For Cohen, the chromosome 21 map was not the first step in a chromosome - by - chromosome approach, but
a technological testing ground for his real goal — to map all the human chromosomes in one fell swoop.
Chosen technologies will be thoroughly
ground - and flight -
tested in relevant operating environments — reducing risks to future flight missions, gaining operational heritage, and continuing NASA's long history as a
technological leader.
In just the last few months, we have been witness to many signs of
technological advancement in this field: Tesla declaring its ability to produce a fully autonomous vehicle by 2017; Uber utilizing a broad definition of Pittsburgh's existing regulatory framework and close cooperation with local authorities in order to turn the city into an experimental
ground for autonomous taxis; Otto
testing the operation of autonomous trucks, which have the potential to disrupt the entire commercial delivery industry; Google, Baidu, Volvo, and many others, already stepping in and working hard to establish themselves in the industry, too.