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Google demos driverless cars

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Re: Google demos driverless cars

#52

I would really like this on top gear and compare it to the other drivers on their closed course. I wonder how well it would do in their celebrity challenge that they do every episode?

It's worth noting that Stanford and Audi (an extension of the VW/Stanford work with DARPA) - will be competing in the upcoming Pikes Peak challenge. For those unaware, it's a balls out race up a mountain road. Asphalt, dirt, weather changes, and sheer dropoffs.

So far they've demo'd the car drifting and powersliding into parking spots:

Stanfords Audi (3min): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2UaYIHiiOA

As mentioned above, BMW did just that a while ago (2min): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50rbUfTYykc

Lastly (I can't view the video), Google mentioned a while back they've already put over 50,000 miles on their fleet.

Re: Google demos driverless cars

#53
post #7

I would really like this on top gear and compare it to the other drivers on their closed course. I wonder how well it would do in their celebrity challenge that they do every episode?

I don't know if Jeremy Clarkson would let a Prius back on the show...

I believe there are other models involved in the program; not just Prius-es.

Re: Google demos driverless cars

#54

Unless all cars are driven by machine, the driverless car won't make a huge difference in our lives. You can already experience the magic of not having to drive by paying someone else to do it for you. The real gains of automation occur when a machine doing the job can do it faster than a human. Computers calculate and communicate faster than people, and factories/robots build stuff faster. A machine driving a car ha…

This view seems deeply flawed. One of the upsides of public transportation is that I can read / sleep / work / talk with people with 0 distractions. The downside is that the commute is 3-5 times longer. If I can get the shorter commute time of my car AND have the benefits of not having to pay attention, that's a huge gain even if my travel time isn't any faster. Additionally, there are plenty of use cases that don't…

Imagine cars on demand. You don't own a car, you text a car to get you to work at 8:30, the car picks you up at home, drops you off (no parking space required) and goes on to the next ride.

I can't wait to see driverless cars.

Re: Google demos driverless cars

#55

If Google plays their cards right over the next several years, this could easily produce more revenue for them than ads do.

This. This is why it's smart to be a technology company first. It worked like crazy for Bell Labs for generations.

Agreed. Amazon's done amazing things where their competitors have... well, filed for bankruptcy.

Re: Google demos driverless cars

#56
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This view seems deeply flawed. One of the upsides of public transportation is that I can read / sleep / work / talk with people with 0 distractions. The downside is that the commute is 3-5 times longer. If I can get the shorter commute time of my car AND have the benefits of not having to pay attention, that's a huge gain even if my travel time isn't any faster. Additionally, there are plenty of use cases that don't…

Imagine cars on demand. You don't own a car, you text a car to get you to work at 8:30, the car picks you up at home, drops you off (no parking space required) and goes on to the next ride. I can't wait to see driverless cars.

That's an ingenious concept! I will start a company like that right now, I will call them... Taxis!

Re: Google demos driverless cars

#57

If Google plays their cards right over the next several years, this could easily produce more revenue for them than ads do.

There are quite a few teams working on driveless cars. for example six won the last DARPA challenge , a european funded vehicle won did a 8000 miles trip from italy to china , israel is using similar technologies for military purposes, and GM and folksvagen is working on systems.

from the other side , google's total investment in the project is a yearly $15 million ,which is not unsourmountable.

I don't have a very deep knowledge about this , but my guess is that the big competitive barriers here are gaining enough real life experience , legal and regulatory barriers , and branding.

The companies that would make most the money from this technology would have those strengths. this looks more like a big car company than google.

Re: Google demos driverless cars

#59
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This view seems deeply flawed. One of the upsides of public transportation is that I can read / sleep / work / talk with people with 0 distractions. The downside is that the commute is 3-5 times longer. If I can get the shorter commute time of my car AND have the benefits of not having to pay attention, that's a huge gain even if my travel time isn't any faster. Additionally, there are plenty of use cases that don't…

Imagine cars on demand. You don't own a car, you text a car to get you to work at 8:30, the car picks you up at home, drops you off (no parking space required) and goes on to the next ride. I can't wait to see driverless cars.

Almost like a taxi?

I guess with driverless it's more like cloud carpooling.

Re: Google demos driverless cars

#60

The iPhone has been able to drive cars since version 3.0.1. Google should really be focusing on making lists more springy at their ends instead of this sort of trivial thing.

Is this a serious post ? How does an iphone "drive" a car ? If you think GPS and turn by turn instructions is the same thing has actually controlling the car on a road, you couldn't possibily be more wrong ...

Your second point is strange too, do you actually think that a big tech company like google should not try to research new stuff outside of its comfort zone ? Or because one of their product is imperfect, they shouldn't work on another even if they have the ressources ?

I hope this was a joke that I didn't get ...

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