Google builds their own car to test self-driving technology

[kenny]

http://www.beyond.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/google-builds-self-driving-.jpg


Unlike the retrofitted vehicles that Google has used in the past, their new self-driving car has no gas or brake pedals. In fact there is no steering wheel either because as Google puts it, “we don’t need them!”. On the inside of the vehicle, there is simply a start/stop button and a screen to display a map with navigational information. The autonomous vehicle seats two people with plenty of room for storage, or pets (including service animals). The vehicle will initially be limited to 25mph while Google completes additional tests with an initial fleet of about 100 vehicles. If proven successful they plan on expanding the autonomous vehicle program by testing with select partners in California.

More including video:

http://www.beyond.ca/google-the-car-manufacturer-builds-first-self-driving-car/37522.html

[Xtrema]

They need to figure out how this works under weather. So far it only works on sunny days.

[Isaiah]

Don't be silly. Google controls the weather.

[Ca_Silvia13]

It looks like something from Thomas the Tank Engine

[flipstah]

Originally posted by Ca_Silvia13
It looks like something from Thomas the Tank Engine

Bullshit. They smile.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[flipstah]

What's wrong with public transportation?

[blairtruck]

Originally posted by flipstah
What's wrong with public transportation?
other people

[flipstah]

Originally posted by blairtruck

other people

Gotta make the effort and drive yo ass then. As if that requires any effort to begin with nowadays.

[lilmira]

I prefer this model.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4098/5409680059_13c6d84dff.jpg

[kenny]

Originally posted by flipstah
What's wrong with public transportation?

Schedules.

Although I can see this technology being paired with public transit so we have fleets of automated buses. It'd be like the Skytrain system but on the road.

Unless unions have something to say...

[flipstah]

Originally posted by kenny


Schedules.

Although I can see this technology being paired with public transit so we have fleets of automated buses. It'd be like the Skytrain system but on the road.

Unless unions have something to say...

If scheduling is the issue, improve existing infrastructure. Don't add crap.

[faiz999]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
-no gas
-no brake pedals
-no steering wheel

I fucking told you guys that drive automatics instead of manuals it was going to come to this if you kept it up... but did you listen? Nooooooooooo

LOL

i welcome the change. sometimes i like to drive but its rarely to work/downtown/anywhere busy because its not fun driving from red light to red light.

id love to just read the paper, sip some coffee and have my robot car drop me off at work then drive itself back to pick me up.

[94boosted]

How long until autonomous technology is applied towards racing? The day a self-driven car is faster than a car driven by a pro driver will be a sad, sad day IMO :(

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak


I fucking told you guys that drive automatics instead of manuals it was going to come to this if you kept it up... but did you listen? Nooooooooooo

Yes because automatic transmissions which date back to the 1920's are the key to unlocking today's solid state computer controlled technology.:rolleyes:

The ignorance of your post does however illustrate why nobody listens to you.:)

[sneek]

Originally posted by Xtrema
They need to figure out how this works under weather. So far it only works on sunny days.

I would imagine this might be better than a human driver because of all the sensors. It would be interesting to see how it performed under blizzard conditions or heavy fog.

I would love to own something like this in the future though. No more calling cabs after the bar and no more public transit :love: This would also enable a lot more people to get a car that is more fun for the weekend. My drive to work is pretty congested, hence why I own an automatic. If I only drove on the weekend I would get something more engaging.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by heavyD

The ignorance of your post does however illustrate why nobody listens to you.:)
Ohhh snap.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[max_boost]

Lol this will be handy. Go to a sunny American city and just let google do the rest lol

[Disoblige]

But the thing is Sugarphreak, most people in general do like Automatics. And a lot of people would rather not drive if they didn't have to. So the fact that a lot of cars these days come with lane assist, self-parking, automatic braking, is all a plus is most people's books.

[a social dsease]

I see this more as a replacement for taxis then for public transit (buses/trains etc). Taxi drivers union is NOT going to be happy :D

[jwslam]

Originally posted by Disoblige
A lot of people would rather not drive if they didn't have to. So the fact that a lot of cars these days come with lane assist, self-parking, automatic braking, is all a plus is most people's books.
These are the people who shouldn't have been able to obtain a license in the first place. The should just die off now and be reborn when all their fandangled technologies exist at a later date.



Originally posted by a social dsease
Taxi drivers union is NOT going to be happy :D
They should be more concerned about this:
Police patrol popular hot spots, reminding Calgarians of new deodorant bylaw (http://urbananomie.com/2014/05/26/police-patrol-popular-hot-spots-reminding-calgarians-of-new-deodorant-bylaw/)
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak


Oh I know... My first post was actually meant as a joke

HeavyD took it so seriously so I figured I'd just humor him, lol

See, I'm not crazy. At first I thought HeavyD's sarcasm detector was broken, then you replied all serious...lol.

The truth is that the majority of the population views vehicles as appliances and driving as a chore. I truly believe that in our lifetime that fully automated transportation devices will be the norm and our gas powered, smile inducing, pollution creating toys will be relegated to operation on Sunday afternoons.

[flipstah]

What's the bailout plan if the robot goes rogue? There's no manual override...

[sputnik]

I for one cannot wait to watch the first driver-less F1 race.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by sputnik
I for one cannot wait to watch the first driver-less F1 race.

I can't wait for the loops to show up on Monaco.

http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/1483866771/2014_new_font_b_toys_b_font.jpg

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak


Oh I know... My first post was actually meant as a joke

HeavyD took it so seriously so I figured I'd just humor him, lol

We all know the manual transmission is a dying breed and we all know you have had much difficulty accepting that. You aren't humoring anyone as you actually believe the automatic transmission has led to self driving cars which simply isn't correct. Technology is the stepping stone to autonomous cars not automatic transmissions that have been around since the advent of the automobile. After manual transmissions the internal combustion engine will follow it into museums. It's simply evolution as car fans like us become phased out by the new generations that view cars simply as appliance for transportation. A good lot of kids now don't even bother getting their drivers licences. We are a dying breed but it's got nothing to do with the automatic transmission.

[flipstah]

It's that damn Twitterbook.

[supe]

I created this other thread just 3 short months ago and the feedback was surprisingly positive:

http://forums.beyond.ca/st2/driverless-cars/showthread.php?s=&threadid=379882&perpage=20&highlight=&pagenumber=1

This coming from a car forum speaks pretty loudly where the future is headed.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[jdmXSI]

Originally posted by jwslam

These are the people who shouldn't have been able to obtain a license in the first place. The should just die off now and be reborn when all their fandangled technologies exist at a later date.



They should be more concerned about this:
Police patrol popular hot spots, reminding Calgarians of new deodorant bylaw (http://urbananomie.com/2014/05/26/police-patrol-popular-hot-spots-reminding-calgarians-of-new-deodorant-bylaw/)
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Funny enough, they were saying on the news that if you wanted to have a driverless car in California that you would have to get a permit and carry a $5mm insurance policy on the car... I bet the premiums would be outragous! lol.

The deodorant thing is a joke, read the comments. Still pretty funny satire though.

[flipstah]

http://apidaonline.com/index.php/articles/life/item/will-we-see-the-end-of-car-culture-within-our-lifetimes

[SideSwipe]

Originally posted by flipstah
http://apidaonline.com/index.php/articles/life/item/will-we-see-the-end-of-car-culture-within-our-lifetimes
:(

At least driver-less cars will clear some of the bad drivers off of the road. Kinda like what Jeremy Clarkson said about people who have no interest in cars shouldn't be driving anyways. Unfortunately for us, the majority of the population shows no interest in cars.


It'll probably make you watch an advertisement to start it and continue after every red light or something. It will collect information from your travels and shoot advertisements at your retinas. "City of Calgary DLC!". Subscription charges of some kind.

"I'm sorry Dave, I cannot let you do that" levels of shit are about to go down.


All I care about is that I am not legally obliged to buy one because it becomes illegal to drive yourself around. I hate sounding like an impossible old man or a stuck up ass, but I don't want anyone in control of my car except me. I want to turn the wheel and press the loud pedal. Childish? Maybe. Immature? Maybe. But it's the joy of driving.

[M.alex]

Originally posted by Disoblige
But the thing is Sugarphreak, most people in general do like Automatics. And a lot of people would rather not drive if they didn't have to. So the fact that a lot of cars these days come with lane assist, self-parking, automatic braking, is all a plus is most people's books.

Sad but true - almost everybody I know would love a self-driving car if it meant they could sit there and read/sleep/etc... on the way to work.

i like driving so I'd be bored out of my mind and hate it.

[Seth1968]

So lets say that in 20 years we all have self driving cars and car accidents are a thing of the past.

That will save insurance companies millions of dollars every year. Think they'll pass the savings on to us?:)

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by M.alex


Sad but true - almost everybody I know would love a self-driving car if it meant they could sit there and read/sleep/etc... on the way to work.

i like driving so I'd be bored out of my mind and hate it.

But just imagine having a leg press in your very own driverless module.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR
But just imagine having a leg press in your very own driverless module.

I'd shit my pants.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[xnvy]

^Or they could charge us for mundane minutiae like coffee spills in your car.

[Cos]

.

[dirtsniffer]

There will always be accidents. In my opinion, even if it is the same rate as human drivers I would say it is an upgrade, especially if they have all been low speed collisions.

I'd assume that these autonomous cars will be able to communicate with each other more effectively than signalling once they are all over the place. Good bye traffic jams caused by stupid people.