lol next these “computers” will be playing chess!

When missing the point is made an olympic discipline. You’ll be our best chance for gold.

I put an address into sat nav yesterday and it directed me 5 roads away. So if this thing hasn’t got a steering wheel, how the hell are we gonna get to were we want to go!
I presume it runs off a inputted destination.

When missing the point is made an olympic discipline. You’ll be our best chance for gold.

We’re giving you a chance to make your point better 🙂

I presume it runs off a inputted destination.

Yes, the name of the place is:
Pay-google-loads-of-money-to-drive-your-car-for-you town.

You do understand this isn’t google getting all philanthropic with us, now ?

I put an address into sat nav yesterday and it directed me 5 roads away. So if this thing hasn’t got a steering wheel, how the hell are we gonna get to were we want to go!

My sat nav took me to the wrong village once – fortunately, the car has a steering wheel and I can ask for directions.
On another occasion, the sat nav tried to take me over about 10 miles of forestry track, that being “quicker” than the tarmac covered road I was on. On another, it tried to take me over a bridge which had been knocked down and relocated 1/4 mile away.
On the plus side. without having to concentrate on driving you’ll be free to enjoy all those destination-related adverts, possibly to the extent that you’ll be able to enjoy the destination the car decided to take you to rather than the one you wanted to go to.

The fact that it works 99% of the time is truly incredible.

Applied to cars, that means some form of failure 1 mile in every 100. Possibly very impressive to you, not something I’d want to count on.

Applied to cars

I was talking about laptops. It’s perfectly possible to design a laptop that’d never crash, but the cost would put people off somewhat. And given it’s not that onerous to simply restart your laptop, people are mostly happy with that (no idea if that’s the real statistic of course, that was just for the sake of argument).

Cars would obviously have to be designed differently to laptops. Aeroplanes are designed with maximum safety, and they don’t crash very often. And they are up in the air so they can’t even stop when something goes wrong.

Aeroplanes are designed with maximum safety,

Like controls to allow manual overide?

And given it’s not that onerous to simply restart your laptop,

No it’s not, but restarting the computer controlling a car at 70 mph on a busy motorway is not something I’d be all that keen on.

Are actually staring to build them?

Where are they going to sell these?

They are completely illegal in 99% of countries!

No it’s not, but restarting the computer controlling a car at 70 mph on a busy motorway is not something I’d be all that keen on.

FFS

Read the following very carefully and slowly:

A COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS YOUR CAR WOULD NOT BE THE SAME AS YOUR LAPTOP.

It would not need restarting.

Do you honestly think someone would design something so safety critical that runs off a laptop, without safety features and without extensive testing?

When missing the point is made an olympic discipline. You’ll be our best chance for gold.

By that time we will be able to make computers miss the point/destination much better than a human!

Do you honestly think someone would design something so safety critical that runs off a laptop, without safety features

This is a cyclingerists forum… Where, at times, the stupidity contained in some of the posts here, does give one pause for more thought.
😐

However, all that being as it may. Hell, lets install two laptops into our very own STW, self drive car.
I’ll be greedy here, as well as an extra laptop, possibly a Tecknia laptop from tesco. Please can we have enough room in the trunk to transport our Orange 5 with us. I can then clean and lube it as I travel to my cycling destination.
🙂

“I’d want manual controls as well”

STW Horseless carriage…

By that time we will be able to make computers miss the point/destination much better than a human!

Well, you at least. Assuming you’re “Human“.

Where, at times, the stupidity contained in some of the posts here, does give one pause for more thought.

Come on then, explain where I’m being stupid.

EDIT ok I’ll have a go, with a bit of charity

You are saying that even well designed systems fail occasionally. Yes, that’s true, but so do humans. And the point is that properly designed computers can be a lot more reliable than humans. That’s why they use them in aeroplanes.

However, in response to the cars that started this thread – it seems silly not to have manual controls at all, if they are to be used in general real-world driving.

Didn’t the Costa Concordia crash because the driver took it off auto to show a woman how big his dick was ? The sooner they take the steering wheels out of the cars the better.

Come on then, explain where I’m being stupid.
That comment wasn’t directed at anyone here, specifically. Apologies if you thought I meant you.

I think it’s great. I’ll empower people who can’t otherwise get around as easily – blind, disabled, old etc.

As an aside, you could drive to work, jump out, and the car goes and parks itself. When you’re ready to go home, just tell your car and it’ll come and get you.

Go out for a few beers, and your car can come pick you up (minus the nagging about how late you are).

The list of benefits is endless 🙂

I think it’s great. I’ll empower people who can’t otherwise get around as easily – blind, disabled, old etc.

Yes, I made this point earlier.

Go out for a few beers, and your car can come pick you up
Where I’m from, we call those taxis.

This is like listening to victorians saying the car will never replace horse and carriages.

edit: Taxis will be the first to go auto.

This is like listening to victorians saying the car will never replace horses.

What they actually said was that we’d be drowning in 9 feet of horse shit and piss, in the near future as the number of horses increased in line with the number of people able to afford them and require a horse for transportation.

Where I’m from, we call those taxis.

Taxi minus the idiot driver. Win win.

edit: Taxis will be the first to go auto.

Have you told Tom the taxi driver yet ? wonder what he’ll say.

Taxi minus the idiot driver. Win win.
Are you sure the idiot is in the taxi ?

Ok, I take it back. Perhaps we have just found STW’s first living brain donor.

Still be made by the lowest bidder, whatever you say.

wonder what he’ll say

Why not ask Tom the filing clerk?

Ok, I take it back. Perhaps we have just found STW’s first living brain donor.

Awww… why so grumpy? are you going through a menstrual cycle?

Awww… why so grumpy? are you going through a menstrual cycle?

Not grumpy, midly amused at the naivety in some comments. I note no one has commented on what google’s motivation is for doing this…

Still be made by the lowest bidder, whatever you say.
Too true. Maybe it’ll be one laptop to run all the cars on your street 😯

What do you think Google’s motivation is then?

jambalaya – Member
…On an interesting side note a friend was at a demo Volvo where doing of their automatic braking system for pedestrian avoidance, the car ran over the model pedestrian and smashed in to a wall

Yeah, but the model pedestrian was thinking of getting a bike, so it’s ok.

Automatic cars – roll on the day as far as I’m concerned.

I did, its so they have a captive audience for marketing, or taking you to their sponsors outlets 🙂

Just a modern version of thoes holiday tours that all end up in the blokes cousins reasuturant or shop.

Come on then, explain where I’m being stupid.

A COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS YOUR CAR WOULD NOT BE THE SAME AS YOUR LAPTOP.

It would not need restarting.

Why not ask Tom the filing clerk?

Actually, the question is. What are we saying, when we’re throwing people onto the dole with such glee. I mean, I’m no fan of taxi drivers, but how’s it all going to work if we’re all out of a job cos computers do it all for us.

😐

Edit:
Ok, work time now.

I note no one has commented on what google’s motivation is for doing this…

Less time driving, more time on your phone/laptop/device(s) being bombarded with Google’s advertising. At the end of the day Google is an advertising company – it creates devices so it can target you with dedicated advertising.

You’ll get in your (driverless) car… car asks “where do you want to go” (search engine), owner: “To a italian restaurant” (search query), car offers several in the area (search results) – like ‘Pay per click’ Google will be paid for offering adverts etc.

Google will also be tracking your driving, where you’re going etc, and tailor the car to the user providing suggestions on where to go, what to do.

Regardless of their motivation though, what Google are doing is inspiring.

Regardless of their motivation though, what Google are doing is inspiring. People to part with their hard earned.

FTFY

Btw, you realize google is listed ? you know, like google has to give an ROI for the share holders, right ?….

Come on then, explain where I’m being stupid.
A COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS YOUR CAR WOULD NOT BE THE SAME AS YOUR LAPTOP.
It would not need restarting.

Why’s that stupid? Explain please.

Less time driving, more time on your phone/laptop/device(s) being bombarded with Google’s advertising.

Hmm, not sure. The advertising thing pays for otherwise free services, like the search engines and mail etc. This would have a very different business model, because you would (presumably) pay for the cars.

If you didn’t, now THAT would be a revolution in travel!

what Google are doing is inspiring. People to part with their hard earned

Yeah as a business, how dare they!

Oh, and did you know that I’ve spent 20 yrs in car design, so please spare me the geek fest.

Are you single handed responsible for the industry’s’ lack of vision and progress or did you have help? 🙂

Is Google’s plan that we buy these things or hire them (like Boris Bikes)?

Jesus christ and I thought the comments on the BBC article were bad!

This can only be a good thing. Particularly for old / infirm / blind(!) folk, who can’t drive – it could well end up cheaper than taxi-ing everywhere. In urban areas it’ll speed up commuting times as the cars will be able to communicate with one another, and potentially reduce congestion / ownership hassles (why have one car each when you can just share one?)

Anyone saying “what are google getting out of this” – well there’s the obvious PR exposure NOW, but they’ll also be getting paid. THAT ISN’T NECESSARILY BY BOMBARDING YOU WITH ADS – it could just as well be a built-in cost with the car (much like, generally, you buy an OS with your new computer).