Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), the popular electric car maker, has released a new application that makes it possible for drivers to park their cars remotely. Christened Summon, the new application makes it possible for users of cars to literally command their cars to slowly get themselves into their garages at home.
Also, individuals can use the app to command their cars to neatly find and pack themselves into empty parking spaces in public places. And in what may sound as a fairy tale, the app allows users to nudge their sleeping cars into wakefulness and slowly commandeer the cars to come to where the users are.
Summon is not something entirely new, by the strict sense of the word. It can be seen as a recent development to the technology that allows cars to drive themselves. For years now, many new unconventional car makers like Tesla have been trying to develop technologies that allow cars to drive themselves.
Although this goal may sound attractive, the technicalities involved in making it a reality are quite complex. First, users of cars have to be fully ready to use such a technology. The readiness of users mainly relies on their knowledge about the technology and acceptance of its level of safety. Second, the authorities have to be satisfied that the technology is actually working and that it will not be easily abused.
The issue of users potentially abusing the technology is the main concern to not only Tesla, but also other electric car manufacturers who are determined to put this technology in the cars that they develop. The problem is that Tesla cannot dictate to individuals when and how to use the technology that they give to them.
For example, in the past, the company developed the app that makes it possible for users to sit back and be automatically driven about in their own cars. What the company did not foresee is that some overenthusiastic users would easily cross the line.
Indeed, some fellows decided to literally have fun by setting their cars on automatic drive mode when in highly dangerous situations and then sitting back to enjoy the thrill. Videos of cars on automatic mode cruising on major roads suddenly started emerging. This posed a danger to many road users, including the risk-taking users of the app.
It is because of this that Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, believes that this time round, users shall be expected to exercise caution when using Summon. He believes that individuals will understand that the technology is still under development and as a result, only use it for its intended purposes.
