On my flight back from Utah, our plane battled an angry storm. The turbulence abused the plane, shaking each passenger back to a nervousness they last felt in childhood. In a dark and silent cabin, we embraced the illuminated “please fasten your seatbelt” sign as an ironic nightlight, looking at it for comfort but at the same time wishing it would turn off. I was convinced we wouldn’t make it.
Fortunately, our plane landed. My family and I exited the plane and went to McDonalds to eat. Luckily for me, the man in front of me happened to be the pilot and I asked him a few questions regarding the inclement weather and the rough landing.
In stark contrast to my nervous tone, the pilot was completely calm. Not once did the thought of crashing go through his mind he told me. I asked how and he responded that all the planes are equipped with autopilot- a system that he says can land the plane better than a trained pilot. I combined this information with what I’ve learned in my drivers’ education class about self-driven cars and concluded that the age of autopilot affecting our everyday lives is inevitable.
For instance, Google has created a self- driving car that uses a mounted camera, a wheel sensor, a laser range finder, and four radar units that allow the sc-fi like car to interpret obstructions, understand commands, determine its location, and read street signs and traffic lights. Currently, Google’s prototype has logged more than 200,000 miles without crashing. Similar to the airplane autopilot I was informed about, Google’s sophisticated operating system claims to be safer than a human operated car. In addition, the car could serve as solution to those who cannot drive due to a physical disability.
In light of this ever advancing and developing technology, it will be interesting to see how autopilot in any machine will work its way into our daily lives.