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Google's Driverless Cars Now Need Steering Wheels
hngn ^ | 8-22-2014 | John Nassivera

Posted on 08/22/2014 10:56:23 AM PDT by Citizen Zed

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is now making it mandatory for Google's driverless cars to be equipped with steering wheels and pedals.

The new regulations on testing have been released to make sure that a human can take control of the vehicle in case something goes wrong with the car's software, according to The Telegraph. The search giant is now unable to take its autonomous vehicles on public roads without giving drivers the ability to take "immediate control" of the car.

(Excerpt) Read more at hngn.com ...


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Do they need union drivers?
1 posted on 08/22/2014 10:56:23 AM PDT by Citizen Zed
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To: Citizen Zed

How else can the revenuers get their revenue!


2 posted on 08/22/2014 10:58:41 AM PDT by CSM
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To: Citizen Zed

Would you trust the likes of Google with your family’s safety? Not in a million years.


3 posted on 08/22/2014 10:58:44 AM PDT by BlopAndStop
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To: Citizen Zed

Are Cali legislators expecting humans to jump into the “out of control” cars like Keanu in the movie Speed?


4 posted on 08/22/2014 11:00:29 AM PDT by Sgt_Schultze (A half-truth is a complete lie)
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To: Citizen Zed
If the controls are fly-by-wire, the steering wheel and pedals will be too.

Makes zero sense, but that's what you get when you draw your politicians from the sub-100 IQ pool.

5 posted on 08/22/2014 11:04:01 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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To: Citizen Zed

If there is nobody in the car able to control it, then what human is legally liable for any accident or traffic violation by the car? That’s the real issue behind this.


6 posted on 08/22/2014 11:04:29 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

It actually surprises me that they bought cars without the basic controls - I figure it would have been a lot cheaper just to buy stock vehicles.


7 posted on 08/22/2014 11:07:03 AM PDT by alancarp
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To: Citizen Zed

It has nothing to do with unions. Virtually every self propelled vehicle from planes, trains, boats, automobiles, and even drones are required to have a human-machine interface, if only to take control when something goes wrong.


8 posted on 08/22/2014 11:08:23 AM PDT by factoryrat (We are the producers, the creators. Grow it, mine it, build it.)
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To: PapaBear3625
"... then what human is legally liable for any accident or traffic violation by the car?"

That's covered in the linked article.

9 posted on 08/22/2014 11:08:35 AM PDT by alancarp
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To: Sgt_Schultze

“Are Cali legislators expecting humans to jump into the “out of control” cars like Keanu in the movie Speed?”

No. A ‘driver’ is required to sit in the ‘natural position’.


10 posted on 08/22/2014 11:10:51 AM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Citizen Zed

Well, no s! How many gov’t subsidies/taxpayer dollars did it take to come to that conclusion? /Duh


11 posted on 08/22/2014 11:11:35 AM PDT by W. (Congress: Never bet against their ability to grow stupidity exponentially.)
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To: Citizen Zed
I don't think the cars are intended to be used as robots (i.e. no humans) but rather to drive humans as passengers. Theoretically this is safer as robotic cars would have the ability to maintain a constant difference between each other, all cars would know about instantaneous stops or other maneuvers of cars ahead in real time and could adjust at same time, etc.

That said, I always wondered why in Knight Rider they would build KITT as a two seat sports car which required someone to sit in the driver seat. I mean, what's the point of a car that drives itself if you have to sit behind the wheel all the time anyway? Why not make KITT and RV? Now I know, some bureaucrat demanded it.

12 posted on 08/22/2014 11:12:14 AM PDT by pepsi_junkie (Who is John Galt?)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“If the controls are fly-by-wire, the steering wheel and pedals will be too. Makes zero sense, but that’s what you get when you draw your politicians from the sub-100 IQ pool.”

Your post makes no sense.


13 posted on 08/22/2014 11:12:46 AM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator
A computer is controlling step motors that steer the vehicle.

A steering wheel will be nothing more than a joystick that sends signals to the computer.

14 posted on 08/22/2014 11:17:21 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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To: TexasGator

If the computer goes down, the steering wheel will not work.


15 posted on 08/22/2014 11:17:57 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

You are right. I guess I will never fly commercial again. If their computer goes down, the steering will not work.


16 posted on 08/22/2014 11:25:41 AM PDT by TexasGator
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Makes zero sense, but that's what you get when you draw your politicians from the sub-100 IQ pool

For the DU Trolls who are unable to grasp the concept.

17 posted on 08/22/2014 11:29:30 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (I want a Speaker who'll stick that pen and phone where no one but Reggie Love can find it!)
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To: TexasGator

They’re defeating the whole purpose.


18 posted on 08/22/2014 11:53:26 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Fly by wire does not mean they all operate with the same software. Even fly-by-wire aircraft have backup systems. Trust me it is not a joke and works well. I engineer avionics for a living. The design of redundant systems is an whole science. Personally I would never drive in a car with no backup manual control...not unless it was designed to FAA standards. I sure as heck would not trust my life to anything programmed by those hippies at Google. I doubt they would know DO-178b if it bit them in the butt.


19 posted on 08/22/2014 11:53:35 AM PDT by TalonDJ
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To: The Sons of Liberty

Heck, I’m still a little uneasy when I just go to cruise control! I can’t imagine sitting back with any sense of security while my car drives me!


20 posted on 08/22/2014 11:55:35 AM PDT by freepertoo
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