In the early 90s, most players and gambling industry stakeholders alike had never imagined a world where roulette games would be accessible via iGaming platforms such as https://mr.bet/at/casino/type/roulette. Yet here we are. Online roulette cannot surprise or shock literally anyone. What seems like science fiction or unrealistic today could be a reality in the not-too-distant future. Well, the idea of living in a connected world powered by the Internet was not the only concept that seemed rather silly decades ago. Who knew driverless vehicles would be a thing this quickly?

The dream of seeing fleets of driverless cars delivering people to their destinations has been longstanding in the transport industry for ages. Countless movies have tried to conceptualize that moment, and it has always seemed too surreal to be true. Now, with a bunch of tech advancements, we are growing ever closer to revolutionizing transportation with driverless tech for improved safety, efficiency, and accessibility.

According to projections by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the driverless cars market is expected to pass the half-a-trillion mark, hitting $615 billion by 2026. Well, the advancement and rise of autonomous vehicles can best be attributed to significant search studies from fields like wireless and embedded systems, communication technologies, navigation, data acquisition, and analysis, just to mention a few. So, how did we get here, and what are some of the developments that have so far been made toward achieving a self-driving future?

Developments Made in the Space of AVs

The concept of autonomous vehicles or AVs is believed to have been birthed in 1920 when the ‘phantom autos’ phrase was first coined, referring to a remote-controlled device used to drive a car. It then took decades for there to be tangible advances in the sector, and finally, the concept was actualized in the 80s when self-managed autonomous cars started being developed.

These developments were further boosted when NavLab of Carnegie Mellon University developed an Autonomous Land Vehicle (ALV). A breakthrough was attained in 1987 when the ‘Prometheus Project’ of Mercedes devised the concept of tracking lanes. While the vehicle itself wasn’t fully self-managed, it had the capability of switching lanes. Fast forward to the 21st century, there have been significant milestones which are as follows, in chronological order:

  • DARPA – On the cusp of the 21st century, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) organized a series of AV challenges pivotal to the research and development of self-driven cars. The challenges are also credited with spurring the navigation of autonomous vehicles through complex environments and situations;
  • Google’s Self-Driving Car Project – In 2009, Google launched its AV, Waymo. It helped enhance research on driverless cars and accumulated a lot of miles on the road, providing vital data for the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology;
  • Tesla Autopilot – Tesla’s version of the technology is currently the most popular worldwide. While not fully self-driving, its autopilot system provides driver assistance that has been practical since 2014. This key industry player has contributed in a big way to the advancement of AV technology;
  • Amazon’s Long-Distance Lorries – Amazon is yet another heavyweight that has tried to help advance AV technology. In June 2021, the tech bigwig commissioned 1,000 autonomous vehicle systems from startup company Plus. To further showcase its confidence in driverless tech, the giant acquired a 20% stake in the startup;
  • Tesla’s Supercomputer Solution – Today, Tesla is looking to leverage its fancy new supercomputer that will source data from its fleet of vehicles in a bid to solve currently existing problems associated with AVs. The new supercomputer is reported to be included in the list of the top five most powerful computers in the world.

Other Notable Collaborations and Solo Self-Driving Vehicle Projects

Global tech giant Microsoft has begun a coalition with locomotive giant Volvo to explore the driverless vehicle scene. Also, companies like software giant Nvidia have shown indications of seriousness in the industry with launches like NVidia Drive PX2, a supercomputer GPU and deep-learning-based computer platform custom-made to be used for AVs.

Other key players from the Asian continent, like KIA, TATA, and Hyundai, are also funding research and design for AVs. In Europe, there is talk of Mercedes and BMW joining the long list of companies willing to invest significantly in self-driving cars.

What Does the Future Hold for Autonomous Vehicles?

The future is indeed bright for the autonomous vehicle industry around the world. As engineers continue refining technology, there’s no doubt that one day soon, autonomous vehicles will be a mainstay on many of our roads. So far, the pace of development in this sector is satisfactory, although it remains to be seen how the industry will eventually shape up upon maturity. For now, the most significant concerns that need to be solved are safety and the privacy of consumer data if the technology is to be well-received by the general public.