• A test of an automated highway in California succeeded when eight driverless cars sped along at 65 mph, only 6.5 meters apart, for 15 miles.
• A driverless car developed at Stanford University drove 132 miles through the Mojave Desert in six hours and 53 minutes.
• Some cars parallel park themselves. Log on to babaganewz.com to see a video demonstration.

By the time you slip behind the steering wheel of the first car you purchase with your own money, there might be little for you to do. While you manage your personal affairs, an array of sensors inside and outside your car will control your auto's speed and steering.

INSIDE SMART CARS

Driverless cars require two control systems: lateral control, which manages steering, and longitudinal control, which regulates speed and the distance between other cars. Both depend on sensors. Although all sensors convert energy from one form to another, individual devices perform one of two distinct functions: One sort transforms less usable energy into more usable energy ; for example, an incandescent light bulb converts electrical energy into visible light. The second type gathers and transmits information, such as speech, music, or measurements; for example, a microphone converts sound waves into electric signals. Smart cars rely on the latter type of sensor, using magnetic sensors for lateral control, and radar sensors for longitudinal control.

HOW MAGNETIC SENSORS STEER SMART CARS

Magnetic spikes will be embedded in the center of each travel lane. Like all magnets, these specialized lane markers will emit an invisible magnetic field. ( You can see a magnetic field by placing a magnet under a light piece of paper. Sprinkle iron filings on top of the paper and tap it lightly. The filings will align along the magnetic field lines.) Magnetic sensors installed under the front and rear end of smart cars will detect the magnetic field. If the car veers from the center of the lane, the sensors will detect a weaker magnetic field, measure the change, and send an electronic message to a mechanical instrument, an actuator, which corrects the steering.

HOW RADAR SENSORS CONTROL SPEED

Smart cars will be equipped with transmitters in their front end. As the car travels, it will emit radio waves that nearby cars will reflect. Sensors will capture the returning waves, measure the time it took for the echo to return, and send an electronic message to an actuator to adjust the smart car's speed.

 

TAKE THE WHEEL
Like intelligent cars controlled by high-tech sensors, human behavior sometimes is controlled by instincts and habits. When someone insults us, our immediate response is to strike back, often without thinking. Blindly acting on our impulses, however, makes us slaves to them. We can choose to resist revenge; after all, God gave us freedom of choice: “Life and death I have placed before you, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life…” (Devarim 30:19). Making moral choices is a divine gift and the only true freedom we have. Although it’s tempting to blame others when we hit potholes in life, the High Holiday season reminds us that we’re in the driver’s seat.