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Two weeks ago, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to allow driverless, autonomous cars on California roads by 2015. {complink 2294|Google} has logged hundreds of thousands of driverless miles using modified Prius hybrids. My mental gears started mashing as I began to think in terms of what this could mean for the supply chain and job implications for individuals.
For the supply-chain, if this is a reality that is upgradable to larger vehicles used by freight forwarders, many jobs might be replaced with these flawlessly operating transports, and in the process we would be accepting more and more loss of our own autonomy as these human-job replacing technologies became more autonomous.
Imagine the potential future. A software instruction is uploaded to an autonomous truck's GPS system. The route is calculated and plotted using real-time traffic and road condition information. Now with the data upload for optimal transport logistics, the truck's departure is timed and routed to avoid roads where construction is underway, and each intermediate stop time and location is anticipated, giving rise to automated check points for supply chain security purposes.
RFID readers pick up the trucks' location through anticipated routing points, and if the truck does not appear at the next reader when expected, then the transportation company is informed immediately. Now, the additional anti-hijack technologies include those currently used in containers equipped with sensors that monitor temperature, humidity, doors' open and closed conditions, acceleration, and impact incident detection. A quick read using remote polling will immediately tell the company whether any kind of security breach has occurred.
Secondary measures such as RFID beacon-enabled contents can be initiated to track the goods in transport if they have been removed from the trucks cargo carriers. This scenario is another example of converging technologies. The day is coming where human public behavior will be determined by mass deployment technology capabilities.
You are sitting in your living room and you receive a call from your local police department. It is sending a car to your house and would like you to come downtown for a short visit. You are informed that the car should be at your house in five minutes, and you are expected to be in the car in two minutes. The car is equipped with a camera with image recognition, and as you approach, the doors unlock and a computer-generated voice invites you to get in the back seat and cautions you to watch your head as you enter. You enter the car, the door closes and locks. The car pulls away from the curb, and you notice that the autonomous vehicle's environment has been customized for you as you are being transported to hopefully what will not be your final destination.
So much for science non-fiction. The supply chain security will have many tools that will be designed to frustrate theft and ensure reliable accounting of both time and materials. On-time deliveries will be more common, and with the elimination of alcohol, bad drivers, and drugs in the transportation chain, the overall reliability of the entire system will improve. That is why it will happen.
The justification and availability of the big dollar expenditures will not be an issue as the gain will far outweigh the pain. In the meantime, if you get an invitation to go for a trip in a driverless car, enjoy the ride. We are all on board the Tech Express already. We may as well go to the end of the line, quietly.
I must admit the thought of a driverless car let loose on a busy Californian road is pretty scary. Can you share some details about the proposed bill or is the bill enacted already?
@flyingscot but is it any worse than a driver who may be experiencing road rage?
Funny this post came out today as I was following a car, with a driver, that randomly stopped four times before bravely comitting to a left hand turn. Although that's fairly common in Boston (no turn signal; no pulling over), I have to think this person was listening to its GPS (or worse yet, Siri on the iPhone 5.) There's only one possible left turn on my street and it was clearly visible from my position behind the frequent stopper. I'm not sure which is worse: drivers or driverless cars. Today I'm leaning toward drivers.
@Flyingscot. SB 1298 was the formal recognition making it officially legal for driverless cars to be operated on California roads. So Nevada and California are authorized. Google has been testing their version of the autonomous vehicles since 2010. They have 300,000 miles logged with nary an accident. Police will pull a driverless car over just to get a picture standing by it, but no traffic violations and no accidents is about as safe as it can get.
So it'll be interesting to see to whom this would affect more. So let's say Apple decides to drop supplying relations with Samsung display. What will happen with Samsung? It will turn to their next customer in line, probably a high drop in revenue, but with a much better cost margin. (Look up what the CEO said; Samsung has numerous companies standing in line for their production) Affect on profitability? Marginal. What about Apple? You mentioned LG. What other suppliers are there? Ummmm, none that can withstand Apple's requested quality, yield and cost margin. So Strategy 101: What happens if you are relying solely on one supplier? Less bargaining power, higher price, and thus lower margin for Apple, not to mention the quality gap between Samsung and LG. So tell me again, to whom is it more costly?
Apple and Samsung should work together for their mutual benefits. If required, they should change person in charge to get fresh ideas without much prejudice. Apple has good product design and marketing and Samsung is great in parts manufacturing. They together should provide novel products.
@Barbara, who owns the patent rights for the Retina technology? I know Samsung has the Amoled tech, but they are supplying Retina displays to Apple. Can Samsung use Retina displays or is it just a trademark name by Apple. Are there Retina displays being used by any other manufacturer by any other name?
Hi Douglas: The Retina is patented by Apple and then licensed out. Samsung, Sharp, LG and AU are the companies that are reported to be licensed for the Retina. Apple does not appear to be interested in OLED. But even if Apple sticks solely to Retina for awhile, volume may be a challenge if Samsung is out of the picture (pun intended).
For me the fight is still pretty much on as it was in the begining. I think the introduction of Apple i5 has made it a bit more tight. I still feel Apple has the edge out of the rest.
Hi Nimantha….maybe I automatically seek out Apple detractors, but I recently read an article that said something along the lines of “if Apple introduced fire to the world, it would seem like a new idea.” The Apple logo is becoming like Gucci or Chanel…it implies coolness and affluence, but really, how much better is the iPhone? The downside is, now that logo also screams “Steal Me!” on random street corners and subways. Anyway…Apple is throwing its weight around regarding Samsung, and I tend to root for the underdog.