Ford Joins The Race In Making The Self -Driving Car Of The Future

Google and Tesla started the trend, Now Ford is joining the bandwagon in making the future of land transportation-fully automated cars.

Ford is preparing the prerequisite hardware and software technologies to fully assemble its plan to release fully automated cars by 2021. According to a report by The Verge, recently Ford acquired several start up tech companies that will be crucial for the research and development of automated cars. The automotive company acquired Civil Maps, a company developing artificial intelligence in 3D mapping technology. The company also acquired SAIPS, an Israel based company specializing in the development of computer vision and machine learning. The car of the future will also be equipped with LiDar sensor technology.

Ford's acquisition to these technologies plays a vital role in the progress of its research and development in automated car technology. They also secured that they own the patents of these technologies. Ford aims to be the first car manufacturer to produce car models accredited with Level 4 certification from SAE International. This simply means that the all the driving functions of the car from destination A to be will be fully automated wherein it will be safe even with zero human intervention. If this materializes, there would be no point of having pedals, side mirrors and steering wheels for future cars. According to Ford, it took them over a decade in developing their first prototypes and this year they will triple their testing using Ford Fusion Hybrid cars as the test model.

Aside from Google, Tesla and Ford, Uber also ventured in developing their own automated cars. However, it is still in its early stages of development. Uber might be developing automated cars to expand their taxi services in the future. With more and more companies believing that self driving car is the future of land transportation, we might be seeing these cars hitting the roads sooner rather than later.

Have you watched Will Smith's I, Robot film? A future where in driver's license will be obsolete and driving your car manually is a crime, yes that is where we are heading.