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.
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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.
The support of my readers through the years has given me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Four years ago, just before the 2020 election I wrote that Joe Biden's mental health was suspect. Only in this year has the propaganda mainstream media decided to recognize that basic fact.
Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Even today NASA and Congress refuse to recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are five ways of doing so:
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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.