Trust in the Technology
Trust is a rather nebulous concept. What do we mean when we say that trust is important for the success of autonomous vehicles? The word “trust” is not the same thing as being confident. It’s also not simply an individual trait, but also a social phenomenon.
Let’s take a deeper look at trust in technology and see how it plays into autonomous vehicle adoption.
Trust in Your Vehicle’s Ability to Communicate
There are situations that can arise in any autonomous vehicle, from a slight delay in the car’s response to an instance of miscommunication. In those moments, your trust in the vehicle and its ability to communicate will be crucial.
When riding a bicycle as a child, you trusted that your parents would support you while they taught you to use two wheels instead of training wheels. As adults, we need to learn to trust our autonomous vehicles in much the same way as we learned how to drive manually—and there is no better way than actually riding in one. Any autonomous vehicle must be able to communicate what it is doing, who it is waiting for and where it is going at all times. This can be achieved through various means: exterior lights or displays on the interior windshield could help keep passengers updated on the situation surrounding their transit experience.
It’s important for software engineers and mechanical engineers alike to consider this connection between human and machine when designing self-driving cars.
Trust Yourself and Your Vehicle to Communicate
Autonomous Cars Won’t Be Self-Driving Forever
While you’ll be sure to enjoy the hands-free driving experience, the autonomous vehicle will still need your help from time to time. You should trust that when this happens, the car will communicate its needs to you. The last thing you want is to be surprised when a voice alerts you that it’s time to take control of your car again. This could make you panic and react poorly in a bad situation, which could lead to an accident.
When you’re getting used to using autonomous vehicles, make sure that the first few times are in a safe area where there isn’t much traffic so that if something goes wrong, it won’t be catastrophic. This is also a great way for you and your family members (if they’re old enough) to get used to their new mode of transportation!
You’ll need to be able to trust your autonomous vehicle and its ability to communicate with you for full adoption of self-driving cars.
To fully adopt self-driving vehicles, you’ll need to trust them, which will require three main types of trust:
- Trust in the Technology: You’ll need to trust that the technology is safe and reliable.
- Trust in Your Vehicle’s Ability to Communicate: You’ll need to trust that your vehicle can communicate with you.
- Trust in Others: You’ll need to take others’ behavior into account when driving, just like driverless cars will have to do.
Trust in the Technology
Trust is a rather nebulous concept. What do we mean when we say that trust is important for the success of autonomous vehicles? The word “trust” is not the same thing as being confident. It’s also not simply an individual trait, but also a social phenomenon.
Let’s take a deeper look at trust in technology and see how it plays into autonomous vehicle adoption.
Trust in Your Vehicle’s Ability to Communicate
There are situations that can arise in any autonomous vehicle, from a slight delay in the car’s response to an instance of miscommunication. In those moments, your trust in the vehicle and its ability to communicate will be crucial.
When riding a bicycle as a child, you trusted that your parents would support you while they taught you to use two wheels instead of training wheels. As adults, we need to learn to trust our autonomous vehicles in much the same way as we learned how to drive manually—and there is no better way than actually riding in one. Any autonomous vehicle must be able to communicate what it is doing, who it is waiting for and where it is going at all times. This can be achieved through various means: exterior lights or displays on the interior windshield could help keep passengers updated on the situation surrounding their transit experience.
It’s important for software engineers and mechanical engineers alike to consider this connection between human and machine when designing self-driving cars.
Trust Yourself and Your Vehicle to Communicate
Autonomous Cars Won’t Be Self-Driving Forever
While you’ll be sure to enjoy the hands-free driving experience, the autonomous vehicle will still need your help from time to time. You should trust that when this happens, the car will communicate its needs to you. The last thing you want is to be surprised when a voice alerts you that it’s time to take control of your car again. This could make you panic and react poorly in a bad situation, which could lead to an accident.
When you’re getting used to using autonomous vehicles, make sure that the first few times are in a safe area where there isn’t much traffic so that if something goes wrong, it won’t be catastrophic. This is also a great way for you and your family members (if they’re old enough) to get used to their new mode of transportation!
You’ll need to be able to trust your autonomous vehicle and its ability to communicate with you for full adoption of self-driving cars.
To fully adopt self-driving vehicles, you’ll need to trust them, which will require three main types of trust:
Trust in the Technology: You’ll need to trust that the technology is safe and reliable.
Trust in Your Vehicle’s Ability to Communicate: You’ll need to trust that your vehicle can communicate with you.
Trust in Others: You’ll need to take others’ behavior into account when driving, just like driverless cars will have to do.
Anns is a contributor at EmbarkDrive. We are committed to providing well-researched, accurate, and valuable content to our readers.
