TECHNOLOGY
Smarter Vehicles , Smarter Roads
Cars are getting more efficient all the time , but are they getting smarter as well ? Thanks to the Internet of Things , they are . Google recently started road testing its self-driving car , powered by the Google Chauffeur program , to experiment with the opportunities and limitations of a driverless vehicle in real road situations . The still-theoretical market is also already expanding , as Elon Musk announced that the company is working with Google to develop self-driving Tesla models . These are also already in road test phase , suggesting that driverless cars
could feasibly enter the commercial market within the next few years .
Of course the biggest concern with driverless cars is the presence of unexpected weather changes or hazards that a car without a driver may not recognize and take into account . Because of this , the future may contain smarter roads as well as smarter cars . Experts predict smart roads with sensors that can relay real-time data on changes in climate conditions or road hazards like obstructions and accidents . As well as relaying this information to city officials and warning websites , this information could potentially be relayed to connected driverless cars to help
10 February 2016