Posted on 06/25/2012 5:53:42 AM PDT by Silentgypsy
Google's self-driving car has fascinated our minds with its technological promise since being introduced in 2010. But yesterday, the self-driving car touched our hearts.
Google posted a video of the self-driving car taking a legally blind man for a spin, showing one of the possibilities and benefits that could come from the technology.
"Where this would change my life is to give me the independence and the flexibility to go to the places I both want to go and need to go when I need to do those things," Steve Mahan says in the video.
The self-driving car takes Mahan to Taco Bell for a quick meal and a dry cleaner to pick up his clothes.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Yes; same thing happening to me. I stopped using it last week. I’m back to ADC Maps. LOL.
I can deal with others drivers’ *unpredictability*, but not with robots’ *straight-ahead vision*. At least, not yet.
Maybe but at Del Taco you have to watch out for the employee with a knife.
It's nice to know that autopilot systems on planes have demonstrated the capability to perform an unassisted landing. When I'm the passenger, I want two experienced pilots in the cockpit.
I couldn’t imagine giving a child false hope.
instead of streaming ads, Google of the future will simply route everyone’s trip through a Taco Bell drive thru...
F’n-ay right!
If it's anything like ours, it has advanced algorithms to take you through the scariest possible neighborhoods.
It might be installed with the “Avoid Ghetto” app by MS!
Instead of intentionally hitting it just slowly ease yourself into the same lane ahead of it and then slam on the brakes! Let’s see how the computer deals with that kind of problem.
Who will be ticketed? The computer or the blind guy?
Yeah but.. can it keep a straight face when it’s smuggling drugs and illegals?
A few years ago, I was visiting a family member in the hospital in Dallas. I left to go pick up some houseshoes, etc and followed my Tomtom to what it claimed was a shopping center. I was confused because the road was getting smaller and less maintained until I finally rounded the last turn right into a construction staging yard. The guys there sure gave me a funny look as I turned my car around and headed back out.
Good idea..... I never thought about who would you ticket... Being that there isn’t a driver... Google would crap a brick if their little toy was being sued.
Will it have a ‘sport mode’ so it can take you through the streets of Paris on an early Sunday morning like this guy did back in the ‘70s?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NJzrv4MaMo
The Googlemobile’s first accident:
http://jalopnik.com/5828101/this-is-googles-first-self+driving-car-crash
I’m amazed at the negativity toward new technology by some of the posts. I’d half expect if this were 4,000 BC, we’d be hearing comments like..
“That wheel doesn’t exist in nature. It’s not natural!”
“What if that wheel runs over someone’s foot? That’s gotta hurt.”
Fun video, but fake to some degree. The guy was driving a Mercedes but the Ferrari sound was dubbed in.
Next step in the evolution of technology... pilot-less transportation to a shitty fake Mexican restaurant. Blind man finds way to Taco Bell, can't find rest room in time.
Fake but accurate!!! LOL!
Here is an interview with the film maker in 2006 about the making of the film. Press the “CC” to get the translation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDXFvtVlYcM
As stupid as the basic idea appears on the surface, I can see 600,000 elderly (85+) driven cars getting these old folks to the store, the doctor etc. etc. and maybe a good deal safer than the person who owns the car.
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