Google introduces its first prototype of a completely driverless vehicle.
Google introduces its first prototype of a completely driverless vehicle.
The prototype accommodates for two passengers and is missing quite a few of the features you’d expect to see in a standard car. With no need for a steering wheel, mirrors or braking and accelerating pedals, the car comes fully equipped with special software and sensors that feed information into an onboard computer, which then drives the car.
The story and video are very vague about a lot of important details, such as how much programing was necessary for the vehicle to do the specific test drives shown as well as how the passengers tell the vehicle where to go. Nonetheless, as a prototype this vehicle is quite intriguing.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Google introduces its first prototype of a completely driverless vehicle.
The prototype accommodates for two passengers and is missing quite a few of the features you’d expect to see in a standard car. With no need for a steering wheel, mirrors or braking and accelerating pedals, the car comes fully equipped with special software and sensors that feed information into an onboard computer, which then drives the car.
The story and video are very vague about a lot of important details, such as how much programing was necessary for the vehicle to do the specific test drives shown as well as how the passengers tell the vehicle where to go. Nonetheless, as a prototype this vehicle is quite intriguing.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
So is there no manual control? I’m reminded of the story of how the first fighter jets didn’t have guns because people assumed there would be no high speed Dog fights, it didn’t quite work out that way.
Even the best auto pilot which is what this basically is. You still need he option if limited more than a traditional car to take over when things don’t go as planed.
“With no need for a steering wheel, mirrors or braking and accelerating pedals”
Why wouldn’t they put mirrors in? People like to look around without turning around.
No manual control?
Count me out.
Plus its ugly as hell. Looks like one of those kids riding toys.
These are not really meant for the open road, they as I understand it are for testing and gated community’s with a top speed of twenty five miles per hour, I could not see them being used for any kind of a commute beyond 5 miles, let alone a congested urban setting, the University of Michigan is building a testing facility that has a number of challenges for autonomous vehicles http://www.roadsbridges.com/autonomous-vehicles-university-michigan-breaks-ground-announces-industry-partners-autonomous-vehicle, with what looks like a second test track area at Willow Run airport where the b-25 plant was, I would imagine that there are more track test facilitys in other state also being built for this next step in urban planning. As for my interest, I would never use this mode of transportation, but I understand that it will have its applications.
Recall the movie ‘The Right Stuff’ where the Mercury astronauts are looking at the prototype capsule. People like to be in control of their machines.
I found a different side to the autonomous car that I had not thought of at The Truth About Cars, whereby the author of this piece has questions about software that would try to minimize an accident at a cost, http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/05/qotd-a-robot-car-that-kills-you/#more-834481 just another viewpoint.
B-24 plant.
My bad, thankyou.