual override — although what happens when people don’t actually learn to drive or fly anymore? Perhaps after extensive testing. Or maybe only in certain situations.

And so I’m curious: Would you trust the automotive internet? Would you really? And what would it take you to trust it? Do you think it’s a good idea?

Update: Thought of another good question while talking to my friend. Would you ever stick your kid in an automated car and let him go off by himself?