You are driving along a busy highway, yet you are calm and are listening to your favorite music. But what defines driving these days? The key never left your pocket, yet the car opened when you approached it, the engine started at the push of a button, the headlights came on automatically, the climate control created a comfortable environment and the wipers started automatically and took care of that light drizzle halfway down the road. The car reminds you now and then of the upcoming service in half a year, gentle vibrations in the steering remind you to use the indicators when changing lanes and emergency brake assistants can jump in at the last second to protect you and the people outside from harm. How did we get here? In the years after 1885, following the invention of the car, the driver needed to understand the difference between diesel and petrol engines, needed to monitor temperatures and liquid levels of coolants and oils, gauge the lifetime of driving belts based on the odometer and match the engine speeds when changing gears. Leaps in sensor technology, safety and automation have made driving second nature to us, limiting the technical interaction with our cars to scheduling a service. The car checks itself and the owners can trust the car to do the job they expect of it: getting you there, in some cases even autonomously.
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