Don’t be surprised if you see someone parking their car while reading a book next year — it’s all part of a special test drive.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that New York will conduct its first field-test of self-driving vehicles in early 2018. General Motors and its self-driving unit, Cruise Automation, are already creating maps for the “geofenced” area of Manhattan where they will conduct their research.
Cuomo touted the potential safety and economic boosts that the industry could bring to the state.
“The spirit of innovation is what defines New York, and we are positioned on the forefront of this emerging industry that has the potential to be the next great technological advance that moves our economy and moves us forward,” he said in a statement.
Details of the test run are still being ironed out, but each car will have two people inside to monitor and evaluate the vehicles as they cruise the streets of Manhattan.
Last month, GM tested a Cadillac CT6s that was equipped with Super Cruise — the first hands-free highway driver assist system — on state freeways as part of a coast-to-coast test.
Tech companies have been advocating for autonomous vehicles, citing their fuel efficiency and theoretical aversion to accidents.
Bart Selman, a professor of computer science at Cornell University who specializes in artificial intelligence, said the New York City field test would help develop the technology, but warned there are still some serious learning curves, especially when it comes to pedestrians.
“Cars right now hit the brakes when an object appears in front of them but this could become a problem with pedestrians ‘bullying’ self-driving cars. Pedestrians don’t step in front of human-operated cars because they are not sure the driver will stop — but self-driving cars will not have a choice but to stop,” he said in a statement.
