Autonomy : The Quest to Build the Driverless Car-And How It Will Reshape Our World
Author(s): Lawrence D. Burns, Christopher Shulgan
An automotive and tech world insider investigates the quest to develop and perfect the driverless car—an innovation that promises to be the most disruptive change to our way of life since the smartphone
We stand on the brink of a technological revolution. Soon, few of us will own our own automobiles and instead will get around in driverless electric vehicles that we summon with the touch of an app. We will be liberated from driving, prevent over 90% of car crashes, provide freedom of mobility to the elderly and disabled, and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.
Autonomy is the story of the maverick engineers and computer nerds who are creating the revolution. Longtime advisor to the Google Self-Driving Car team and former GM research and development chief Lawrence D. Burns provides the perfectly-timed history of how we arrived at this point, in a character-driven and heavily reported account of the unlikely thinkers who accomplished what billion-dollar automakers never dared.
Beginning with the way 9/11 spurred the U.S. government to set a million-dollar prize for a series of off-road robot races in the Mojave Desert up to the early 2016 stampede to develop driverless technology, Autonomy is a page-turner that represents a chronicle of the past, diagnosis of the present, and prediction of the future—the ultimate guide to understanding the driverless car and navigating the revolution it sparks.
Review(s):
“A combination of memoir and visionary manifesto[, Burns’] front-row seat at the project that popularized autonomous cars informs some of the most lively parts of Autonomy.”
“The drama, ambition and genius characterizing the race to develop self-driving cars zoom into sharper focus in Autonomy.”
“Anyone interested in learning about how we got to where we are today should definitely grab a copy.”
“Fascinating . . . the book really shines . . . in illustrating the complex dynamic between Thrun, Urmson, and Levandowski, the three critical figures in making robot cars a reality. . . [a]rip-roaring story.”
“With his access to so many players including Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin, Burns does a masterful job weaving the various strands of his story together. And a juicy story it is, filled with an insider’s first hand experiences and observations. ”
“A provocative look at a rising industry that may soon change the nature of the world’s too-busy roadways.”
“A compelling read—well-written and packed with insights that could only come from a top-level technology leader who personally knows many of the key players.”
“The coming transformation in mobility will impact numerous industries, from automobile manufacturing to car rentals to logistics. Autonomy chronicles the remarkable story of the innovators leading that change.”
“A fascinating hybrid: Part freewheeling history of the rise of the modern autonomous vehicle, part intimate memoir from an insider who was on the front lines for much of that history, Autonomy will more than bring readers up to speed on one of today’s most closely watched technologies.”
“This is the story of one of those quests will change how we live. Burns was one of the first people to understand the massive implications of driverless cars. His involvement with the players inventing and commercializing this technology makes this book an authoritative preview of the autonomous age.”
ISBN: 9780062661135