[nfb-talk] The Google Car, what do you think?

[Michael Hingson]

The reality is that there are several projects underway concerning
driverless and blind driver cars.  Let's not second guessing how the project
permitting blind drivers to take control will go.  If anyone has ideas then
please contribute.  Let's not talk about what we can't do.  This project is
all about dreaming and making the dream come true.


The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
     “Speaking with Vision”
                 Michael Hingson, President
                         (415) 827-4084
                   info at michaelhingson.com
                   www.michaelhingson.com


for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit:
http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com



-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Beth Wright
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 2:41 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The Google Car, what do you think?

Hi, Sherry.

I know it's been a while since we started this project, but just remember 
that the Virginia Tech team was the only one that would work with us, even 
though there were quite a few groups trying to develop self-driving cars. 
Maybe if this one works out, Google might be more interested.

Beth Wright
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The Google Car, what do you think?


>I have people in my life who drive. I know how much they have to 
>concentrate on to get from point A to point B. I just don't understand how 
>tactile and auditory feedback is going to help us focus on maybe 15 
>different things at once. A car that is programmed and takes you from point

>A to point B makes a lot more sense to me. It is a car that could appeal to

>all! Again, I think working with Google would be a real plus for NFB. But 
>what do I know and if being first is really the most important thing then 
>....
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bryan Schulz" <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 5:24 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The Google Car, what do you think?
>
>
>> because the nfb wants to be first and wants the credit
>> Bryan Schulz
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 3:56 PM
>> Subject: [nfb-talk] The Google Car, what do you think?
>>
>>
>>>I really think this is more what we are looking for. This is a car 
>>>"anyone" could "drive". Google has lots of resources. Why don't we jump 
>>>on their bandwagon?
>>>
>>> Sherri
>>>
>>> Google is testing cars that drive themselves  Google announced Sunday
>>>   that it has developed cars that drive themselves
>>> automatically in traffic, and that it has been testing them on the
>>> streets of California for months. It might seem like an unusual project
>>> for Google, but it  could actually have big benefits.
>>> We're not just talking about cars running Google Android.
>>> This is the stuff of science fiction. The only accident that has
>>> occurred so far: One of the cars was rear-ended by a driver at a stop
>>> light. Human error!
>>>
>>> The vehicles have been tested on 140,000 miles of California road, from
>>> Silicon Valley to Santa Monica.
>>>
>>> Each car is manned during the tests. One person sits in the driver's
>>> seat, ready to take control of the vehicle instantly by grabbing the
>>> wheel or touch the brake should something go wrong with the system. The 
>>> person in the
>>> passenger's seat is an engineer who monitors the software operations on 
>>> a
>>> computer.
>>>
>>> Google (Google) hired engineers who previously participated in
>>> competitions and races involving automated cars -- important turning
>>> points in the development of the technology, which has been coming into 
>>> its own since around 2005 according to The New York Times.
>>>
>>> If your first concern is one of safety, Google would argue that you're
>>> going about it all wrong.
>>>
>>> Safety is one of the the project's purposes. Google believes that the
>>> technology could nearly half the number of automobile-related deaths
>>> because computers are supposedly
>>> better  at driving than humans in the right circumstances.
>>>
>>> There are other hypothetical pluses, too. The vehicles' instant reaction
>>> time and 360-degree awareness would allow them to drive closer together
>>> on the highway than humans can, reducing traffic congestion. They could 
>>> be more
>>> careful when operating the gas, reducing fuel consumption.
>>>
>>> But the biggest benefit for Google would be the hour or so of daily
>>> commute time the car owner would save. Instead of driving, he or she
>>> could either be productive or entertained in the vehicle, doing work on 
>>> a wireless
>>> Internet (Internet) connection or watching television.
>>>
>>> Google doesn't say it explicitly, but TechCrunch was
>>> quick to note that this time could be spent using Google products and 
>>> absorbing
>>> Google-run advertising.
>>>
>>> The most optimistic projections put this technology at least eight years
>>> away from market, though. Legal hassles are among the myriad problems;
>>> all of the current traffic laws assume that a human driver is present in

>>> the vehicle
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nfb-talk mailing list
>>> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>
>>
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