[nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets

Fri Apr 12 16:20:57 UTC 2013

Hello,
Google is supportive of having blind drivers, they have come to events and 
shown blind folks the car. I've sat in quite a few, although I've never been 
in one while it has been driven. I'd think it will be exactly like being a 
passenger of a sighted driver, but without the crazy breakings every few 
minutes and the heart attacks the sighted drivers constantly face.
Frankly, I would trust the Google Car way more than I would trust my mom as 
the driver. Computers are much more reliable than humans in my opinion.
Thanks,

Brandon Keith Biggs
-----Original Message----- 
From: christopher nusbaum
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 6:03 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets

As it stands, he's going to need a sighted driver in the car who can
take the wheel when the need arises. But Google will have to fix this
if they're hoping for a blind person to drive it independently.

Chris Nusbaum

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 12, 2013, at 8:18 AM, Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at comcast.net> wrote:

> Hi, Chris, Kirt and everyone else on this thread,
>
> You guys are right in saying that, one need not pass judgement without 
> fully experiencing this machine in Wonderland. it's true we don't have all 
> the information. And, I think it's right when you say the thing doesn't 
> murge onto the freeway. What happens to the driving blink if he dares to 
> usese se the interstate? usese the freeway? 4/12/2013, christopher nusbaum 
> wrote:
>> Kirt,
>>
>> I agree with you. Before we make any judgments on the Google car, we
>> must remember that it is still in the planning stages and that  all
>> Google cars that have been tested so far are no more than prototypes.
>> This is evidenced by the need for the Google car to be taken over by
>> human driver when it pulls off the highway, as the story which someone
>> reposted here mentioned.
>>
>> Carly, we must also take into account that some blind people don't
>> live in areas where public transportation is easily available, such as
>> Boston or New York City. I, for instance, live in a semi rural town in
>> Maryland, where our only options For public transportation are
>> paratransit and a cab service. As you can imagine, neither of these
>> options are preferable Because of the cost if not the reliability. For
>> this reason, I would love the independence that the Google car might
>> give me in this area.
>>
>> Just my thoughts,
>>
>> Chris Nusbaum
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Apr 12, 2013, at 2:41 AM, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> 
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Patrick,
>> >  If it's time they want, I'm willing to give it.  I hope you're
>> > right; we'll have to wait and see.  I guess my only point was that
>> > this thing isn't right around the corner; while it's realisticly
>> > viable now, it's still probably a long ways off before we'll be able
>> > to drive.  Where the google car is now is probably comparable to where
>> > the internet was thirty or so years ago; people could see the
>> > possibilities, it was realistic and people "in the know" were probably
>> > aware it was coming...but it still had a long way to go before it was
>> > viable to the general public.
>> >  And, Patrick, you're probably right that airplane pilots don't have
>> > to manually control the plane very much between takeoff and landing.
>> > Still, I can almost guarantee you they are paying very close attention
>> > in the event something goes wrong.
>> >  Carley,
>> >  I don't really see anything inherently wrong or undesirable about
>> > driving.  In most places it is probably more efficient than public
>> > transport.  Of course there are exceptions; New York city comes to
>> > mind, for instance.  Still, living where I do now, I would totally
>> > jump on the chance to drive if I could and it were realistic and safe,
>> > at least most of the time.  That being said, it's far enough away that
>> > I'm definitely not going to stop riding my busses and trains any time
>> > soon.
>> >  Best,
>> > Kirt
>> >
>> > On 4/10/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> Count me in.  I'm driving.   No wait; not driving, drivin.
>> >>
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Carly
>> >> Mihalakis
>> >> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:33 PM
>> >> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list; National
>> >> Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> >> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
>> >>
>> >> Hi, List,
>> >>
>> >> On the other hand, for my whole life I have watched sighted folk seem
>> >> to agonize over so much turmoil, and hostility towrd their fellow
>> >> man, as they drive. I have always been grateful not having that crap
>> >> to contend with. Besides, I am not confident about chances of ever
>> >> affording such a car. And, I don't care about the principles personal
>> >> cars supposedly afford. Where can they take you that a bus, train, or
>> >> friend/driver cannot?
>> >>  Ultimately, i believe traveling from point A to point B, oughta be
>> >> a communal affair. Leave the driving to ol' Sighty!
>> >> So no, on the car!
>> >> Car At 06:23 PM 4/11/2013, Sophie Trist wrote:
>> >>> I can't wait to see these google cars come out. It will be a major
>> >>> milestone in the independence and assimulation of blind people in
>> >>> sighted society. My only worry is that the sighties won't trust us
>> >>> to drive, even (maybe especially) if the car was
>> >>> computer-controlled. Even my boyfriend, who is blind, says he will
>> >>> never trust a self-propelled car. Our trouble will be convincing
>> >>> them that it's safe for us and for others on the road.
>> >>>
>> >>> ----- Original Message -----
>> >>> From: "Brandon Keith Biggs" <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com
>> >>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> >> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> >>> Date sent: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:02:08 -0700
>> >>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
>> >>>
>> >>> Hello,
>> >>> The reason why the Google Car is Superior is because it is already 
>> >>> going
>> >>> mainstream, it has a major company behind it and there is nothing 
>> >>> wrong
>> >> with
>> >>> backing both cars.
>> >>> The big debate will be if people want to drive under their own 
>> >>> control or
>> >>> a
>> >>> computers. It is not unlike reading Braille or using a screen reader 
>> >>> to
>> >> read
>> >>> a book. Braille is all fine and dandy, but a screen reader is very
>> >>> important. The difference is the Google car is going mainstream and 
>> >>> will
>> >>> have mainstreem support. It would be the same if Jaws went mainstreem 
>> >>> and
>> >>> companies like Google started making units that used Jaws and no 
>> >>> screen.
>> >>> Braille would be useful, but not particularly necessary for most 
>> >>> common
>> >>> tasks.
>> >>> If one used a car on city roads and highways, there would be very 
>> >>> little
>> >>> or
>> >>> no need to manually drive. If one wanted to map a long driveway or 
>> >>> country
>> >>> road, one would need to manually drive it till the road could be
>> >>> completely
>> >>> entered into the database.
>> >>> Thanks,
>> >>>
>> >>> Brandon Keith Biggs
>> >>> -----Original Message-----
>> >>> From: Sophie Trist
>> >>> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 1:37 PM
>> >>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> >>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
>> >>>
>> >>> Brandon, I totally 100% agree!!! However, didn't the NFB invent a
>> >>> self-propelled car of sorts? If so, it might be hard to convince
>> >>> them to back the google car unless we can prove theirs is
>> >>> superior.
>> >>>
>> >>> ----- Original Message -----
>> >>> From: "Brandon Keith Biggs" <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com
>> >>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> >>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> >>> Date sent: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:05:01 -0700
>> >>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
>> >>>
>> >>> Hello,
>> >>> Yes in a way, the logistics of liability still need to be taken
>> >>> into account
>> >>> I'm sure and licensing probably still needs to be worked out, but
>> >>> if the
>> >>> government officials are pushed, it will happen very soon.
>> >>> I think the NFB should push for these quite hard. Perhaps they
>> >>> could even
>> >>> ask that a car come to the convention, I think Google would take
>> >>> the
>> >>> challenge.
>> >>> Thanks,
>> >>>
>> >>> Brandon Keith Biggs
>> >>> -----Original Message-----
>> >>> From: Justin Young
>> >>> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 9:13 AM
>> >>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> >>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
>> >>>
>> >>> So does this mean these vehicles will soon be on the market for
>> >>> individuals to purchase in Nevada?  Sounds like a very
>> >>> interesting
>> >>> project.
>> >>>
>> >>> On 4/11/13, Robert William Kingett <kingettr at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>> Google's self-driven cars will soon be appearing on Nevada roads
>> >>> after
>> >>> the state's Department of Motor Vehicles approved on Monday the
>> >>> nation's
>> >>> first autonomous vehicle license.
>> >>>
>> >>> The move came after officials rode along on drives on highways,
>> >>> in
>> >>> Carson City neighborhoods and along the famous Las Vegas Strip,
>> >>> the
>> >>> Nevada DMV said in a statement.
>> >>>
>> >>> The Nevada legislature last year authorized self-driven cars for
>> >>> the
>> >>> state's roads, the first such law in the United States. That law
>> >>> went
>> >>> into effect on March 1, 2012.
>> >>>
>> >>> Google's self-driven cars rely on video cameras, radar sensors,
>> >>> lasers,
>> >>> and a database of information collected from manually driven
>> >>> cars to
>> >>> help navigate, according to the company.
>> >>>
>> >>> The DMV licensed a Toyota Prius that Google modified with its
>> >>> experimental driver-less technology, developed by Stanford
>> >>> professor and
>> >>> Google Vice President Sebastian Thrun.
>> >>>
>> >>> Google's self-driving cars have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge
>> >>> and
>> >>> driven along the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway, according to
>> >>> the
>> >>> company.
>> >>>
>> >>> Autonomous vehicles are the "car of the future," Nevada DMV
>> >>> director
>> >>> Bruce Breslow said in a statement. The state also has plans to
>> >>> eventually license autonomous vehicles owned by the members of
>> >>> the
>> >>> public, the DMV said.
>> >>>
>> >>> Legislation to regulate autonomous cars is being considered in
>> >>> other
>> >>> states, including Google's home state of California.
>> >>>
>> >>> "The vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error.
>> >>> Through
>> >>> the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous
>> >>> vehicle
>> >>> is capable of analyzing the driving environment more quickly and
>> >>> operating the vehicle more safely," California state Senator
>> >>> Alex
>> >>> Padilla said in March when he introduced that state's autonomous
>> >>> car
>> >>> legislation.
>> >>>
>> >>> Other car companies are also seeking self-driven car licenses in
>> >>> Nevada,
>> >>> the DMV said.
>> >>>
>> >>>
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