The latest manufacturer to embrace cars with no drivers is Volvo, who is promoting the concept with a catch phrase “Drive Me”. This is set up as a joint venture by Volvo, the Swedish Transport Authority and Gothenburg City. (Not to be confused with Gotham City!)
The self-driving cars rely on 360 degree camera systems with GPS and perimeter sensors, which are already available in many new cars (for example, the Nissan Teana has it).
The “drivers” who will be carried by the self-drive cars will be trained on what to do if the technology fails.
Hands up those who are old enough to have seen “2001: A Space Odyssey” with the supercomputer HAL 9000. Remember these lines? “The 9000 series is the most reliable computer ever made. No 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. We are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error.”
However, just in case, the legal experts in Sweden are looking at who or what is liable in the event of a crash.
