Google Creating Driverless Cars

[trax1]

I just saw a thing on a TV show about this, but apparently Google has a system that can drive cars.  They've been testing it for about a year and have already logged over 140,000 driverless miles in 4 cars without any accidents, well at least none they caused, there was one car that was rear ended at a stop light.  I'm sure this technology is still about a decade out from being put into a car you could buy and afford, but for someone like me this would be a huge help as I'm in a wheelchair and can't use one of my arms which means I can't use hand controls, so I'm really looking forward to this being available as an option you pick when buying a car.

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2010/10/google-logs-140000-driverless-miles-surreptitiously.html

[Jayhawk]

Free, all you need is a Google account.  Should be in there, right in between your Google Calender and Google Voicemail. 

[Perrine]

When these become popular, state and local governments will freak out. Where will they get their traffic citation income from, now? There won't be any more traffic infractions. when this happens expect a bunch of crazy, strange, and fast-changing traffic laws to go into effect to try to confuse the automated cars.

[CAP1]

there's been different companies trying this for years.

bmw and mercedes both have versions that use gps.

[Spikes]

When these become popular, state and local governments will freak out. Where will they get their traffic citation income from, now? There won't be any more traffic infractions. when this happens expect a bunch of crazy, strange, and fast-changing traffic laws to go into effect to try to confuse the automated cars.

Or they just illegalize them.

[redman555]

Do they not realize making this kind of stuff is going to make more people lose jobs?  Truck drivers, taxi drivers, and so forth.  There will be no need for them anymore.

-BigBOBCH

[trax1]

Do they not realize making this kind of stuff is going to make more people lose jobs?  Truck drivers, taxi drivers, and so forth.  There will be no need for them anymore.

-BigBOBCH

I hope that was sarcastic, but if not you do realize the lives that a system like this would potentially save, drunk drivers would practically become a thing of the past, not to mention the millions of others that loss there lives in traffic accidents, plus they say the same thing about people losing jobs anytime a new technology comes out, like when the chainsaw or the jack hammer came out.

[CAP1]

what about the lives lost when the computer system running the thing "burps"?

 or if the powers that be decide you don't need to go to the store today, so there is no way your car can or will take you there.


 no thanks...i'll drive myself, thank you very much.

[trax1]

what about the lives lost when the computer system running the thing "burps"?

 or if the powers that be decide you don't need to go to the store today, so there is no way your car can or will take you there.


 no thanks...i'll drive myself, thank you very much.

I'm sure the cars would still have the ability to be driven by yourself, I can't really see any car maker, or anyone even wanting to buy a car they didn't allow that on, so that would never be an issue, and as for the computer causing the accident, I'm sure that it might occasionally happen, but I'd bet that it would happen far far less then often compared to a human driver, thus reducing over-all fatality significantly, probably at least a hundred fold or higher. 

[Vudak]

Well, I hope it (or something else that works) becomes an option for you, Trax.  I do hope you're right that it won't be the only option for everyone, however.

[trax1]

Well, I hope it (or something else that works) becomes an option for you, Trax.  I do hope you're right that it won't be the only option for everyone, however.

Yeah, like I said I can't see any car maker not giving you the option to turn it off and take the wheel yourself, because you will still have people that just enjoy driving the car themselves, feeling the engine as you put down the accelerator, no car maker would limit themselves by trying to sell a car that you couldn't turn the device off and take control yourself, I'm sure it will almost be looked at like a kind of cruise control.

[dedalos]

Got to love complete paranoia    Yeah, you wont be able to go to the store because the powers that be did not want you to, but if you had a car the powers would not be able to stop you    I don;t know, if I was the powers, I'd just close the store or just shoot you in your car lol.

You have to worry about something like that happening right after all cars get replaced by the electric cars, which should have happened 20 years ago according to the last paranoia lol

[Melvin]

OK, so what happens when I'm driving down the road and I encounter a computer controlled vehicle?

I know what I'm gonna do, but how is the Botcar gonna handle dealing with my feeble mindedness?

Computers are tools, not necessities.

<S> Melvin

[Jayhawk]

Do they not realize making this kind of stuff is going to make more people lose jobs?  Truck drivers, taxi drivers, and so forth.  There will be no need for them anymore.

-BigBOBCH

And the invention of the chainsaw made ax-men loose their jobs. Welcome to the last 200,000 years. New inventions increase efficiency and productivity, allowing companies to grow.  

I agree with trax, I can't imagine any company making cars without a manual override.  Every invention isn't a government conspiracy to control your mind.

OK, so what happens when I'm driving down the road and I encounter a computer controlled vehicle?

I know what I'm gonna do, but how is the Botcar gonna handle dealing with my feeble mindedness?

Computers are tools, not necessities.

<S> Melvin

They are probably able to recognize and react to the situation long before you even realize what is going on.  No one said this is anything but a tool.

[Melvin]

Jayhawk, while I can see what you're thinking here, the fact is that no computer can match my ninja-like reflexes.

However, I could see this going bad like many other "tools". (Remote controls, cell-phones, reachin' sticks, to name a few.) It will end up being a crutch for the lazy. I don't know anybody that can't drive a manual transmissioned vehicle.

Let's all get a little dumber and more lazy.

<S> Melvin