A survey conducted by technical organisation IEEE reveals that leading industry experts, along with University students, agree that cars by 2035 will be bereft of most equipment now considered crucial.
The survey shows that experts see the autonomous cars of the future having no steering wheel, rear view mirrors, horns, emergency brakes and even the accelerator/brake pedals by 2035.
The survey was conducted amongst the attendees of IEEE's Intelligent Vehicle Symposium in Dearborn, Michigan last month. Respondents varied from university students to those with around 20 years experience and a total of more than 200 people, ranging from academicians to government agencies.
The second part of the survey concentrated on what these experts thought were the speedbumps to mass adoption of technology like autonomous vehicles, and the results showed that legal liability, policymakers and consumer acceptance were ranked as the obstacles. On the other hand, cost, infrastructure and technology were seen as smaller hindrances.
In terms of technology, respondents voted that sensor technology (56%) will be the most important piece of technology, along with software (48%), advanced driver assistance systems (47%) and GPS (31%). Along with GPS, maps of the entire world's roads would also be crucial and 75 percent of the respondents indicated that it would take 15 years to achieve this.
Autonomous cars are already being tested in real-time situations, with Google's car being the latest exponent.
IEEE Survey Reveals Mass-produced Cars Will Not Have Steering Wheels, Gas/Brake Pedals, Horns, or Rearview Mirrors by 2035 - Press Release
[Can't see the press release above? Head to Slideshare]
