Australia's first self-driving car hits the road

Adding a local flavour to the US-built Tesla Model S electric sedan, Bosch Australia engineers have been testing what the Victorian government claims is the nation's first locally-developed autonomous vehicle.

In a collaboration with VicRoads, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and the Victorian state government, Bosch engineers in Clayton, Victoria have deployed the self-driving car as part of an intelligence-gathering project.

The result will set the foundations for the regulations and infrastructure necessary to allow autonomous cars to function effectively in Australia, and could influence the use of new signs, traffic signals and other infrastructure.

Car-makers such as Volkswagen, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Ford, Holden, Hyundai and pretty much every other mainstream manufacturer except Mazda and Porsche, plus technology companies such as Apple and Google, are developing autonomous cars for sale in the near future, with the first expected by 2020.

Nissan and its sister company Renault reckons they will have 10 autonomous cars available in dealerships by 2020.

Last year, the Boston Consulting Group in the USA released a report asserting that self-driving cars will become common by 2022, and by 2025 will grow into a $US42 billion market.

The Australian self-driving car deployed by Bosch has been in the works for the last 12 months and takes the Tesla Model X's semi-automated functionality a step further.

Although car manufacturing in Australia is coming to an end, meaning local development will likely based around imported cars, local governments are beginning to understand that the technology is real and it's coming soon.

"This self-driving car is at the forefront of automated vehicle technology and it's been developed right here in Melbourne by local engineers," said the Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Luke Donnellan.

Last year Bosch Australia president Gavin Smith said the removal of human decision making would make our roads safer, and the government and road authorities seem to agree.

"By removing human error from the equation, self-driving vehicles will play a critical role in reducing deaths and serious injuries on Victorian roads," added Donnellan, who says the automated vehicles have the potential to help Victoria achieve its Towards Zero vision of a future free of deaths and serious injuries on the state’s roads.

In fact, in the lead-up to next week's World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems in Melbourne, where autonomous vehicles will be one of the key transport technologies presented, the Victorian government says the development of automated vehicle technologies is critical to the future of high technology and vehicle component manufacturing jobs in the state.

“The Andrews Labor Government is investing in innovative technology and emerging industries that will generate local jobs for the future," said Donnellan in a press release today.

Volvo and Audi have said they will take responsibility for any accidents, injuries or deaths caused by its autonomous vehicles, which will be comply with any legislation in any region, while Mercedes-Benz says its Level 4 (high-speed hands-free) autonomous vehicles will prioritise the safety of people within them, rather than outside them.

Fully autonomous (Level 5) vehicles, employing a range of more advanced cameras and sensors than those that currently allow a many luxury vehicles to be driven hands-free for short periods, plus car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure technology, are not expected to become reality until post-2025.

Australia is lagging behind other regions in developing legislation for the autonomous vehicle revolution, despite talks between state and national governments and car-makers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, which will next year launch its first Level 3 (low-speed hands-free) autonomous vehicle – the new A8 limousine.

While autonomous vehicle tests have taken place in the US and Europe for years, Australia's first self-driving car trials took place in Adelaide recently and other states are expected to follow Victoria and South Australia.

The European Union (EU) is pushing ahead with new laws and even a driving licence test  for those who buy self-driving vehicles.

The USA has one the most advanced legal structures for autonomous cars, albeit only in template form at this stage, after the Obama government last month confirmed guidelines for the emerging technology.

It covers everything from the ethical paradoxes expected to be faced by autonomous cars – whether they prioritise the passenger or other people/vehicles in the advent of an unavoidable collision – to law enforcement and insurance issues.

US President Barack Obama recently wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that "Automated vehicles have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives each year. And right now, for too many senior citizens and Americans with disabilities, driving isn't an option. Automated vehicles could change their lives."

Autonomous cars will not be a panacea to all private transport's woes however, and will certainly bring a new set of complications. For instance the FBI has previously issued alerts concerning the use of driverless cars as weapons.

Would you buy an autonomous car? Do you have any concerns? Have your say in the comments below.