Google self-driving cars coming to Nevada

[zuperxtreme]

Google's self-driving car is growing up right in front of our eyes: The fledgling autonomous vehicle program recently passed its driver's license test in Nevada, the first license of its kind in the United States. Obtaining Nevada's self-driving car license clears the way for Google to test its technology on public roads in the state.

Google's modified Toyota Prius was given the thumbs up after successful test drives in Carson City and on the Las Vegas strip. Alongside the special license, Nevada also issued the car a unique set of red license plates that include the infinity symbol and the words “autonomous car.” With any luck, those plates should differentiate all the other vehicles on the road from Google’s car, which has cameras and radar equipment strapped to the roof.

Nevada first began work on its autonomous vehicle licensing program last June when the state's lawmakers passed legislation to allow self-driving cars on public roads. In February, Nevada's Department of Motor Vehicles issued rules governing autonomous cars. The Nevada DMV rules currently limit the state's licensing to test vehicles; enthusiasts need not apply.

To be approved for road travel, autonomous cars must have a combined minimum driving time of 10,000 miles. Nevada also requires autonomous car operators to submit a complete description of their self-driving technology, a detailed safety plan, and a plan for hiring and training test drivers. The state requires a $100 licensing fee plus $13 for each set of license plates, but companies must also purchase a surety bond of $1 million to put up to 5 vehicles on the road. Nevada says a number of other unnamed companies are looking to follow Google and test self-driving cars on the state's public roads.

Despite allowing only beta cars at the moment, Nevada is looking toward a day when self-driving cars will be sold to the public. The state's DMV says it plans to issue privately owned self-driving cars a green license plate that will also include the infinity symbol. Motorists will also be required to obtain a special driver license endorsement before they can get behind the wheel of future robotic cars.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/25520...a_streets.html

Pretty awesome that these cars are becoming a reality.

[gadzooks]

Cool concept, but I don't really understand the point...?

Are they for handicapped people who are incapable of operating a motor vehicle?

Are they for people without driver's licenses?

Are they basically a way for taxi companies to save money on hiring cab drivers?

Are they for transporting intoxicated individuals?



Or are they for people who want to sleep on their way to work?

[zuperxtreme]

All of the above and more:

No more idiot drivers, no more drunk drivers, no more old people, no more crappy drivers, no more traffic jams(or HIGHLY decreased, read: Phantom jams), no need to paint the roads all ugly, no traffic stops, no speed limits(self-regulated), much more efficient driving and a whole lot less stupid deaths, damage, etc.

Basically automate an arduous everyday task and do better than humans could. Like we do with all other things we can automate.

[gadzooks]

Originally Posted by zuperxtreme

All of the above and more:

No more idiot drivers, no more drunk drivers, no more old people, no more crappy drivers, no more traffic jams(or HIGHLY decreased, read: Phantom jams), no need to paint the roads all ugly, no traffic stops, no speed limits(self-regulated), much more efficient driving and a whole lot less stupid deaths, damage, etc.

Do you think they'll eventually completely replace self-driven automobiles?

[zuperxtreme]

I doubt it, they'll most likely still have manual overrides for safety and whatnot, plus a lot of people simply like driving. I think the automated driving cars would be awesome for the drives to and from work, to the supermarket, boring things like that. Not a trip around your country for example.

That's how I imagine it at least.

[RackinOnUp604]

Originally Posted by gadzooks

Do you think they'll eventually completely replace self-driven automobiles?

i dont think they would, that would defeat the whole purpose of driving, and id rather drive a car then have a self driver car cruise me around

[CountBlah]

[roasted]

Originally Posted by gadzooks

Do you think they'll eventually completely replace self-driven automobiles?

eventually, yes. The biggest problem with cars and traffic today is the driver. The human driver is the weakest link.

Eventually we wont even need stoplights. Cars will communicate with each other and slightly adjust speed miles in advance to clear an intersection at speed. Gas mileage will greatly increase if you never have to stop for traffic. We are many years from that point, but computer assisted driving will be commercially available within 20 years (we already have Mercedes that correct for lane drift and automatically stop before a collision)

[ShutMeUp]

awesome


anybody else picturing a Terminator-esque strong AI scenario - all the cars playing dodgems with each other?

[Tachosomoza]

I'm crippled now, free car for Tacho!

[zuperxtreme]

Originally Posted by muffins

If man made it it will fuck up, after spending 15 years of my life as an auto technician I really have my doubts on the safety of this.

I disagree. The cars are being programmed and extensively tested by very smart people. I'll take that over some random amateur driving a car anyday.

[Malice]

Finally!

Imagine having a fucking gaming center in your car and making a cross country road trip, visiting the coolest spots. Oh god, this is so wonderful, I hate driving.

[Malice]

Originally Posted by Tachosomoza

I'm crippled now, free car for Tacho!

Hey, that's not a bad idea...

What if you made a realistic cover you could place over your eye...

[roasted]

Originally Posted by zuperxtreme

I disagree. The cars are being programmed and extensively tested by very smart people. I'll take that over some random amateur driving a car anyday.

This. Self driving cars will have so many safety features, it'll be ridiculous. Safety will increase, but complexity and repair/maintenance costs might increase initially

[is all mememememe with me]

Originally Posted by zuperxtreme

All of the above and more:

No more idiot drivers, no more drunk drivers, no more old people, no more crappy drivers, no more traffic jams(or HIGHLY decreased, read: Phantom jams), no need to paint the roads all ugly, no traffic stops, no speed limits(self-regulated), much more efficient driving and a whole lot less stupid deaths, damage, etc.

Basically automate an arduous everyday task and do better than humans could. Like we do with all other things we can automate.

what worries me tho is who will be in control of my car instead. i bet good money the govt and cops will be able to just remotely shut down your car if they want to. they'll say its for safety but woe betide anyone who gets on the wrong side of the govt and needs to get the fuck outta dodge.

i gotta admit tho, it'll be cool to be able to smoke crack while my car drives me home, lol.

also what you wrote there^^^, you kinda self pwned yourself with your next comment about manual over rides and people still wanting to drive their cars. an automated car with a drunk slumped at the wheel from boredom would be crazy if it went wrong, or he knocked the wrong button or something.

in any case i could see a lot of people falling asleep at the wheel on their way home from a long day or in traffic and on freeways from boredom etc.

[zuperxtreme]

No more dangerous than people who already drink and drive and do stupid shit. Pretty hard to fix stupidity, but you can at least dissuade it...

Agreed on the privacy thing, not sure how that'll play out, we'll have to see I guess.

[is all mememememe with me]

if googles involved then we'll all be constantly updating streetview as we drive around. won't be such a bad thing tho, you'll be browsing streetview and seeing what it was like 3 minutes ago.

then again, can you imagine your wife calling and you try and tell her you're stuck in traffic and she'll go 'i can't see you and i'm in that road on SV', lol.

[is all mememememe with me]

Originally Posted by zuperxtreme

Agreed on the privacy thing, not sure how that'll play out, we'll have to see I guess.

oh come on, we know exactly how it'll play out. you think our orwellian govt's are gonna miss out on a useful trick like that. recent history has already answered that question for us.

[Malice]

Hey, here's an interesting issue: At what age will kids be allowed to "drive"?

[ShutMeUp]

someone drive one of these things to the UK and pick me up. we'll cruise and smoke a bone

[zuperxtreme]

Originally Posted by Malice

Hey, here's an interesting issue: At what age will kids be allowed to "drive"?

Pretty sure the driving age will stay the same for the sake of simplicity and that you can manually override the controls.

[roasted]

Self driving cars will be a reality in the near future. That isnt too challenging, the technology has existed for many years. The challenge will be making the transition between cars today and self driving. At some point we will have to switch over to fully automated

[Malice]

Originally Posted by zuperxtreme

Pretty sure the driving age will stay the same for the sake of simplicity and that you can manually override the controls.

The debate will be interesting.

[CountBlah]

[zuperxtreme]

Agreed, the upfront cost for one will most likely be more expensive(all the expensive radars, computers and stuff). Plus the car will be more complex so you'll most likely have to take it to a specialized place(until it becomes more mainstream). Still worth it IMO.

[zuperxtreme]

How it works: http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/r...ing-car-works/

Pretty awesome stuff.

[mizled]

You're in a Johnny Cab!

You're in a Johnny Cab!
Video: click to display

[is all mememememe with me]

another thought that springs to mind. how long before people start hacking these things and start causing all manner of meyhem. imagine kidnappers hacking a car and getting it to drive somewhere quiet. or trolls deliberately causing pile ups and shit. there are all sorts of possibilities. mechanics of the future could up viruses into your car so it breaks down regularly. car thieves could just order your car to drive off your driveway and straight to their chop shop.

Originally Posted by muffins

If man made it it will fuck up, after spending 15 years of my life as an auto technician I really have my doubts on the safety of this.

this^^^ i don't think this is as simple as it sounds. what happens if a glitch suddenly causes the car to go somewhere it shouldn't. i know human nature will mean people behind the wheel will no way be concentrating enough at the vital moment. they will get bored and will be in a false sense of security. you'll have people chatting away on their iphones, eating, drinking, taking drugs, surfing zoklet etc. people will start to see drink driving as not such a big deal anymore. and i know for sure you'll have people fucking while driving along too. i mean that happens already ffs.

everyday you are gonna have millions of computers on the road. some of them are gonna go wrong everyday. what happens in a car if it gets a lag, or the memory or hd fail? what happens if it suddenly bsods on the freeway at 80mph?

[is all mememememe with me]

actually i might start building the napster of stolen cars now. $20 and i'll have any car you want put on your driveway within the hour, anywhere in the world. and all from my basement lol.

[The Pat-Man]

Originally Posted by zuperxtreme

I disagree. The cars are being programmed and extensively tested by very smart people. I'll take that over some random amateur driving a car anyday.

you have too much faith in humanity.

[zuperxtreme]

The complete opposite. I have faith in a few smart individuals, not the masses.

[Malice]

Originally Posted by is all mememememe with me

this^^^ i don't think this is as simple as it sounds. what happens if a glitch suddenly causes the car to go somewhere it shouldn't. i know human nature will mean people behind the wheel will no way be concentrating enough at the vital moment. they will get bored and will be in a false sense of security. you'll have people chatting away on their iphones, eating, drinking, taking drugs, surfing zoklet etc. people will start to see drink driving as not such a big deal anymore. and i know for sure you'll have people fucking while driving along too. i mean that happens already ffs.

everyday you are gonna have millions of computers on the road. some of them are gonna go wrong everyday. what happens in a car if it gets a lag, or the memory or hd fail? what happens if it suddenly bsods on the freeway at 80mph?

The deaths and injuries could still be far less than they are today. You also have to take into account all the other benefits.

[Bobitis]

I wonder how many people would use this, I'm a really bad passenger and no matter how much I knew the computer wouldn't fuck up, I'd still never completely trust it. That and I enjoy driving, it would kinda take the fun out

Might make insurance premiums go down though, although I wonder how that would play out if two self driven cars crashed into each other.

[roasted]

Originally Posted by Bobitis

although I wonder how that would play out if two self driven cars crashed into each other.

interesting thought...I'd imagine the process would be similar to conventional insurance. You could probably find fault in one of the cars, or maybe no-fault insurance would make a comeback

[aquabania]

Originally Posted by RackinOnUp604

i dont think they would, that would defeat the whole purpose of driving, and id rather drive a car then have a self driver car cruise me around

The whole purpose of driving is getting from point a to point b

[Rude Louis]

Originally Posted by zuperxtreme

All of the above and more:

No more idiot drivers, no more drunk drivers, no more old people, no more crappy drivers, no more traffic jams(or HIGHLY decreased, read: Phantom jams), no need to paint the roads all ugly, no traffic stops, no speed limits(self-regulated), much more efficient driving and a whole lot less stupid deaths, damage, etc.

Basically automate an arduous everyday task and do better than humans could. Like we do with all other things we can automate.

No more escaping from authorities. No more joyriding. No more privacy. No more teaching your kid how to drive. No more drag racing. No more driving Ms. Daisy. No more freedom to burn. No more flipping off idiots who deserve it. No more thrill.

No more self-control.

[-SpectraL]

If I ever see one of these anywhere near me I'll force it off the road and right into the ditch.

[Tachosomoza]

Originally Posted by Rude Louis

No more escaping from authorities. No more joyriding. No more privacy. No more teaching your kid how to drive. No more drag racing. No more driving Ms. Daisy. No more freedom to burn. No more flipping off idiots who deserve it. No more thrill.

No more self-control.

People like you are holding humanity back. You want to hold on to shit that nobody cares about anymore or that is obsolete for emotional value. Let it go.

[Meanmrwaffle]

^How is he holding humanity back by wanting the choice to drive on his own, which very well may be something he enjoys doing.

I enjoy driving a lot and I would NOT want my car to drive for me for that reason alone.
Am I holding humanity back by deriving pleasure from piloting a 2,200 lb death machine on wheels?
Or are you holding humanity back by being able to reproduce and pass your ignorant, narrowmindedness to future generations.?

[Rodrat]

I would probably use it on occasion but I would rather drive myself. Would be great coming hone from a concert half ass tired late at night. Maybe a little drunk. No worries my car can get me home so I don't have to worry about wrecking.