Subaru Joins the Race in Self-Driving Technology

The Department of Motor Vehicles in California has given Japanese carmaker Subaru the permission to test its self-driving car on public roads, joining the ranks of Volkswagen, Google, Tesla, Ford, and over 17 others. Subaru already has experience with this type of technology in its previous models, which are only going to be improved upon in the future. Having numerous companies working on self-driving technology is an important stepping-stone for self-driving technology as it promotes competition and a diversity in technology.

After being given the proper permits to begin testing, the main question consumers had for Subaru is what new proprietary technology Subaru had introduced. Currently, Subaru has installed the EyeSight technology in some of its cars, including the “Forester, Crosstrek, Legacy, Impreza, WRX, and Outback” models. EyeSight offers several features that have proven to be very beneficial. Basically, EyeSight provides a second set of eyes on the road. It constantly surveys the car’s surroundings and, if danger is imminent, alerts the driver. In some cases, EyeSight can even brake by itself to prevent the vehicle from colliding with another vehicle. In traffic, EyeSight allows the driver to maintain a speed relative to traffic without doing anything manually. With two cameras mounted on the rearview camera, EyeSight reacts to even a slight change in the pace of the traffic.

Some of the features that Subaru has been contemplating include automatic steering, automatic starting/stopping when in traffic, and other semi-autonomous driving features. Although it is unknown whether or not Subaru decides to test these features in the immediate future, but it is definitely a possibility. Subaru has also insisted on not changing the design platform of future vehicles as it would be cost efficient in terms of engineering and manufacturing while maintaining the functionality and comfort of the vehicle. This includes all types, such as sedans, crossovers, etc. By using a common design platform, “straight line stability” would be much easier to achieve.

Compared to other self-driving cars, Subaru falls short to Google when it comes to the safety of the vehicle over an extended distance. Statistically, Google’s Waymo unit had only 0.2 disengagements, or instances when the driver had to take over the vehicle from the self-driving technology, for every 1000 miles driven last year. Another major investor in self-driving technology, Ford, had recently invested over $1 billion in startup Argo AI, an artificial intelligence company that promises to unlock the secrets of completely safe self-driving cars, a rather formidable feat. On the other hand, Uber had its self-driving technology permits taken away by the state of California, after conflict with the state over the need for a permit.

The controversy regarding self-driving cars covers a multitude of topics. A driver of a self-driving car needs to be educated about what to do in case of a malfunction. The cost of implementing this technology into everyday life would be very high. Many people are going to lose jobs in the event of public transportation being transformed by the self-driving technology. In the event of bad weather, technology in the self-driving car may malfunction and lead to hazardous conditions on the road. Being a completely new field, self-driving technology will need to be limited in some way to prevent this technology from causing injury or even death in the future. To prevent this, Subaru and other leaders in the self-driving technology industry must test carefully and adhere to any laws created to limit the effects of self-driving cars in the event they do not function properly. But, self-driving technology has a very bright future and is one of the next big breakthroughs in technology.

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