RE: Google's car is go...

[RenesisEvo]

Fastchas said:

Hmmm... how would this deal with overtaking a cyclist ...

If it's limited to 25mph, the question should be, how does it deal with being overtaken by a cyclist?

[Lowtimer]

LOW4LYFE said:

It's kind of already been mentioned, but surely this would only actually work if all cars on the road were these or had some kind of retro fitted tracker to relay information to the autonomous cars?

Good questions but like most people who haven't been actively studying the field you're a little way behind the reality on this. They are self-contained vehicles with a lot of onboard sensing. They can already operate in the world, in urban environments, with ordinary drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and so on. This particular vehicle is a new one but the software and sensing platform has been under trials for a long time.

LOW4LYFE said:

Sure, they can pootle around Google's Campus or whatever quite happily, but in the real world, how would they pull out of a junction, or use a roundabout?

They do have limitations but they are making very rapid progress. See this article for where they are with the automated Lexus 450 SUVs that they have been using on 2,000 miles of public roads:
http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/14/5716468/i-took-a...

LOW4LYFE said:

Nice gimmick but still some way to go before it's actually useful to normal people. Not really sure how it's anymore useful than a normal taxi either.

The main reason it is more useful than a normal taxi is it eliminates the cost of the driver, which is at least half the cost of a taxi fare, and that the vehicle fleet is much more productive. So the fares come right down - and no surcharges for antisocial hours etc.

[sanguinary]

The trick with these is to play chicken with them. At least you can steer out of the way last minute... the passengers of these just have to hope the car knows what to do and hold on tight!

[Cotty]

Jimmm said:

I like the idea TBH my own private bus.

Handy for getting back from the pub and door to door so more like private cab

[Hoofy]

As someone who has done countless trackdays and wasted too much on sports cars, I think it's a fantastic idea. I'm always stuck in traffic - it'd be nice to be able to do something else rather than sit in a car having to drive it for an hour. Public transport is no good because I often carry heavy kit around. And there are no direct links from my house to my destinations.

Couple of things spring to mind:
-presumably, they will make bigger cars - I can't fit my kit in there.
-presumably, it will know the length of my drive as well as the precise location of my house as well as the destination. Googlemaps doesn't - search for your address and see if it parks you right outside or will it park you on your neighbour's drive?
-presumably, it will know the best places to park and won't just stop in the middle of a street leaving me with a parking ticket.
-presumably, we can set a max to 30mph so we don't ps off people. And in fact a max of 70mph so we don't get nicked for dangerous driving on a motorway.
-presumably, it will have bug-free code.

Edited by Hoofy on Wednesday 28th May 13:38

[Hoofy]

Kawasicki said:

G0ldfysh said:

Long day in the office need to just chill and not worry about everyone else on the road, take a JohnnyCab.

Surely driving is one of the best ways of unwinding after a long day in the office?

Or is getting into another (mobile) office a better way?

I think you need a holiday.

I saw it as getting out of the office and into a mobile living room. Pull out your tablet and chill for an hour rather than trying to "unwind" in stop-start commuter traffic with idiots cutting you up. Still, lucky you if that's how you like to unwind.

[cookie1600]

RegMolehusband said:

Even the car's own "face" looks scared!

Wot no driver??????

[Fantuzzi]

Catatafish said:

Nearly there, just need the freaky plastic google man...

Arnie isn't really made out of plastic. That was just in the Film The Terminator.






And even in that it was living tissue on the mechanical skeleton so it could travel in time

[longshot]

paranoid airbag said:

longshot said:

These would destroy PH.
No more complaining about people driving badly, going too fast, going too slow, cutting up, barging in, dangerous driving, drink driving......

Nonsense.

They'll still be cyclists and horse riders to complain about.

You could even do so on the way to work!

Forgot to add that the sector of society who can't survive without their phone attached to their face will love these.

I wonder how they would look slammed/stanced?

[spyder dryver]

paranoid airbag said:

They'll still be cyclists and horse riders to complain about.

Don't worry. They've got it covered...

It's called a Googlehorse.

[Lowtimer]

Actually they pretty much do have that application covered, via their Boston Dynamics subsidiary. It's caleld Big Dog.
http://www.bostondynamics.com/robot_bigdog.html

[Perd Hapley]

scubadude said:

1. Why does a specifically designed to be autonomous car have wing mirrors?

2. Why does a specifically designed to be autonomous car have such a god-awful hideous looking laser/camera dingleberry on the roof, surely that could have been made "pretty" somehow.

The whole things smacks of nasty University student "concept" city car- the mainstream manufacturers have Nothing to fear from this abortion.

Presumably the mirrors are so you can check for traffic when you open the door.

[Harry H]

Wouldn't it be great though if the tech could be retrofitted to a normal car. Especially for motorways. Enter slip road, programme your exit junction and then have a kip. Car then just wakes you up to take over when you're near the exit. There so much less to worry about for the tech on a motorway. In fact there's no reason why these cars couldn't belt along at 100mph 50 ft apart

[LOW4LYFE]

framerateuk said:

Well to be honest, they'll all end up connected to each other. Each car would be aware of all the cars around it, cars would be broadcasting what they're intending to do, and the cars behind would be aware they're going to brake. Cars would intentionally let people out on roundabouts if it was efficient to do so. That sort of tech isn't difficult. The hard part would be getting manufacturers to agree on a standard to follow. Obviously, one car not following the system would ruin the entire thing, that's why they'd still need a full array of sensors to react to unexpected situations such as mechanical failure or pedestrians on the road.

That's my point though, does this Google Car actually have all this technology? The article didn't go into much detail about exactly how it works or what it's currently capable of.

Lowtimer said:

LOW4LYFE said:

It's kind of already been mentioned, but surely this would only actually work if all cars on the road were these or had some kind of retro fitted tracker to relay information to the autonomous cars?

Good questions but like most people who haven't been actively studying the field you're a little way behind the reality on this. They are self-contained vehicles with a lot of onboard sensing. They can already operate in the world, in urban environments, with ordinary drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and so on. This particular vehicle is a new one but the software and sensing platform has been under trials for a long time.

LOW4LYFE said:

Sure, they can pootle around Google's Campus or whatever quite happily, but in the real world, how would they pull out of a junction, or use a roundabout?

They do have limitations but they are making very rapid progress. See this article for where they are with the automated Lexus 450 SUVs that they have been using on 2,000 miles of public roads:
http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/14/5716468/i-took-a...

LOW4LYFE said:

Nice gimmick but still some way to go before it's actually useful to normal people. Not really sure how it's anymore useful than a normal taxi either.

The main reason it is more useful than a normal taxi is it eliminates the cost of the driver, which is at least half the cost of a taxi fare, and that the vehicle fleet is much more productive. So the fares come right down - and no surcharges for antisocial hours etc.

Some nice information there. But the cost of the laser wizardry on the Lexus is $70k. Does this Google Car actually have any of this technology or is it a more simple system that simply talks to other Google Cars? Would a Taxi company based on this tech actually be profitable without having to charge just as much as a normal taxi, given the cost of the equipment?

Is it crash tested? And just as importantly, is it actually legal? I remember seeing these kinds of designs in conceptual design books years ago, but they seem to be forever stuck in that very stage. A concept, an idea. But actually operating in real life?

I'm all for it if it works out cheaply, less money on taxis means more money for beer.

[cookie1600]

Harry H said:

In fact there's no reason why these cars couldn't belt along at 100mph 50 ft apart

Most company BMW's seem to do that on British motorways already?

[Galileo]

Wow, all these intelligent people and you have all missed the the point.

I'm am going to put my name down for one. Why? I hear you ask.

It's driverless, so you don't need a drivers licence cos you're a passanger, so I can give it to the kids, so they can do there own fking school run everyday. Let the bloody googlebot have to weave in and out of all the inconsiderate bhes who park where the fk they want.

"Dad can you take me to a party and pick me up at 11pm instead of tucked up next to a roaring fire and a nice bottle of red?" NO, take the driverless googlemobile! SORTED. My life will be complete. Now I can drive MY car where I want, without having to worry about stupid bhes on the school run or wkers who fling their doors open in Tesco carpark.

I'll get one for the wife too, cos she can't drive worth a fig. Safe me a bloody fortune on touch up paint and dent removal.

[Lowtimer]

LOW4LYFE said:

Some nice information there. But the cost of the laser wizardry on the Lexus is $70k. Does this Google Car actually have any of this technology or is it a more simple system that simply talks to other Google Cars? Would a Taxi company based on this tech actually be profitable without having to charge just as much as a normal taxi, given the cost of the equipment?

It is basically the same sensor and guidance package as the Lexus. The only thing that is new in today's announcement is the vehicle underneath that. The sensor and guidance package may cost $70K now but that's when it's being built in tiny numbers. This is not the announcement of a retail product, just the unveiling of a large scale trial with 100 proof-of-concept prototypes. Their automated Prius and Lexus RX were both produced in smaller scale numbers for earlier trial stages, and each level of development has brought them closed to a viable commercial system. Same as anything else made out of integrated circuitry, the guidance system can be expected to fall dramatically in cost when tooled up for mass production.

But even if it did cost $70K, divide that by 18 hours a day for 7 days a week and a 10 year service life, and it works out at 93 cents an hour. Which is much cheaper than a driver.

They have left the door open to making it available to other manufacturers. They may or may not choose to, ultimately. Personally I think they will licence it out - Google is not going to be happy losing out on the ability to harness all the tracking information of all those passengers.

Edited by Lowtimer on Wednesday 28th May 14:23

[cvega]

RenesisEvo said:

If it's limited to 25mph, the question should be, how does it deal with being overtaken by a cyclist?

siphon the bike rider's smartphone information by cracking wifi keys

[The Hypno-Toad]

RenesisEvo said:

Fastchas said:

Hmmm... how would this deal with overtaking a cyclist ...

If it's limited to 25mph, the question should be, how does it deal with being overtaken by a cyclist?

"bidi - bidi - bidi. I will have you at the lights, you lycra clad fk! bidi - bidi - bidi, Hi Buck!"

[Cotic]

Galileo said:

Wow, all these intelligent people and you have all missed the the point.

I'm am going to put my name down for one. Why? I hear you ask.

It's driverless, so you don't need a drivers licence cos you're a passanger, so I can give it to the kids, so they can do there own fking school run everyday. Let the bloody googlebot have to weave in and out of all the inconsiderate bhes who park where the fk they want.

"Dad can you take me to a party and pick me up at 11pm instead of tucked up next to a roaring fire and a nice bottle of red?" NO, take the driverless googlemobile! SORTED. My life will be complete. Now I can drive MY car where I want, without having to worry about stupid bhes on the school run or wkers who fling their doors open in Tesco carpark.

I'll get one for the wife too, cos she can't drive worth a fig. Safe me a bloody fortune on touch up paint and dent removal.

Pretty sure they won't have these in 1974, where you seem to be.