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"Conscious" Cars

Alan Mackworth, Professor, Department of Computer Science

Thanks to recent technological breakthroughs, we are on the verge of seeing “conscious” vehicles. Imagine cars that are aware of their surroundings, able to plan a route and drive it safely while obeying traffic signs and avoiding obstacles. Or wheelchairs that are aware of the layout of a house, and able to learn about pet cats and dogs.

What if your car were conscious? Suppose it were aware of its surroundings, knew where it was, understood any immediate dangers, could plan its route to a destination and get there safely, obeying traffic rules and avoiding all the obstacles and other vehicles in its path.

What if it had those capabilities and knew that it had those capabilities? Would it then be conscious?

The philosophical ramifications of conscious vehicles could fuel a thousand Ph.D. theses. But the fact is, vehicles with these capabilities are on the very near horizon. Many already exist. Philosophers, sharpen your pencils!

Recently a completely autonomous SUV drove itself over a 213 km long treacherous desert route at an average speed of 31 km/h and safely arrived at the finish line. And, in the process, winning its inventors, a team of Stanford scientists and engineers, a $2,000,000 prize.

Given the annual carnage on our roads due to driver error, the potential for safety improvements are staggering.

But, similar technologies developed in many laboratories, including UBC’s Laboratory for Computational Intelligence, could have many other transformative applications. Smart wheelchairs, that learn the layout of a house (and learn about pet cats and dogs) could radically improve the lives of the disabled and seniors. Robotic pets are now widely used as companions for seniors, helping to monitor their health and safety and also engaging them in conversation.

Some key scientific and technological breakthroughs lie behind these new smart vehicles. Developments in computational vision, sensory integration, machine learning, probabilistic reasoning and robot control, combined with growing computer horsepower, enable these possibilities.

Although (fake) robots have starred in many recent films their development in the real world has been slow and arduous -– but they are coming, this time for real! -– Really!

Mary Shelley’s creation, Dr. Frankenstein, the modern Prometheus, serves to warn us of the dangers of technology running beyond our control, turning on us to destroy us. But that myth has blinded us to the fact that robots can be our friends and partners. And when they become conscious they can be better friends and partners if we pay careful attention to their development. There’s a conscious car in your future. Don’t be afraid.