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Google's self-driving cars

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by bwilson4web, Oct 9, 2010.

  1. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/science/10google.html

    This is the way to go.

    Bob Wilson
     
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  2. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Yeah but this sort of thing isn't easily adopted in the U.S.A. For some reason, our gov't thinks its okay for humans to kill humans, but if a machine was ever responsible killing humans, God forbid!
     
  3. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    America was founded based on freedom. Americans want the freedom to be able to control their own car without some Orwellian computer telling them what to do.

    This might work well in China, but I sure as heck hope it never makes it to the United States!

    When I used to visit my grandparents, we would drive on dirt roads to get to their house. Aside from the city people that have never seen a farm field, most of the United States is covered by open terrain. People drive on dirt roads and across their property and fields where improvised dirt roads aren't on Google maps. A Prius does just find on a dirt road, as does a Leaf or Volt.

    Oh, lane assist is great, you say? Why did the BP oil rig sink? Because execs relied on the safety systems which instilled in them the confidence to take bigger risks. Throughout society, people take bigger and bigger risks because they think safely systems are going to back them up. Air bags don't save you at 100mph. Back to LANE ASSIST ... now people will think they can talk on cell phones, eat, and perhaps even DUI because, of course, the lane assist will save their life. (extreme sarcasm)
     
  4. 13Plug

    13Plug Active Member

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  5. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Calm down. Of course there would be an override, with the option to drive yourself.

    Thank God you don't work at Google. LOL.
     
  6. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Thanks! My dad forwarded me a version of this article w/no pictures nor video.

    Heh, I guess we've got the beginning of Skynet. :) We've already got autonomous flying drones and now we've got this...

    Side notes:
    There was an excellent documentary on the DARPA Grand Challenge (2005) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that Stanford won at NOVA | The Great Robot Race | PBS. It's great watching for anyone who's into robotics or vision in computers. I watched thanks to TiVo and not online. For those who like sitting in front of their computer to watch a long show, it looks like it's still up at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/darpa/program.html.

    At CES in January 08, I got to ride in CES Notebook: A Victory Lap in an Autonomous Car: Scientific American (winner of CMU wins $2 million in urban robot race | News Blog - CNET News [2007 DARPA Urban Challenge]) with the computer doing the driving. They had a mock course set up and another human driven car to act as traffic.

    The driving was very jerky but it was amazing to see the potential and to witness the car driving itself w/a laptop showing a map of what it thought was around the car. Too bad I didn't take a video of it. All I have is some pics of the inside and back of the Tahoe.
     
  7. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The important questions are whether they can properly simulate road rage, aggressive driving, and texting?

    Tom
     
  8. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    A robot driver converts part of life spent commuting or running errands into something enjoyable . . . designing better robot drivers.

    Bob Wilson
     
  9. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    More details:
    http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/09/google-automated-cars/
    Bob Wilson
     
  10. krg03

    krg03 Not expert, just experienced

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    "curious funnel-like cylinder on the roof." Cone-head car?
     
  11. richsc

    richsc New Member

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    Didn't Volvo recently announce this as a direction that would take years to achieve? Looks like the future of computerized cars lies with tech companies with huge IT resources.
     
  12. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i have been nervous, in that position, watching my rearview for the person behind me not slowing down. however, if you've already got a car behind you, it's hard to be prepared for the double whammy.
     
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  15. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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  16. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    1/2 decade old zombie thread - but I'll bite . . . . .
    skynet
    judgement day - machines take over
    :eek:

    [​IMG]

    :D
    .
     
  17. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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