Google unveiled a prototype model of the car, as we can read on the official blog. It is known that the company wants to completely eliminate the drivers involved in the process of moving cars, and presented a model to be another step towards the realization of this vision. And it is a quite strong and big step. The vehicle is devoid of three elements without which a car can not exist. These are: the steering wheel, accelerator and braking pedal. In addition, the car will not find a traditional rear-view mirrors or stereo.
Removing such elements is a brave move made by Google and on the other hand it seems to be impossible to drive such a car. But following Google's information the clue is that the driver can always take control of the vehicle and does not need to keep the steering wheel because of a total control carried out by computers.
At the conference, Sergey Brin, one of the founders of Google, said that the project has changed the world of people who are not well-served by public transport. In his view, still in many places, even in the United States, public transport does not work properly so Google's new car is a excellent solution for this problem.
google1
The project is extremely powerful, but unfortunately the car looks different. In fact Google's car does not look well ... I think that even Tico has more "appearance and personality" than Google's car.
But the appearance of the vehicle can be justified by its functionality. Rounded shape and sensors fixed everywhere make the drivers can see exactly everything happening around the car.
In this prototype used new sensors that are more accurate and better than those that could be found in earlier Google's vehicles. As I wrote new sensors "see" everything happening around the vehicle at a distance up to two football fields, or about 240 meters ( American football field has a length of 120 yards , or 109.7 meters). It's definitely more than the driver may notice personally. What is more, the driver can see everything in all three directions also above.
Google may have some problems with the testing device on the open road. For example California law allows the use of autonomous cars but the testing person must take control of the car. This, however, does not prevent the U.S. company, which expects that this year the law will be changed and will also be released fully autonomous vehicles .
Google really wants cars to go on the streets as soon as possible because of possible money received from selling the cars.
Over next two years it is expected that over 100 prototypes will be "built" and handed over to "willing" drivers and people who do not have a driving license. The condition is one - the company must be sure that they are fully secure. Any risks must be reduced to a minimum and one way to achieve this is to limit the speed of the car to 25 miles / hour (this is released speed in urban areas in the US).
Materials used in the construction of the car have one goal - to reduce possible sufferrer's injury during crash, car accident, etc. Front of the car is made of special "foam", and the windshield is flexible to any collision.
In the future, Google wouldn't like to produce their own cars. Instead, the company wants to talk to other manufacturers and partners to hand over them manufacturing the vehicles so the internet giant will only provide the platform Google.
At the moment I am not not ready to change my car into Google's car. For me it is impossible to drive a car without the steering wheel and pedals. Probably this is due to my habits and perceptions of the world. But who knows, maybe in the future I will see it in a completely different perspective and I will use it as a typical current car.
1. What do you think about this project?
2. Would you like to drive such a car?
Removing such elements is a brave move made by Google and on the other hand it seems to be impossible to drive such a car. But following Google's information the clue is that the driver can always take control of the vehicle and does not need to keep the steering wheel because of a total control carried out by computers.
At the conference, Sergey Brin, one of the founders of Google, said that the project has changed the world of people who are not well-served by public transport. In his view, still in many places, even in the United States, public transport does not work properly so Google's new car is a excellent solution for this problem.
google1
The project is extremely powerful, but unfortunately the car looks different. In fact Google's car does not look well ... I think that even Tico has more "appearance and personality" than Google's car.
But the appearance of the vehicle can be justified by its functionality. Rounded shape and sensors fixed everywhere make the drivers can see exactly everything happening around the car.
In this prototype used new sensors that are more accurate and better than those that could be found in earlier Google's vehicles. As I wrote new sensors "see" everything happening around the vehicle at a distance up to two football fields, or about 240 meters ( American football field has a length of 120 yards , or 109.7 meters). It's definitely more than the driver may notice personally. What is more, the driver can see everything in all three directions also above.
Google may have some problems with the testing device on the open road. For example California law allows the use of autonomous cars but the testing person must take control of the car. This, however, does not prevent the U.S. company, which expects that this year the law will be changed and will also be released fully autonomous vehicles .
Google really wants cars to go on the streets as soon as possible because of possible money received from selling the cars.
Over next two years it is expected that over 100 prototypes will be "built" and handed over to "willing" drivers and people who do not have a driving license. The condition is one - the company must be sure that they are fully secure. Any risks must be reduced to a minimum and one way to achieve this is to limit the speed of the car to 25 miles / hour (this is released speed in urban areas in the US).
Materials used in the construction of the car have one goal - to reduce possible sufferrer's injury during crash, car accident, etc. Front of the car is made of special "foam", and the windshield is flexible to any collision.
In the future, Google wouldn't like to produce their own cars. Instead, the company wants to talk to other manufacturers and partners to hand over them manufacturing the vehicles so the internet giant will only provide the platform Google.
At the moment I am not not ready to change my car into Google's car. For me it is impossible to drive a car without the steering wheel and pedals. Probably this is due to my habits and perceptions of the world. But who knows, maybe in the future I will see it in a completely different perspective and I will use it as a typical current car.
1. What do you think about this project?
2. Would you like to drive such a car?
Comments
BTW, self-driving-car may seem innovative but in truth some vehicles are already driverless (for example some of the underground trains in France). Of course the scale is different. Plus the fact that Google car would be available (at least in theory) for all the ordinary people to everyday use makes the project quite unique.
Anyway, I'd surely like to drive such car, even for the heck of it!
It is another part of google spying on us :) I am against every project that will human only a tool. Imagine situation when something goes terribly wrong with that car and You have no steering wheel. Tell me before so i can lay flowers on your tombstone.
2. Would you like to drive such a car?
Never! It is stupid and worthless in my opinion. I know that handicapped people can travel this way but I don;t trust it.
I think it is amazing idea. Love the way the car drive by it self. It would resolve a problems like "Who will drive" especially when we traveling to visit our old friends and we want to have a drink with them. :). Perhaps it would also resolved a drunk drivers problem. I truly believe that this technology might be the future of the car industry.
2. Would you like to drive such a car?
This question is not correct :) as we don't have to drive it. We just use it, which is totally amazing. I think i would be little bit concerned at the beginning as this is new technology and it is still in prototype phase. I could use it myself, but i would not allow anyone from my family to do the same until I would be sure it is totally safe and tested by a large community of people. We have to remember that this is car after all and if something goes wrong this might end up really bad. However I am looking forward to see how this idea will develop in nearest future.
I heard about this project long time ago and I think it is great invention especially for handicaped people. They can go everywhere without help and have convinient way of travelling.
2. Would you like to drive such a car?
For now I wouldn't but when project will be functional in Poland why not?