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

John Heim john at johnheim.net
Tue Oct 19 14:37:02 UTC 2010


The only thing I'd question is the timing of what the NFB is doing. Like I 
said when I first heard about the Blind Driver Challenge, it depends on how 
much of its resources the NFB is expending on the BDC. With the technology 
moving so fast in another direction, the NFB might be encouraging people to 
develop a better buggy whip. For example, in the Blind Driver Challenge, it 
was a big deal that a blind person piloted  a car around a track. But a 
driverless car can do that no sweat. On the other hand, its not entirely a 
wasted effort in that people are going to ask "What happens if google's 
computer goes down and the driver is blind?"  The NFB is developing an 
answer to that question. The only thing is, the answer today will probably 
be nothing like the real answer if this thing ever actually happens.  I'm 
not sure that really matters though. Its more of a PR issue than anything 
else.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael D. Barber" <michael.nfbi at gmail.com>
To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 6:30 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The Google Car, what do you think?


>I think every project has its rightful place, whether it be the NFB Project
> or the Google project.  Let's keep a very open mind here because we're all
> going to be the winners eventually.  Frankly,  I'm intrigued by  both
> projects because of the new evolving technology breakthroughs that will
> result for all.  This is not NFB versus Google or NFB versus anything 
> else.
>
> Michael Barber
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 3:23 AM
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] The Google Car, what do you think?
>
> yes, this is also more like the personal rapid transit PRT vehicles that
> they are beginning to test and use at various air ports. This seems much
> more practical than the NFB project.
> Chuck
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 1:56 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
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