CARS THAT DRIVE THEMSELVES

[Cramulus]

well it's not a flying car, but sounds pretty sweet anyway.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/09/google-automated-cars/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=Google+Reader



The New York Times... says a total of seven cars have driven 1,000 miles without any human intervention (the 140,000 mile number includes occasional human control, apparently). These cars are a modified version of the Toyota Prius — and there is one Audi TT, as well.

So how does this work? The automated cars use video cameras, radar sensors, and a laser range finder to locate everything around them (these are mounted on the roof). And, of course, they use Google's own maps. But the key?

This is all made possible by Google's data centers, which can process the enormous amounts of information gathered by our cars when mapping their terrain.



SOURCE at google blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-were-driving-at.html

[bds]

That's pretty neat - I'd love a car that you could just chill in. More props to Google, too, it seems their devteam can do little wrong.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Sounds like a good solution to drunk driving

[Triple Zero]

More props to Google, too, it seems their devteam can do little wrong.

[bds]

More props to Google, too, it seems their devteam can do little wrong.

Yeah I know you have your personal little vendetta against them, but I'm pretty sure the rest of the world likes their products just fine, thanks.

[Jasper]

I hope we can come up with cars that have the added gear without sacrificing too much fuel efficiency.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Does the car automatically stop at a gas station if it's low on fuel? That would be cool.

[Cramulus]

I am SO excited for the opportunity to get in the car for some long haul or road trip, start up the ignition, crack open a good book, and relax.

[Jasper]

Hell yeah.  Actually I take it back.  I would shell out for more gas if I had to, for that. 

After that, all I'd need was a way to make useful the time I spent sleeping.

[Doktor Howl]

This is a fucking abomination. 

DRIVING a car is part of what makes this unholy shithole worth hanging around for.  Now we're going to have our CARS drive for us?  Would Johnny fucking Cash let his pickup take him to town?  Would James Goddamn Dean let his hotrod do the driving (Actually, he tried that, and look what happened).

Welcome to the new century.  It ain't American Grafitti, it's Driving Ms Daisy.

This shit makes me want to fucking puke blood all over an automotive engineer, and jam his slide rule Blackberry up his arse.

GAH.

[Jasper]

Driving for pleasure's sake is something I do enjoy at times.  But still, it'd be nice if it was more...optional?

[Doktor Howl]

Driving for pleasure's sake is something I do enjoy at times.  But still, it'd be nice if it was more...optional?

Ask yourself how long it would be before you never used the controls again.

You just get it, and it takes you where you're supposed to be.

ETA:  And how long would manual driving remain LEGAL?

[Jasper]

If I could teach it to carouse, that might be an acceptable fate.

[Doktor Howl]

If I could teach it to carouse, that might be an acceptable fate.

They can have my steering wheel when they peel it from my cold, dead hands.

[Cramulus]

out here in new york, driving is frustrating, tense, and often emotional. We're in the top 5 cities for road rage and you can totally see why. Everybody around here drives like it's competition. They're not going to let you in because the you'd be ahead of them. If you're sitting at a red light that turns green and you're not zooming off within 1.25 seconds, people start honking and shouting. When my new york friends visit connecticut, they almost always comment on how much more relaxing the roads are because people aren't freaking out all the time.

I enjoy a leisurely sunday drive now and then, but I'd gladly buy this laser steering device if I never had to drive again.


too bad it'll be like 8 years before it's ready.