Self-driving car on road out of science fiction

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Self-driving car on road out of science fiction

By Rajeev Poduval
The Washington Times
8:40 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The idea of a car that drives itself was viewed until recently as some high-tech nerd’s daydream or even the stuff of science fiction, but it may not be that long before a driverless car is idling at an intersection near you.

“In my estimation, by 2015 we will have at least an engineering prototype of a vehicle with reasonable capabilities to be called a completely autonomous vehicle. In about 10 years roughly, we should be able to make it commercially available,” said Raj Rajkumar, co-director of General Motors-Carnegie Mellon Collaborative Research Labs, which oversees GM’s self-driving vehicle project.
....

Mr. Rajkumar’s team designed a self-driving sport utility vehicle called Boss — a robotized Chevrolet Tahoe — that won the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s award for autonomous driving vehicles.
....

Another promising project involves Internet search giant Google and a fleet of a half-dozen Toyota Priuses and an Audi TT. The project is the brainchild of computer scientist Sebastian Thrun, a Google fellow, director of Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and co-inventor of Google’s Street-View mapping service.

Google unveils its self-driving car

Internet giant demonstrates automatic car for the first time.
Mar 08, 2011

Imagine sitting in a car, but not having to drive it. Now, imagine every other car on the road similarly cruising on auto pilot, making fender benders history and the daily commute relatively stress-free.

Internet giant Google is attempting to make this a reality in our time.

Last week, the company demoed its hands-free cars at the 2011 TED conference in California. For the first time, members of the public were able to take a spin in an automated Toyota Prius, the results of which can be seen in the videos below.

[eleny]

1. Good, then cars will have something to do after the Rapture

P.S. Rec'd!

[mike_c]

2. get back to me when they can fly....

Dammit, they promised us flying cars!

[PoliticAverse]

17. Yeah, where's my flying car dammit?!

http://davidszondy.com/future/Flight/flyingcars.htm

[WatsonT]

3. Can't happen too soon

most people are already bad drivers, throw in all the cool gadgets you can get on your cellphone as a distraction and . . . well it gets bad.

[cutlassmama]

21. my thoughts exactly. was almost sideswiped by some lady today changing

lanes without a signal nor looking. It would be a welcome change.

[Zoeisright]

4. I think that's a great idea. It would cut down on, if not eliminate, road rage.

Plus, we wouldn't have to worry about drunk drivers or bad drivers. Of course, who knows if cars will even be viable in a few years, with peak oil?

[Hugabear]

10. Assholes will still be assholes

Now they'll just have both hands available to shoot with ;)

[CJCRANE]

5. With self-driving cars and fully automated gas stations

there won't be anything left for humans to do.

Retail jobs evaporate as shoppers adjust to self-service

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x594073

[ret5hd]

7. eat.

[JVS]

6. When this tech works, I'm getting a van and putting a nice bar in the back.

It will be my mobile living-room that takes me and friends wherever we want to go.

[FSogol]

8. As long as the car doesn't text message and drive at the same time, I'm ok with it.

:shrug:

[randr]

9. If America was willing the technology is available today

to do this and more. We should be the center of future ideas and engineering. Too bad the Luddites are still among us.

[catabryna]

11. Screw that!

Why in the world would anyone want to sit in a car that drives itself? Okay, I digress. Why would I want to sit in a car that drives itself? I wouldn't.

Is there anyone here who actually enjoys having their hands on the steering wheel and a foot on the gas peddle?

Am I alone on this one?

[Aerows]

12. No, but...

... I prefer it to drunk drivers!

[catabryna]

14. and people who run red lights... and people who are distracted by cell phones...

and change the radio dial... and look at their gps systems... and eat... and argue with their kids in the back seat.

Anything that's distracting can be a danger when you are driving, no matter what the cause.

And, none of what I said above is meant in anyway to diminish the dangers associated with drunk drivers. :hi:

[PoliticAverse]

18. You're not alone, but apparently there are lots of people who'd rather be texting than driving.. n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Cell phone users believe they already own them.

[backscatter712]

15. A potential lifesaver!

Go out and get liquored up on Saturday night? Nobody wants to drive you home? Don't want to call a cab and get a ride home? Park in a place where you'll get ticketed or towed if you leave your car overnight?

No problem!

Car computers don't get drunk. You've always got a designated driver.

[MilesColtrane]

16. But, drunks will always think they can drive better than a computer, or...

get to the 24hour drive through faster than the computer.

As long as computer control is optional there won't be much of a dent in drunk driving accidents.

[Exultant Democracy]

19. People just are not good enough drivers, this can't happen too soon.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

20. This has been within current technology for the last decade

It is simply the will to execute it