Autonomous vehicles have been in testing for far longer than we can imagine. In fact, the first “self-driving car” was tested in 1958 by GM, using sensors called “pickup coils” to tell the car if it needed to adjust left or right (Gringer, 2020). Since the testing of that very first vehicle, this technology has been ever-increasing in safety, in technology, and in overall productivity.

For me, this information never became completely relevant until the past few years, when Tesla unveiled subscription-based Self-driving vehicles (which is unfortunate that its subscription-base, but that’s a topic for another time). While this topic seems very interesting to me, knowing that there is a technology that can take over and lessen my responsibilities, this technology still unsettles me for a couple reasons. One, while these manufacturers state that their technology is exceedingly safe, I don’t feel a hundred percent confident in putting my life in the theoretical hands of a device that can glitch, cut out, or cause its own accident. Two, I enjoy driving my own vehicle, so much that it’s almost a hesitancy to be interested in letting something else drive my vehicle. I am honestly probably hovering around the decision stage of adoption at this point, as I am neither here nor there about whether or not I want to have this technology take over such an essential, important part of my life. I could probably reach confirmation with a lot of research and waiting to see proof that this technology is resistant to both accidental glitches and malicious hacks.

I was around when flip phones were just beginning to transition out for smartphones, including Apple’s iPhone, so transitioning from a phone that we had to leave in our house (family rules) to a phone that I could take with me was weird. It was made even weirder by the fact this new phone could fit into my pocket, but I could also browse the expansive internet, play games, and even message and call people easily. With the cell phone, I was probably somewhere between the Early Majority and the Late Majority, seeing as this concept was weird to me but was worth my time to learn about and be curious about.

In today’s world, I am mostly a “laggard” about upgrading my phone and technology, as I am always looking at what’s been upgraded and deciding that it’s not yet worth my money. I also know that the technology I have can last a while until there is another significant upgrade. For instance, I had an iPhone 8 and didn’t upgrade until the 11, both when I knew I was needing it and when I could tell that the upgrades were enough that it was worth the cost. However, if an item (whether it be technological or physical) were important enough, like clothes, that having newer items faster would be urgent, I would definitely be on the train to be an early adopter. I do not see myself being an innovator, though, I am honestly not quite that bold.

Gringer, B. (2020, April 30). History of the Autonomous Car. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from https://www.titlemax.com/resources/history-of-the-autonomous-car/

Picture source to:

https://www.smartcitiesworld.net/opinions/opinions/driving-autonomous-vehicles-forward-with-intelligent-infrastructure