The Fourth Industrial Revolution is leading the development of driverless cars with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data. However, in order to fully commercialize driverless cars, eco-friendly cars and related infrastructure must be commercialized first, and institutional efforts are needed.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Future of Driverless Cars
We are in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is characterized by the convergence of cutting-edge intelligent information technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and big data with existing industries. The first industrial revolution was based on the steam engine and led to the mechanization revolution. This led to the creation of machines to replace human labor, and productivity improved by leaps and bounds. This was followed by the Second and Third Industrial Revolutions, in which electricity and information technology transformed society faster and more efficiently. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, on the other hand, is taking information and communication technology to the next level through the convergence of intelligence and information, heralding a qualitatively different change from the previous industrial revolutions.
Over the past 200 years, science and technology have been evolving nonstop. Now, science and technology, combined with artificial intelligence, are approaching the point where they can judge and process information on their own without human intervention. These technological advances are deeply embedded in our society and have the potential to fundamentally change our lives. This will have profound implications for our society and economy as a whole, as technology has entered the realm of intelligence that was once thought to be exclusively human. The fourth industrial revolution is all about innovation.
The automotive industry and the development of driverless cars
The automotive industry is not immune to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Over the past few years, there have been constant attempts to integrate IOT into the automotive industry, and as a result, we have a new concept. This is the autonomous car, or driverless car. An autonomous car is a self-driving vehicle that can recognize its surroundings and operate on autopilot without human assistance. There are many challenges that need to be overcome in order for a car to drive unattended, such as constantly changing road conditions and the risk of an accident at any moment.
To overcome these challenges, driverless cars inevitably use various intelligent information technologies. They use LIDAR, GPS, and computer vision technology to obtain information about road conditions, analyze it through big data, and drive themselves on the road. The convergence of these technologies means that driverless cars are now capable of traveling without driver intervention in certain situations. While we’re not quite there yet, it’s an incredible step forward. The right to drive on the road, which was once granted to us only after we had learned the traffic laws and gained driving experience, has now been granted to technology that is a byproduct of human thinking.
The present and future of driverless cars
Google’s driverless car, better known as Google Car, was the first in the world to be licensed for testing in the United States in 2012. As driverless cars are gaining traction and becoming a new technology, many countries are taking on the challenge of the driverless car industry. South Korea is no exception, and research on driverless cars has been active. According to a report on smart car industry technology by the Korea Economic Research Institute, Korea ranks second in the world in the number of patent applications for smart car technology. As such, the driverless car industry is a hot topic in Korea, and both the government and private companies are investing huge resources to commercialize the technology.
With such an active driverless car industry, there is no doubt that a fully driverless car will be invented in the near future. Once commercialized, driverless cars will make life easier for many people. The time spent traveling by car can be used as free time to improve efficiency, and a culture of safe driving without the risk of accidents such as drowsy driving will be created. In addition, people who cannot drive cars will be able to use cars, and some people with disabilities who cannot use public transportation will be able to move around conveniently. As a result, the market for driverless cars will be vast and demand is expected to grow rapidly.
However, in a world where anyone can freely use a car, it is hard not to think about the environmental pollution that comes with it. As the demand for cars increases, so does the potential for environmental pollution. Fortunately, most driverless cars are being developed on the basis of eco-friendly cars. Tesla is working on an electric driverless car, and Google is working on a hybrid driverless car. The development of driverless cars is based on eco-friendly cars. It’s safe to say that eco-friendly cars are leading the way for driverless cars.
The commercialization of driverless cars gives us the impression that the problem of environmental pollution has been solved. This is because more driverless cars means more eco-friendly cars. However, the problem is that green cars are not yet commercialized. In the current situation, it’s hard to say that the conditions are in place to make them convenient to use. The lack of commercialization of eco-friendly cars means that driverless cars are based on eco-friendly cars, which still leaves room for environmental pollution. This is because it means that the conditions and environment are not in place for driverless cars to be commercialized and freely available to everyone.
Preparing for the future
It is perhaps premature to start researching driverless cars at a time when eco-friendly cars are not widely used, so while research on driverless cars is ongoing, institutional efforts should be made to commercialize eco-friendly cars. There is no doubt that it is important to develop the technology. The driverless car industry is sure to grow into an industry that will shake up the world in the future. Korea should not be left behind in this global trend and should not hesitate to invest in the development of related technologies.
However, the purpose of researching driverless cars is to make our lives easier. It would be ridiculous if a driverless car developed for humans could not be commercialized due to a lack of institutional requirements. The government should expand the number of charging stations for electric vehicles and create an institutional foundation for the commercialization of other eco-friendly vehicles such as hydrogen vehicles. They should also campaign with citizens to raise the image of eco-friendly cars and create a social atmosphere that favors their widespread use. To this end, specific policies will need to be put in place, including tax breaks for green car users if necessary.
A driverless car world is no longer a distant dream. As evidenced by the fierce efforts of companies around the world, driverless car technology is advancing. While it’s hard to imagine a fully driverless car at this point, the incredible rate of technological advancement means that it’s not too far off. Therefore, we need to be prepared for the driverless car world to arrive one day. To do so, we must first lay the groundwork for the commercialization of eco-friendly cars, the foundation of driverless cars. The government should take the initiative to commercialize eco-friendly cars. Once eco-friendly cars are commercialized, driverless cars will be able to show their value. The first step to a driverless car world starts with the commercialization of eco-friendly cars.
