SNHS Chemistry Blog 1: Self Driving Cars

Alisha Kohli

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Self Driving cars are something that most people only dreamt of in the past. First they had to walk. They figured out how to ride horses years later. People got to more advanced “technology” when they invented bicycles. Automated cars came soon after that. Now, we are here. If you were to ask someone in the past if they would want to sit in a box with wheels and only have to control it with a steering wheel, they would laugh and say that it sounds like a dream. Now, with these amazing cars, we can only think of the future: self driving cars. Something that was seen in Back To The Future. They said that in the 2020s, we would have not only self-driving cars but flying cars. Flying cars sounds a bit unrealistic, though self-driving cars could be a reality within the next couple of years, with chemistry.

Chemistry can help with figuring out the materials that need to be used in the car to make it as efficient as possible. According to EurekAlert, “Safety is key when transporting people. Among the many technologies and materials required for self-driving cars, sensors are one of the most important elements in that they enable the vehicle to "see" its surroundings and avoid dangerous situations. To help keep these sensors working as they should, manufacturers are investigating the use of nonstick and self-cleaning coatings to reduce maintenance and enhance safety. “ These coatings would be made with the help of chemistry. With these coating, it would be one step further in accomplishing the ultimate goal, self driving cars. As the world is changing, especially with chemistry, there are also changing organizations which help grow the field as much as possible. According to EurekAlert, “The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS' mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.”

Chemistry should be used to help people, since it has solved the most demanding and crucial problems in the past. “The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a specialist in scientific information solutions (including SciFinder® and STN®), its CAS division powers global research, discovery and innovation. ACS' main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.” From growing plants and struggling in the winters, to beautiful cars and huge houses, the human race has come so far. We would assume that it was because of inventors and innovators, though the real thanks should be to chemists. They create and figure out solutions to the world's problem, no matter how simple or complex. From cleaning tools to life saving products, chemists have done it all, and now they will help solve the Self Driving Car problem.