As technology advances, recent years have seen the increased development and application of autonomous vehicles in the ground, air, and marine operations. Unmanned vehicles come with the benefits of automation, reduced transportation costs, fewer accidents, and improved lane capacity. Despite these merits, the mode of operation, programming, and potential security issues have raised concerns among the public. With the increased hacking threats, some people have questioned the security of autonomous vehicles since they are dependent on codes. Besides, autonomous transportation is bound to affect the public’s health in various ways. In policy implementation regarding their development, questions on ethical concerns and the economic benefits have been raised with many people arguing that moral and ethical welfare should be prioritized. Despite being successfully implemented in some parts of the world, some people are yet to accommodate autonomous transportation.
This paper examines the literature regarding the application of autonomous vehicles, noting the issues raised and how they impact the future of unmanned vehicles as a breakthrough in the transportation sector. Using the keywords “autonomous driving”, unmanned marine vehicles”, and “Automated vehicles” the twelve articles were obtained. The articles are derived from credible databases and journals such as Science Direct, Elsevier, IEEE, and JSTOR. From these sources, it is clear that autonomous vehicles pose significant impacts on society’s social and economic development, warranting a great deal of research and technological improvement.
Annotated Bibliography
Bonnefon, J., Shariff, A., & Rahwan, I. (2016). The social dilemma of autonomous vehicles. Science, 352(6293), 1573-1576. Web.
In this article, the authors address the moral decisions and codes of conduct involving autonomous vehicles that limit some passengers from using them. Bonnefon et al (2016) note that although autonomous vehicles are meant to reduce accidents, they may sometimes cause accidents in an attempt to save their passengers. In a situation where autonomous vehicles may have to choose between pedestrians’ lives and their own passengers, they may run over pedestrians. The question raised here is the morality of programming decision-making into machines that involve moral codes. As noted by the authors, this ethical challenge has made many people opt not to use unmanned vehicles. Although they have multiple benefits, autonomous vehicles may breach codes of conduct in the transportation sector. This article is crucial in this research as it tackles a major challenge surrounding the application of autonomous vehicles in the industry.
Crayton, T., & Meier, B. (2017). Autonomous vehicles: Developing a public health research agenda to frame the future of transportation policy. Journal Of Transport & Health, 6, 245-252. Web.
This article’s main focus is the implications of autonomous vehicles in the health sector. Crayton and Meier (2017) argue that recent developments in the autonomous vehicles sector have indicated that it may dominate the transportation sector in the coming years. However, very little has been done to address the health impacts posed by these unmanned vehicles. To involve the public health sector in policy development for autonomous vehicles, there’s a need to develop an agenda discussing the potential health impacts. This article is essential in the research on autonomous vehicles because it shows the importance of various sectors’ participation in policy development. As shown in the article, research needs to be done to fully analyze the impacts of autonomous vehicles in the health sector to promote the participation of these key players who can influence its success.
Faisal, A., Kamruzzaman, M., Yigitcanlar, T., & Currie, G. (2019). Understanding autonomous vehicles: A systematic literature review on capability, impact, planning, and policy. Journal of Transport and Land Use, 12(1), 45-72. Web.
As autonomous vehicles contribute to the development of smart cities, the article shows that they may cause significant disruption in the transportation sector. As Faisal et al. (2019) note, the policymakers and administrators are unprepared for the transformation of the transportation sector. In essence, the authors show that many people do not fully understand the operation of autonomous vehicles. It is estimated that in the coming few decades, unmanned vehicles will replace the old conventional transport system. Thus said, policies need to be developed highlighting the effects of this new system and indicating the expected concerns. This article shows significant gaps in the literature concerning autonomous vehicles and the development of effective strategies to combat potential negative effects. In reference to this essay, this article is relevant in covering gaps in the literature and highlighting the importance of policy development for the effective implementation of the autonomous transport system.
Flämig, H. (2016). Autonomous Vehicles and Autonomous Driving in Freight Transport. Autonomous Driving, 365-385. Web.
In this article, the author looks into further applications of vehicle automation. Flamig (2016) notes that the introduction of unmanned vehicles in the road, air, and marine transport systems was guided by the need to improve efficiency, reliability, and productivity. The author’s main interest is road freight transportation, to which they question the effectiveness and necessity of such an application. The logistics sector draws particular attention when it comes to revolutionizing the transport sector. In this article, the author discusses similar applications such as drones to show how autonomous driving can be applied in freight transport. This article is crucial to the research on autonomous driving as it draws our attention to advanced applications calling for research and further analysis. The reference to similar applications and the reliance on science and logistics makes this article quite relevant.
Haboucha, C., Ishaq, R., & Shiftan, Y. (2017). User preferences regarding autonomous vehicles. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 78, 37-49. Web.
Just like in every other system, user preferences are crucial in autonomous vehicles (AV) applications. In this article, the authors handle the question of user preferences focusing on the various reasons why users may prefer conventional transport to unmanned vehicles. Haboucha et al. (2017) note that a significant percentage of the public is still hesitant of using autonomous vehicles. Some of the factors analyzed include environmental concerns, personal attitudes, enjoying driving, positive sentiments on AV, and interest in technology. As shown in the article, young people who have been used to driving and fascinated by new technology will most likely adopt AV faster than old people who may have little knowledge of vehicles. This article fits in the AV research as it depicts some of the areas that can be addressed to improve AV adoption in the transportation sector. The authors also note that educating the public on AV benefits and implications is one way of perpetuating acceptance by giving it a positive image.
Janai, J., Güney, F., Behl, A., & Geiger, A. (2020), Computer Vision for Autonomous Vehicles: Problems, Datasets and State of the Art. Foundations and Trends® in Computer Graphics and Vision: Vol. 12: No. 1–3, pp 1-308. Web.
As the world enjoys cutting-edge innovations in the AI sector, little has been done to address computer vision for autonomous vehicles. Janai et al. (2020) note that getting into this field as a beginner would be difficult due to limited knowledge. This article attempts to cover the gap in the literature concerning autonomous vehicles. The authors address the state-of-the-art technology and datasets involved in autonomous driving and their implications. This understanding is crucial as it drives a better understanding of automated transport which could motivate more users to adopt it. Some of the datasets addressed include cityscapes, KITTI, and MOT. This article bridges the gap between literature and application, making it essential in this research. It also depicts the link between knowledge and implementation, implying that as users understand the basic principles behind autonomous vehicles’ operation, hesitation may be reduced.
Meyer, J., Becker, H., Bösch, P., & Axhausen, K. (2017). Autonomous vehicles: The next jump in accessibilities?. Research In Transportation Economics, 62, 80-91. Web.
In this article, the authors focus on the possibility of autonomous vehicles improving the accessibility of Swiss municipalities. Meyer et al. (2017) start by noting that one of the merits of unmanned vehicles is comfort derived from low-cost transportation and increased road capacity. These two factors have increased the accessibility of major parts of the city and different municipalities. This article focuses on Swiss municipalities and looks into how such a city would benefit from an increased autonomous vehicle application. An important note made by the authors is that unmanned vehicles may favor urban sprawl, which may introduce other impacts on the transportation sector. This article addresses one of the important benefits of automated transportation which is a key part of this research. Although this article is based on Swiss Municipalities, it can be applied to any other urban transport system. This makes this article very relevant for this study and further research into this matter.
Rasouli, A., & Tsotsos, J. (2020). Autonomous Vehicles That Interact With Pedestrians: A Survey of Theory and Practice. IEEE Transactions On Intelligent Transportation Systems, 21(3), 900-918. Web.
This article is based on one of the main challenges of automated transport; operating in urban areas. As most urban areas are densely populated, autonomous vehicles are bound to interact with pedestrians. The interaction poses a huge challenge since unmanned vehicles need to understand pedestrian behavior to avoid running over pedestrians. However, understanding pedestrian attributes are not as easy as it seems especially because this is not an intuitive act. The involvement of multiple factors such as pedestrian demographics and environmental conditions. This challenge necessitates the development of automated vehicle systems that have the capability of communicating with pedestrians. This article reviews the gap between theory and practical applications of autonomous vehicle interaction with pedestrians. This article is crucial in this study since it covers the connection between theory and practice, with particular reference to pedestrian communication. It serves as a basis for further developments which could improve efficiency and reduce accidents.
Rojas-Rueda, D., Nieuwenhuijsen, M., Khreis, H., & Frumkin, H. (2020). Autonomous Vehicles and Public Health. Annual Review Of Public Health, 41(1), 329-345. Web.
This article adds to the discussion on the impacts of autonomous vehicles by discussing potential health effects. As the use of unmanned vehicles continues spreading to different parts of the world, they cause both positive and negative effects on users’ health. Although they are set to increase the efficiency of the transport sector, it is crucial to examine some of the expected health benefits and risks. As noted by Rojas-Rueda (2020), autonomous vehicles will cause a major transformation of the transport sector. Although it is already in use in the U.S., it is crucial to examine health impacts before it is fully implemented in other parts of the globe. For this reason, the article addresses the fact that if well implemented, the health sector could benefit from reduced mortality. If the health impacts are not carefully analyzed, sedentary behavior, noise, and air pollution could result in significant health risks.
Rosique, F., Navarro, P., Fernández, C., & Padilla, A. (2019). A Systematic Review of Perception System and Simulators for Autonomous Vehicles Research. Sensors, 19(3), 648. Web.
Understanding the operation of autonomous vehicles requires an analysis of the perception systems and simulators used. In this article, Rosique et al. (2019) show how perception systems have been addressed in previous literature and their practical application. When simulating a perception system, several elements have to be considered including ultrasonic sensors, cameras, and RADAR. This article is mainly technical as it highlights the exact factors and elements necessary for the proper operation of autonomous vehicles and the development of simulators for their perception systems. This article is therefore crucial in this study since it allows us to know the areas that would be improved to enhance perception systems and the overall performance of autonomous vehicles. This article combines theoretical facts and application to demonstrate clear operation mechanics, suitable for developers. In essence, this article completes some of the discussions on theoretical analysis of vehicle automation allowing users to understand it deeper and promote acceptance.
Schwarting, W., Alonso-Mora, J., & Rus, D. (2018). Planning and Decision-Making for Autonomous Vehicles. Annual Review Of Control, Robotics, And Autonomous Systems, 1(1), 187-210. Web.
In this article, the effectiveness of current autonomous vehicle systems and the present challenges are analyzed. The authors note that the present prototypes have revealed some impending problems that require more in-depth analysis. Planning and decision-making are the two most important concepts that can limit or facilitate project development. In this case, Schwarting et al. (2018) argue that the problem of guaranteeing the performance of unmanned vehicles can be addressed through effective plans. In managing autonomous vehicle fleets, interactive planning and machine learning play a central role. This article adds to the importance of policy development and management showing that decision-making can be made more efficient if all problems are addressed by involving all stakeholders and handling all technical points.
Wiseman, Y. (2021). Autonomous Vehicles. Encyclopedia Of Information Science And Technology, Fifth Edition, 1-11.
The transport sector has been experiencing several innovations since the invention of the first car in 1870. Wiseman (2021) notes that the development of autonomous vehicles is set to revolutionize the transport sector raising both challenges and benefits. This article reveals that fuel efficiency and cheap and fast transportation are some of the notable benefits. However, the author indicates that until people develop complete trust in autonomous vehicles, more research is needed. The study on state-of-the-art technologies involved and policy implications are shown to be of significant impact. This article is relevant to this study as it shows how the transport sector has developed and its future in line with AI and automation.