I've been researching automated systems, specifically looking into robot for car applications like self-parking features and driver assistance. My current vehicle has none of these technologies, and I'm trying to decide if my next purchase should prioritize them.
Part of me thinks these features are the future and will eventually be standard in all vehicles. Getting familiar with them now might be smart. Another part thinks the technology is still too new, potentially unreliable, and adds unnecessary complexity to something that should be straightforward.
Last month, I test-drove a car with adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance. It was simultaneously impressive and unsettling. The car corrected my steering without me doing anything. It maintained distance from the vehicle ahead automatically. Logically, I know it's safer, but it felt like giving up control.
My friend who works in tech says autonomous features are advancing rapidly, and within ten years, fully self-driving cars will be normal. That's hard to imagine given current limitations. I've seen mixed reviews online, including some component options on Alibaba that seem questionable.
Should I invest in these technologies now, or wait until they're more proven and affordable? Does anyone actually trust automated driving systems completely? I'm torn between embracing innovation and being a cautious skeptic about unproven technology.
Investing in automotive technology feels like gambling on an uncertain future
byu/bhuvan_boy ininvesting
Posted by bhuvan_boy
2 Comments
I find some of these safety features dangerous and stupid. Like why does my steering wheel violently shudder and lead to loss of control when it detects the lane boundary? On some poorly painted stretch of highway where I am crowded in on both sides during rainstorm this could be a deadly feature. I turned that function off. Auto braking can also be a bit dangerous on highway with detection of other vehicle during curve in the road.
Most of the warning features are good but some of it is a wonder how transportation safety ever approved it so quickly without adequate testing.
They will get to self driving eventually I have no doubt but will likely require adapting the roads to be more sensor friendly which would be a massive infrastructure cost for economies that can barely keep exist roads from becoming a potholed mess
I have 2018 and 2012 Camrys and can appreciate less technology in cars. The 2018 has lane assist and can drive by itself but there are 13 pages of warnings about when it can fail in the owner’s manual.
Newer cars with a ton of sensors can be much more expensive to insure because they are expensive. I’m in the Camry sub and the recalls and issues in the 2025 and 2026 models have me thinking that I’d be better off keeping my old cars instead of replacing them.
I am not a fan of technology for technology’s sake.