Tech Musings: the Self-driving Car
-
Upload
matthew-lambert -
Category
Technology
-
view
81 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Tech Musings: the Self-driving Car
In a video posted to Youtube last night, Google has revealed it's latest
innova7on; the driverless car.
No steering wheel and no pedals -‐-‐ Google's new car has li>le in
common with your four-‐door sedan.
Google's new car doesn't drive faster than 25 miles per hour and comfortably sits two passengers.
The vehicle uses sensors and cameras to eliminate blind spots and iden7fy objects as far as 200 yards
away -‐-‐ a valuable ability on crowded streets and intersec7ons.
It must truly be an odd experience -‐-‐ being a passenger in a driverless car.
But is it silly to be wary of this new breed of transporta7on?
Are the doubts people have about this technology similar to the doubts of those who thought we would never move past animal powered
vehicles?
A driverless car feels like the future s7ll but Google is beLng that will
change soon.
Google is planning on making 100 prototypes of this queer new car
and plans to have them be available to the public in 2020.
The future of transporta7on?
What's unclear is how exactly the car will work.
Do you type in the address of the place you want to go?
Do you select a des7na7on off a list of approved parking loca7ons?
Either way, the prospect of a self-‐driving car has a lot of people
excited.
Though Google's car tops out at 25 mph, imagine a highway where self-‐driven all the cars are self-‐driven, communica7ng with each other.
Conceivably, these cars could travel much faster then whats safe for the
average human.
Computers' reac7on 7mes are far faster and can communicate
between themselves far faster than humans -‐-‐ so the vehicles could be much closer together as they travel
down the highway.
Though Google's technology isn't focused on these aspects of travel, I'm sure they are working towards
these applica7ons.
Another benefit of a self-‐driving car is accessibility.
In the video, a blind man rides around around in the car and
marvels about how being able to get around on his own 7me would vastly
improve his life.
This is an aspect of the driverless car that hadn't occurred to me -‐-‐ the
visually impaired could now navigate with much more freedom.
An end to the dreaded commute.
Not being responsible for driving the car also allows much more free
7me.
If your commute 7me becomes free 7me, you can effec7vely gain an
hour of the day.
Instead of being a distracted, frustrated driver, you could leisurely read the paper, eat your breakfast, apply your makeup or get a jump on
the days work.
Self-‐driving cars have the poten7al to dras7cally change the way
human's travel.
In a country where over 600,000 people have commutes to work over 90 minutes, reclaiming that 7me for business, pleasure, or family is a
huge benefit.