How Michigan is Propelling Self-Driving Car Technology

George Jetson and the gang predicted that future residents of the world would be zipping around the universe in personal spacecraft from one floating home to the next. While the optimistic cartoon shot for the moon, it seems that the Jetsons would have been better off keeping their feet firmly planted on the ground. For a cartoon which first aired in 1962, the futuristic utopia plotline was certainly impressive – but even more impressive than Hanna-Barbera’s space age adaptation of the Flintstones, is our reality in present-day 2016. While you may have a hard time finding yourself a personal aerocar at Chevy dealers in Ohio this winter, what will soon be made available is even more remarkable – or is it?

Self-Driving Cars Are Coming: Ready or Not…

Before we get into the nitty gritty regarding self-driving cars, it is helpful to first address what a self-driving vehicle actually is. The self-driving, or autonomous car, is a vehicle that is able to navigate streets, highways, and roadways without driver input. Replacing humans behind the wheel is an advanced computer system that is capable of sensing its environment, interpreting sensory information, and propelling forward from one destination to the next. Unlike automated cars, which self-driving vehicles are often mistaken for, autonomous cars have the power of self-governance. Automated models may be able to operate on test tracks with magnetic stripping for guidance, whereas autonomous cars can interpret uncertainties in their environments, and adapt in order to accommodate them.

As revolutionary as this technology may seem, it surprises most people to learn that it has been around for much longer than you likely realize. In fact, the demonstrative systems which were paramount in the advancement of the self-driving car, date back to the 1930s.

Pros, Cons, Protests, and Challenges

When it comes to actually manufacturing self-driving cars for mainstream use on American roadways, there seems to be two main schools of thought. The first is terrified by the prospect, citing uncertainties that are dangerous due to the perceived unreliability of autonomous cars; the second is aggressive in support of self-driving cars, adducing that the successful integration of this technology is imperative for ultimate on-road safety. What is even more interesting than these polar opposite beliefs regarding the future of vehicle propulsion, is the fact that both groups are correct, to a certain extent.

If you happen to follow automotive news sites, or you regularly watch national news, then chances are you have been following the controversial storyline regarding self-driving cars in the United States. In fact, a Google search for “Self Driving Car News” instantly spits back over 41 million articles, all of which report their own take on what the impact of mainstream integration of self-driving cars will have on America.

Regardless of what your personal opinion regarding self-driving vehicles, the fact remains that these cars, trucks, and SUVs will soon be navigating around cities and towns without a driver in the front seat. If this makes you uncomfortable, you aren’t alone – but you may not be in the majority. Many leading survey companies have conducted research on how people around the world feel about self-driving vehicles, and the results are interesting, to say the least. In 2011, Accenture surveyed more than 2,000 individuals in the United States and the United Kingdom, and found that 49% of people would be comfortable using a driverless car. J.D. Power conducted an even more interesting survey in 2012, asking more than 17,000 car owners their opinions on the inevitable integration of self-driving cars. The survey found that 37% initially reported interest in buying a fully-autonomous car, while nearly 20% of those people had a change of heart when faced with a price increase of $3,000 or more to get the tech. A more recent survey was taken in Germany earlier this year, and examined the personal feelings of differing ages and genders regarding self-driving cars. Women were found to be more cautious of the technology, while men were less anxious and more accepting of the possibility of self-driving cars. The mistrust in the technology of self-driving cars increased with age, which is not surprising, but worth noting.

Self-Driving Cars: What’s Happening in Michigan

The simple answer to this question is – a lot. The advancement of self-driving car technology is more prevalent than ever before, and everyone is getting involved. Lawmakers, lobbyists, consumers, and vehicle manufacturers are all getting in on the most explosive trend in the automotive world since the advent of the wheel.

The most recent news surrounding autonomous cars, comes from the state of Michigan and its governor, Rick Snyder. In early December, Snyder signed a package of bills aimed at helping carmakers create self-driving cars that would operate on public roadways throughout the state. While most people would expect such a bill to come from California and, more specifically, Silicon Valley, Snyder is determined to keep his state the epicenter of automotive innovation that it always has been. The new laws passed by Michigan’s governor set regulations regarding the testing, use, and sale of self-driving cars and technology in the midwest state. One of the bills specifically addresses the legality of testing cars without pedals, steering wheels, or the need for human control, and was designed as a dig to California’s more restrictive regulations. In fact, California law deems operating fully autonomous, driverless cars, without a steering wheel or a brake pedal, illegal. Google’s newest prototype was developed in California, but ironically can’t legally be tested in the Golden State. Governor Snyder hopes that Michigan’s liberal legislation will encourage big California companies like Tesla and Google to establish residency in the midwest state, so that they can more freely develop driverless vehicle technology.

The bills were created with the help of big name automakers, including Fiat Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Tesla. Michigan Department of Transportation Director Kirk Steudle also had a say in the contents of the final four bills, stating, “We view this legislation as Michigan getting government out of the way of technology and letting it be deployed when it’s ready, but at the same time in a manner that keeps people accountable for keeping people safe on roads. There’s 100 years of history of automobile companies in Michigan putting test vehicles on the road and putting safe vehicles out.”

Anytime new legislation is passed regarding something as innovative as self-driving cars, it says a lot about where the technology is headed, and how soon it will get there. While it may still be a few years before we offer autonomous vehicles at McCluskey Chevrolet, it is surely only a matter of time before the mass production of self-driving cars takes place.