In this blog post, we will look at the role and potential of eco-friendly cars in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which will accelerate the era of driverless cars.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Future of Driverless Cars
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, 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, is upon us. The First Industrial Revolution brought about a mechanization revolution based on the steam engine. This led to the creation of machines that replaced human labor, dramatically improving productivity.
Over time, this led to the Second and Third Industrial Revolutions, with electricity and information technology transforming society to become faster and more efficient. In contrast, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is taking information and communication technology to the next level through the convergence of intelligence and information, heralding changes that are qualitatively different from previous industrial revolutions.
Over the past 200 years, science and technology have evolved relentlessly. Now, science and technology are combining with artificial intelligence to reach a point where they can judge and process information on their own, without human intervention. Such technological advances are deeply ingrained in our society and have the potential to fundamentally change human life. This will undoubtedly have a major impact on our society and economy as a whole, as technology has entered the realm of intelligence, which was once considered to be a uniquely human ability. The era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is innovation itself.
The Development of the Automotive Industry and Driverless Cars
The automotive industry is also affected by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Over the past few years, there have been continuous attempts to integrate intelligent information technology into the automotive industry, resulting in the birth of a new concept: the autonomous car, or driverless car. A driverless car is an automated vehicle that can recognize its surroundings and navigate automatically without human assistance.
There are many obstacles to overcome before driverless cars can operate autonomously, such as constantly changing road conditions and the risk of accidents that can occur at any time. To overcome these obstacles, driverless cars inevitably use various intelligent information technologies. They use aerial laser surveying technology (LIDAR), GPS, and computer vision technology to obtain information about road conditions, which is then analyzed using existing big data to enable the cars to drive themselves.
Thanks to the convergence of these technologies, driverless cars are now capable of driving without human intervention in certain situations. Although they are not yet fully autonomous, this is still an amazing advancement. The right to drive on roads, which was only granted to us after we learned traffic laws and gained driving experience, has now been granted to technology, a byproduct of human thought.
The Present and Future of Driverless Cars
Google’s driverless cars, well known as Google Cars, already obtained the world’s first test license in the US in 2012. As driverless cars attract attention and establish themselves as a new technology, many countries are venturing into the driverless car industry. Korea is also keeping pace with this trend and actively conducting research on driverless cars.
According to a report on smart car industry technology by the Korea Economic Research Institute, South Korea ranks second in the world in the number of patent applications for smart car technology. As such, the driverless car industry is a topic of intense interest in South Korea, with both the government and private companies investing enormous resources in commercializing this technology. With the driverless car industry becoming so active, it is certain that fully driverless cars will be invented in the near future.
If driverless cars become commercialized, many people will be able to enjoy a more convenient lifestyle. People will be able to use the time spent traveling by car as free time, increasing efficiency, and a safe driving culture will be created without the risk of accidents caused by drowsy driving. In addition, people who cannot drive will also be able to use cars, and some people with disabilities who have difficulty using public transportation will be able to travel more conveniently. As a result, the market for driverless cars is expected to expand rapidly and demand will increase dramatically.
However, if a world where anyone can freely use cars comes to pass, we cannot ignore the environmental pollution issues that will accompany it. This is because as demand for cars increases, so does the potential for environmental pollution. Fortunately, most driverless cars are being developed based on eco-friendly cars. The famous car company Tesla is developing electric driverless cars, and Google is developing hybrid driverless cars. Environmentally friendly cars are the foundation of driverless car development. It is safe to say that environmentally friendly cars are leading the way for driverless cars.
We get the impression that the commercialization of driverless cars will solve environmental pollution problems. This is because the increase in driverless cars also means an increase in environmentally friendly cars. However, the problem is that environmentally friendly cars have not yet been commercialized. Given the current situation, it is difficult to say that the conditions for the convenient use of eco-friendly cars have been established. The fact that eco-friendly cars have not been commercialized means that there is still room for environmental pollution, as driverless cars are based on eco-friendly cars. This is because the conditions and environment for the commercialization of driverless cars and their free use by everyone have not been established.
Preparing for the future
At this point in time, when eco-friendly cars are not widely used, it may be premature to conduct research on driverless cars. Therefore, while conducting research on driverless cars, institutional efforts to commercialize eco-friendly cars must be made at the same time. There is no doubt that developing technology is important.
The driverless car industry will undoubtedly grow into an industry that will shake the world in the future. In line with this global trend, South Korea must not fall behind and must continue to invest in the development of related technologies.
However, the purpose of researching driverless cars is ultimately to make our lives more convenient. It would be ridiculous if driverless cars developed for the benefit of humans could not be commercialized due to a lack of institutional requirements. The government must expand electric vehicle charging stations and create an institutional foundation for the commercialization of other eco-friendly vehicles such as hydrogen vehicles. In addition, it must conduct campaigns targeting citizens to improve the image of eco-friendly vehicles and create a social atmosphere that encourages their widespread use. To this end, specific policies must be established, such as tax breaks for users of eco-friendly vehicles, if necessary.
The world of driverless cars is no longer a distant dream. As evidenced by the intense efforts of countries and companies around the world, driverless car technology is advancing rapidly. Although it is difficult to imagine a completely driverless car at this point, given the astonishing pace of technological development, it is clear that such cars will be developed in the not-too-distant future. Therefore, we must be fully prepared for the driverless car world that will one day arrive. To do so, we must first lay the foundation for commercializing eco-friendly cars, which are the basis for driverless cars. The government must take the initiative in developing policies for commercializing eco-friendly cars. Once eco-friendly cars are commercialized through various preparatory processes, driverless cars will finally realize their potential. The first step toward a world of driverless cars begins with the commercialization of eco-friendly cars.
