Today, the Science Museum in London hosted the unveiling of the most recent driverless vehicle. “With a range of up to 200 meters (650 feet), the Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI’s two eye-like laser sensors in the front and one in the back scan the road, structures, other cars, and pedestrians.”

Global automakers have been vying to develop the best robotic car technology, and three years ago, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Urban Challenge was established to test the vehicles over a 60-mile course in America. At a conference in San Francisco in February, scientists forecasted that by 2030, humans might be transported by robot-driven cars.

I think this technology is amazing. Think about how different our world will be then. Stop-and-go traffic should no longer be stressful. Perhaps a few relaxing cocktails can be enjoyed during the drive home. There will be no more aggressive driving. I’m intrigued by the idea of driverless cars because satellite navigation technology has significantly raised my standard of living. The one piece of technology that has changed my life the most in the last ten years, in my opinion, is my TomTom. I can skip all the pre-trip preparation, I don’t have to struggle to read poorly written directions in congested traffic, and I don’t have to worry about getting lost. My best friend would be the sat nav. I can only imagine how wonderful a driverless car would be; it would be like a TomTom on steroids.

However, I have a few inquiries: Why will it take the technology another 20+ years to be perfected? What happens at DARPA – is it more of a “smash-up derby”? What happens if the sensors malfunction or the system is flawed? This technology, in my opinion, still needs a lot of bugs to be worked out.

Until that time, I’ll be driving home daydreaming about my envisioned “happy-hour Margarita commute” while my heels resemble clutch burn and my road rage simmers.