Some people are worried that today’s youngsters will be dangerous drivers — they’re so wrapped up in phoning and texting they aren’t learning to focus. Those worriers must not know about Google’s work on driverless cars:
Not only is Google developing the technology for these cars, it has also lobbied for an exemption from the Nevada ban on distracted driving — so that people in self-driving cars can send text messages while sitting behind the wheel. If that isn’t a good marketing move, I don’t know what is!
Picture credit: cheerfulmonk. Creative Commons license.
It’s interesting. I had seen the video quite a while ago. It’s what was formerly science fiction in the process of becoming reality.
In today’s Wall Street Journal they have an article about auto-pilot technologies on bulldozers. The technologies help make up for the lack of skilled operators.
Karen was watching a video the other day of a lady using a hand operated sewing machine in the cab of a farm tractor. Apparently, the tractor normally runs by GPS control for following the contours of the land. All she has to do is turn it around at each end of the field.
That’s similar to the bulldozers. It’s a real time saver for the farm wife, isn’t it?
I would not like to be driving one of those cars, nor being driven in one. Would you?
Yes, we would. Being attentive for long periods is tiring. We wouldn’t need it around town, but it would be nice for longer trips.
I guess I’d want a ‘switch to manual control’ button.
It’s easy to switch, just like cruise control.
I have looked at your video link BUT recently, I felt it was all coming a bit too much, all this technology. AND then I thought, so what, it’s new age and I should just go with it…
Not that I will probably ever catch up on it all 🙂
Apparently those cars are coming. The Wall Street Journal today had an article about Nissan. They’re developing their self-driving cars separately from Google but seem to have the same deadline — 2020. The article says the technology is there, the big problem will be regulations and insurance. Who’s at fault if the car gets into an accident?