Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Google’s Homemade Self-Driving Cars to Hit Roads This Summer
RedCode.net ^ | 05/15/2015 | Mark Bergen

Posted on 05/16/2015 6:22:18 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Here’s something that irks Chris Urmson: Sometimes people will get in self-driving cars, the spectacularly complex piece of technology he runs at Google and to which he has devoted most of his scientific career, and leave with a shrug.

Once, Urmson was riding in one of Google’s Lexus SUVs down a freeway. Several minutes in, his fellow passenger turned to him, nonplussed.

“That’s it?”

Urmson, recalling the story on Google’s Mountain View campus earlier this week, threw up his hands: “Do you have any idea how hard this is?!”

Soon, there may be many more blasé reactions to one of Google’s most audacious moonshots. On Friday, the Internet giant announced that the first autonomous vehicle it has manufactured — a squat two-seater, unveiled a year ago, with no steering wheel or brakes — will begin rolling out on public roads in northern California this summer. Urmson and his team have assembled 25 of the cars, which, for now, are just called “prototypes.” (Re/code has dubbed them “clown cars”; Google may be more partial to the “Koala car” nomenclature.) When they hit the roads, they will not exceed 25 miles per hour. And, due to current state regulations, they must be equipped with brakes, an accelerator pedal and a steering wheel.

But ultimately, Google wants to strip those out.

The company’s stated goal is shepherding fleets of vehicles that can drive with no need for human intervention, a bid to curtail the time wasted in traffic and aide those unable to drive. “At that point, the steering wheel and brake pedal just don’t add value,” Urmson said during the demonstration at the new Google X headquarters in Mountain View.

(Excerpt) Read more at recode.net ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Science
KEYWORDS: google; selfdrivingcars
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last
To: Bulwyf

What happens when it’s “decided” that the biggest hazard to self driving cars are those of us without them, remembering that we now live in the time where the minority opinion rules all?


21 posted on 05/16/2015 7:24:38 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (Liberals make unrealistic demands on reality and reality doesn't oblige them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Hillarys Gate Cult

That would be a likely course of action, but before that happens there will likely be mass unrest.


22 posted on 05/16/2015 7:34:19 AM PDT by Bulwyf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: BwanaNdege

RE: In 2010, there were an estimated 5,419,000 crashes (30,296 fatal crashes), killing 32,999 and injuring 2,239,000

That’s like 2 jumbo jets crashing every week...


23 posted on 05/16/2015 7:47:57 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

When I enter an intersection of stop signs, with queues at every sign, I look for hesitation, timidity, and uncertainty, and I just go whether it is “my turn” or not. If everyone is on the ball, I wait my turn.

When these self driving cars appear at stop sign intersections, people like me will see their weakness (Asimov’s Laws?), and just go. They will be cut in front of for leaving too much following distance. They will be cut off because people trust them to stop. They will be bullied and intimidated right off the road — literally.

It ain’t gonna work.


24 posted on 05/16/2015 8:06:29 AM PDT by Born to Conserve
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Uh, no.... I’d rather drive, driving requires intuition and human judgement, as imperfect as the latter is, it will still be better than a computer.


25 posted on 05/16/2015 8:07:40 AM PDT by Nowhere Man (Mom I miss you! (8-20-1938 to 11-18-2013) Cancer sucks)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek
If a google car is at a light and it turns green, does the google car just go because the light is green or does it acknowledge the semi coming from the side, unable to stop?

IIRC, MIT had a robot named "Shakey" that they made around 1966/69. They did an experiment on programming the robot with enough intelligence and judgement to cross a street. One of the things they programmed the robot to do is to determine if there are vehicles around before crossing. It would never cross the street until the programmers figured out to put in a subroutine to enable the robot to determine which vehicles are moving or parked.
26 posted on 05/16/2015 8:12:02 AM PDT by Nowhere Man (Mom I miss you! (8-20-1938 to 11-18-2013) Cancer sucks)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Hillarys Gate Cult

So it would be useless during a zombie attack


See, I knew these things would turn out to be impractical...


27 posted on 05/16/2015 8:18:55 AM PDT by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Fine.. But can they handle playing chicken?

How long before they start getting snatched off the streets and end up in chop shops?

Where does the luggage go?


28 posted on 05/16/2015 8:51:23 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (SEMPER FI!! - Monthly Donors Rock!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

SO....... TELL ME AGAIN HOW GOOGLE GOT ITS HANDS ON
MILITARY GRADE GPS....

nothing to do with political contributions fer sure

perhaps the same way the Chinese got their hands on satellite technology from LORAL under Clintoon.... $$$$$$$


29 posted on 05/16/2015 8:57:03 AM PDT by zzwhale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Expected to hit speeds up to 25 MPH pack lunch for long drive.


30 posted on 05/16/2015 9:00:44 AM PDT by Vaduz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo

Had years ago where we came upon road construction that they didn’t even know what they were doing. Nobody was directing traffic as they were prepping the road for resurfacing, both lanes the the median. No cones or markers were anywhere. It was “you figure it out.” We got through with no direction from those working there.

This week I was expected to pull a road out of my rear end. They had fire trucks blocking both lanes and cones in the median for an accident. Lanes on the other side were moving normally. They were routing us through a residential neighborhood although nobody was directing traffic. The last ambulance left as I got to the choke point. Lucky for me I knew the neighborhood as friends I used to party with in high school used to live there.

My guess in both cases is that a self driving car would have just stopped and not moved until things got back to normal.


31 posted on 05/16/2015 9:05:16 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (Liberals make unrealistic demands on reality and reality doesn't oblige them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Hillarys Gate Cult

You make valid points and if there is no manual override (i.e. No steering wheel or pedals like Google wants) then what would you?


32 posted on 05/16/2015 10:03:30 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo

Add to the list;

This would destroy the sports car market as fast acceleration would be a thing of the past. Not to mention speeding would also be forbidden. Sure would help out in an emergency. /sarcasm.

Any major infraction or missed payments could have your car leaving you for a city lot at the whim of the gubmint. You would have to pay plenty to get it back like the towing rackets do now.

Don’t even get me started on what hackers could do with those cars.


33 posted on 05/16/2015 10:23:10 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (Liberals make unrealistic demands on reality and reality doesn't oblige them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo

Everyone is right to be afraid but I think this coming. People might get injured or killed for some reason but elites may look on the populace the same way that World War I generals looked at soldiers.


34 posted on 05/16/2015 11:04:49 AM PDT by citizen352 (I have done no harm. But I remember now. l am in this earthly world...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson