Google gets license to drive.... driverless

[dieselraver]

Amazing stuff! Florida watch out!

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/07/tech/n...html?hpt=hp_c1

(CNN) -- If you want to salute, race or flirt with other drivers in Nevada, you could soon be out of luck with some cars.
That's because on Monday, Nevada became the first to approve a license for "autonomous vehicles" -- in other words, cars that cruise, twist and turn without the need for a driver -- on its roads.
The license goes to Google, the Silicon Valley technology giant known more for its search engine and e-mail service that nonetheless has been known to dive into other big ideas such as space elevators to Internet-enabled glasses.
In a 2010 post on Google's official blog, engineer and Google X founder Sebastian Thrun said that the self-driving vehicle project aims "to help prevent traffic accidents, free up people's time and reduce carbon emissions by fundamentally changing car use."
He noted that the "automated cars use video cameras, radio sensors and a laser range finder to 'see' other traffic, as well as detailed maps ... to navigate the road ahead." There is no driver needed, though one is typically in the front seat ready to take control if need be.
Earlier this spring, Google said it had "safely completed over 200,000 miles of computer-led driving."
Monday marked a new milestone for the project, when Nevada issued a special license after demonstrations on state freeways, state highways, in Carson City neighborhoods and on Las Vegas' landmark Las Vegas Strip, the state's Department of Motor Vehicles said in a news release.
The new plate is red and features the infinity symbol and the letters AU, for autonomous vehicle. All such cars on the road are "test" vehicles for now, though the state signaled it intends to be "at the forefront of autonomous vehicle development."
"I felt using the infinity symbol was the best way to represent the 'car of the future,' " state DMV Director Bruce Breslow said. "When there comes a time that vehicle manufactures market autonomous vehicles to the public, that infinity symbol will appear on a green license plate."
Google was the first company to apply to test its self-driving system in Nevada, the state said, while indicating that "other auto manufacturers have indicated their desire to test and develop" such technology in the state.

[EGSEDAN]

I welcome our driverless overlords.

[Smigelski]

I welcome are driverless overlords.

As long as they don't need correct grammar.

If these cars turn out to be feasible, I like the idea. I'm curious how insurance companies will handle them. And lawsuits.

[corrago]

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

That is all.

[Air and water do mix]

I can't help but watch this in sheer amazement. Not in the technology itself, but in the attitude shift of the population. What was once unthinkable has become merely "out there". Soon, folks will only be uncomfortable with it and later it will have wide acceptance.

But not by me.

[Hostile]

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

That is all.

Man, that was so deep. And irrelevant.

[Air and water do mix]

Man, that was so deep. And irrelevant.

Not deep, but quite relevant.

[mr lee]

when they become self aware, robot rage.

[spoonie]

I love driving and going on lapping days as much as the next guy, but sometimes it'd be great to be able to drive to a bar, get ****faced, and not spend $50 on a cab ride home.

this can't happen soon enough.

i wonder if a google retrofit will be free, and where you go to will be their data collection?

[EGSEDAN]

I welcome our driverless overlords.

As long as they don't need correct grammar.

Fixed and thank you. What was I thinking?

[I live in Margaritaville]

Thats pretty amazing, but I personally don't care for it much. Would hit CNN lady. That is all.

[Hostile]

Not deep, but quite relevant.

Is this where the conversation shifts to how your car will take over if you're speeding and drive you to the police station and turn you in?

[I live in Margaritaville]

Is this where the conversation shifts to how your car will take over if you're speeding and drive you to the police station and turn you in?

Is it capable of disobeying the speed limit?

[spoonie]

Is this where the conversation shifts to how your car will take over if you're speeding and drive you to the police station and turn you in?

or how insurance companies will buy the info and jack your rates?

some people are already willingly "buying in" to the obd readers.

[kiznarsh]

Legal issues and technicalities aside, I think it's awesome that it enables essentially a blind man to get from point A to B. Sight is by far the worst sense to lose IMO and many freedoms are lost when it's gone, so I can only imagine the thrill of having something like this if you're blind.

Yeah I know it's probably years away from becoming common, or maybe it'll just be for the handicapped, but that alone makes it worthwhile.

[Señor Peligro]

Google = Skynet

Down with the evil empire

[Air and water do mix]

Is this where the conversation shifts to how your car will take over if you're speeding and drive you to the police station and turn you in?

No, it's all about data collection. These data can be moved anywhere on the globe, there is redundant backup and the information is controlled by nobody you can vote out of office.

Don't see it coming? Too bad.

[Vision33r]

Planes already navigate themselves and video games already simulate very good AI controlled drivers. The only problem left is our entire roads and highway infrastructure would need to be upgraded to support this system.

With today's driverless car tech, in extreme weather it probably would stop working. Every road would need embedded sensors.

[.LSinLV.]

Google = Skynet

Down with the evil empire

came for this.

leaving satisfied.

meh...I think these cars will drive BETTER than any tourist. over the 29 years I've been driving here, I've had 2 cars totalled by idiot tourist drivers.

[kimilein]

Yeah, but can it double clutch?

[deucestudios]

Imagine a left lane, where all the cars automatically move over after passing.
You smile, as you mash the throttle, and pass the other non driving mother****ers.

[Dave Zero]

Imagine a left lane, where all the cars automatically move over after passing.
You smile, as you mash the throttle, and pass the other non driving mother****ers.

In a world of driverless cars, anybody speeding or driving themselves is going to be a huge target.

Also, pretty much any accident they are in will be their fault which will lead to higher insurance.

Computer driver can not choose to sacrifice himself to save others, swerve the driver's side into accident to save woman and baby passengers etc.

Hopefully one of these cars will run over some kids playing in the road and the whole idea will be outlawed.

[Air and water do mix]

Hopefully one of these cars will run over some kids playing in the road and the whole idea will be outlawed.

How about a near-miss by a car careening through a school? I could live with that.

It isn't going away, though. It will creep into our lives like the internet. Think of this as the '70s in the internet age. It existed, but almost nobody knew about it or gave it much thought at all. 20 years later - BAM! It was everywhere. People forget that common usage of the internet is less than a generation old. (Even tough it dates back to 1968.)

[xnoitaNx]

old news...

[seroki]

I love driving and going on lapping days as much as the next guy, but sometimes it'd be great to be able to drive to a bar, get ****faced, and not spend $50 on a cab ride home.

this can't happen soon enough.

i wonder if a google retrofit will be free, and where you go to will be their data collection?

This is exactly what came to my mind the moment I read this.

In a world of driverless cars, anybody speeding or driving themselves is going to be a huge target.

Also, pretty much any accident they are in will be their fault which will lead to higher insurance.

Computer driver can not choose to sacrifice himself to save others, swerve the driver's side into accident to save woman and baby passengers etc.

Hopefully one of these cars will run over some kids playing in the road and the whole idea will be outlawed.

Ehh, don't worry they won't ever come to fruition, since we need all of our police officers to be able to pull over speeders and maintain the status quo of letting people be idiots and hog left lanes/talk on cell phones/drive under the speed limit/allow people who shouldnt be driving be driving/ etc the list goes on. With an automated system we get no need for traffic laws or law enforcement. Having a non retrofitted car would be outlawed anywhere except a track or closed course set up specifically for manual drivers. But since it would involve not having police officers this would never happen. I see it coming to the point of being a driver aid for those that cannot drive aka blind/physically handicapped not a mainstream option.

[Tiero]

Ehh, don't worry they won't ever come to fruition, since we need all of our police officers to be able to pull over speeders and maintain the status quo of letting people be idiots and hog left lanes/talk on cell phones/drive under the speed limit/allow people who shouldnt be driving be driving/ etc the list goes on. With an automated system we get no need for traffic laws or law enforcement. Having a non retrofitted car would be outlawed anywhere except a track or closed course set up specifically for manual drivers. But since it would involve not having police officers this would never happen. I see it coming to the point of being a driver aid for those that cannot drive aka blind/physically handicapped not a mainstream option.

I doubt this will happen. Odds are insurance rates will be much higher for non-automated cars and classic cars. Keep in mind that this country probably won't ban having classic cars on the roads. The thing is that if they do this right they won't even need police officers to enforce traffic laws the cars on the roads can self enforce laws.

[mr lee]

this is the first step to flying cars.

[R3Drew]

Google = Skynet

Down with the evil empire

[Hawk]

DMV license picture of the driver!

[Anony00GT]

Sorry Google. BMW beat you to it by a few years.

[Hawk]

Sorry Google. BMW beat you to it by a few years.

Actually Toyota beat everyone to it with cars so boring to drive that the driver is barely connnected to the experience at all.

[Hostile]

Sorry Google. BMW beat you to it by a few years.

That BMW relied on a GPS mapping of the course. It's stone-age tech compared to Google's car which can identify stop signs, traffic lights, pedestrians, etc.

Just because they did it first doesn't mean they did it even remotely right.

[Tiero]

That BMW relied on a GPS mapping of the course. It's stone-age tech compared to Google's car which can identify stop signs, traffic lights, pedestrians, etc.

Just because they did it first doesn't mean they did it even remotely right.

Besides DARPA has been doing it for ages.

[Sagaris]

I welcome this technology. I am a believer that if the automobile was invented in this day and age that it would be illegal. The automobile has completely changed the world but brought upon its own set of downfalls in the process. For the last few years I have been saying that cars need to either go become fully automated like this Google technology shows, or completely manually operated (commanding the drivers full attention and engagement). We have seen that all that people want to do is text eachother while they drive, may as well remove the inconvenience of navigating an interstate while they do so.

[Hostile]

Besides DARPA has been doing it for ages.

Are DARPAs projects geared towards actual populated surface street travel though,, taking into account other traffic, road signs/markings and pedestrians? Honest question, I'm not sure.