The World's Most Expensive Cars

What if every city street was flooded with cars that contained zero drivers? This is a question that has been pondered by car creators for a while now, but advances in technology have made that possibility viable in the 21st century. It may only be a matter of time before self-driving cars are everywhere.

Roborace, the company starting the world’s first Motorsports series featuring all driver-less cars, recently showcased their star vehicle. This race-ready robocar looks like the future of technology has finally arrived. Daniel Simon, the car’s designer, has worked with companies such as Volkswagen and Bugatti, before his time with Roborace. He also designed cars for movies such as Tron: Legacy and Oblivion, further cementing his credibility in the industry.

The first preview of what a robotic race could look like was shown when Roborace recently sent two cars to the track in Buenos Aires. These particular cars had room for a human inside, so they didn’t look as sleek as their new prototype. Both cars were capable of avoiding a dog that ran right onto the track. However, one crashed into a wall right after the distraction.

The dog situation actually turned out to be a good thing, because it sparked a few ideas courtesy of Roborace. Now, there are thoughts that the races could be more like challenges rather than just loops around a track. By introducing other obstacles, there will be more of a thrill rather than focusing on the importance of speed alone. This will allow for the vehicles to show off all of their features rather than merely focusing on speed.

Roborace hopes that the vehicles can transition into road cars someday. If the systems are stable enough for racing, then eventually that should lead to driver-less cars for us all. It is possible that bystanders in Buenos Aires witnessed the birth of something revolutionary, like watching Bill Gates operate in his garage in the 1970’s.

So, how extensive will the driver-less car market become in the future? In addition to Roborace, an online education startup, Udacity is trying to cash in on the same venture. While Roborace may be the wave of the future for spectators, Udacity may be looking for you to join in on the fun.

Not only will they be competing in the self-driving market, they also intend to take on taxi companies and Uber. Udacity has set its sights on a driver-less taxi service. Will passengers like the idea of no driver taking them around the city? That is yet to be seen and may not come to fruition for several months. For now, Roborace remains a leader in the ever-growing market.

Development has been slower than Roborace anticipated, though. The original hope was to have at least 20 cars race-ready in 2017. However, making an autonomous car isn’t exactly an easy and quick task.

We’re interested to see where this technology takes us as a society. It would be nice to kick back and let someone else take the wheel for once. It may still be a while before technology perfects these self-driving cars, but we’re ready and waiting.