Google's experiments with driverless automobile technology have been going on for years and have yielded highly positive results so far. As the nature of technology is quite disruptive and poses a credible threat, the degree and duration of testing have been exhaustive.
Things are going to be tough as the Waymo Driverless Car Project is about to face the toughest roads. Gone are the days when testing was smooth and easy on the effortless roads of California. Enter one of the hottest and arid regions on the planet: Death Valley.
Extreme weather conditions can pose severe challenges for self-driving cars and the variables that need to be taken into account increase manifold per time frame, and 360-degree calculation becomes difficult to even for superior algorithms.
Waymo has already performed well on wintry roads
Will the survivors of cold stand strong against the extreme heat and dust storms? Alphabet will test its Chrysler Pacifica to find out.
If you think Death Valley is just another desert and everything will be as easy for Waymo as it has been before, you need to hear some facts. Temperatures here elevate the heat so much that car tires often melt down. Temperature anomalies that are extreme in nature are known to produce technical and electronic faults in equipment including smart vehicles.
Waymo should ensure that it could take the heat
Only after such tests of extremes will the driverless car project prepare itself for a diversified consumer base.
With every new tech and sensor installed and updated, it becomes increasingly important to keep testing standards out of their comfort zone to assure quality performance.
In the age of connected technology, ignoring such tests could take things down the spiral in a flash. Faulty autonomous driving sensors and GPS systems could expose the vehicle to cyber-attacks, and other circumstances that could be dangerous for the humans occupying it.
In all their experiments, Google Cars have yet to violate any traffic norms albeit the one where a human took over the controls. As a potential customer, you can visit their website that enlists all possibilities of accidents and corresponding precautions and FAQs.
It will be interesting to see how Waymo performs in the land of the dead.
The terrain will surely test its hardware and software in the form of arid heat, sandy terrain, and the occasional rattlesnake.
Will the results be as good as they have always been or will the guys at Waymo need to make some serious changes? We will find out soon.