What is Digg?181 Comments
- AtomBoyz, on 01/08/2008, -4/+59Can you imagine how many extra hours you would gain in a year with cars that drive themselves? We could replace driving time with reading, working, surfing on Digg :)
- ryanmclaughlin, on 01/08/2008, -0/+35Theoretically this would alleviate a lot of traffic issues, mainly because if all cars were computer controlled they could drive a lot closer together to each other since driver error would be almost eliminated. No more slowing down to look at accidents, and now you could actually eat and put on makeup without wiping out a pedestrian mall.
- sixstorm, on 01/08/2008, -5/+40Heck yes! I wish that cars drove themselves so that everyone would go the speed limit (possibly even faster), no slow grannies blocking traffic, way fewer wrecks . . . just paradise on the road. I would get to my destination quicker too.
- geekchic, on 01/08/2008, -4/+31Considering that around 43,000 people are killed in the USA each year (and about 3,600 in the UK) in road accidents, my big question is not whether such vehicles should be allowed on the road - but how quickly we can remove the human from the equation.
- masterm1nd, on 01/08/2008, -1/+26Does this mean I can drink and drive now?
- egbert, on 01/08/2008, -1/+24What could go wrong?
- ubernoggin, on 01/08/2008, -6/+26The question is, what operating system would the cars run? If Windows, that would give "Blue Screen of Death" a whole new meaning...
- inactive, on 01/08/2008, -1/+18Women
- inactive, on 01/08/2008, -1/+17Welcome to Johnny Cab!
- kickinazz, on 01/08/2008, -1/+15Be cool for leaving the bar or a party. Throw the car in auto drive and snooze while going home.
- michelsonmorley, on 01/08/2008, -1/+15Are they safe in snow or rain? What about mountainous roads? Will there still be an option for user control?
- lordmetroid, on 01/08/2008, -1/+12Heck yeah! I would love for my car to drive itself when I want it too, that would make long journeys so much more pleasent.
- thinkingserious, on 01/08/2008, -0/+10Our team at UC Riverside, created a "car driving" system using GPS/INS with 2cm accuracy using the QNX operating system. At a conference, it was estimated that we could have the HOV lanes in California ready for automatically driven semi's by 2010.
- KatherineC, on 01/08/2008, -0/+9Sounds good, but probably sounds better if and while it works. Imagine one 'error' or system failure ore human error (don't touch that!), then it could be tough. I'm all for decreasing stress while commuting and getting more done with the time.
- geekchic, on 01/08/2008, -4/+13That's why I use public transport all the time - why go through the hassles of driving a car, when I can sit on a train and read my weekly issue of The Economist.
- Merrick178, on 01/08/2008, -0/+9"Vehicle-to-vehicle communication and technology allowing cars to talk with highway systems could come next.", Oh the fun Digg users will have in the future. I can see it now -- "Hacker takes control of 300 cars on highway," "Major car crash in D.C. linked to NSA," "BREAKING: How to overclock your top speed!"
- ChaosMotor, on 01/08/2008, -1/+9Not to mention no more drunk driving (!!!!!!!), no more driver inattention, no more road rage, no more falling asleep at the wheel. I imagine that within 10 years of this technology becoming available, human controls will be optional and rarely used. People will sleep, talk, read, *****, or just do what the hell ever while their car gets them there. Imagine how much easier family road trips or even business travel would be if you could set out at night and sleep all through it and wake up at your destination.
- geekchic, on 01/08/2008, -1/+9I don't think that worries about automating what is frankly a rather tedious job - namely driving a car - is a good one when faced with the vast numbers of deaths that occur.
The death toll from motoring in the USA is equivalent to a 9/11 every single month - and yet, few people seem to worry about that. - inactive, on 01/08/2008, -0/+8Should cut down on road rage.
- Waskonator, on 01/08/2008, -5/+13Since when did DOWNshifting become the fun part?
Do you really even drive or is this something you picked up in gran turismo? - masterm1nd, on 01/08/2008, -1/+8Yeah, it's preposterous that anyone does anything other than work on gas millage.
- itsbob, on 01/08/2008, -2/+9Even with all the computer glitches it cant be any worse than the idiots on the road now.
- lil_isie, on 01/08/2008, -0/+7Actually, in an ironic twist, in soviet russia, you would drive car.
- lucas911993, on 01/08/2008, -1/+7Obviously neither of you have ever stepped into something other than a camry or SUV. Buy a small, fast, (which will also be fuel effcient at highway speeds) car with a row-your-own gears transmission. Make sure the pedals are close together and give it a try.
- Error601, on 01/08/2008, -1/+7That just gave me a scary image of driving along a ridge in an autonomous car. I have a hard enough time with that when I'm in the passenger seat. A human driver is more likely to make mistakes but has a vested interest in not plunging over the side.
- Pbanta86, on 01/08/2008, -3/+9takes all the pleasure out of owning a car
- ChaosMotor, on 01/08/2008, -1/+7Femputers controlled by fembots?
- Sticky_icky, on 01/09/2008, -0/+5You sons of bitches, I just got my license!
- BESTenemy, on 01/08/2008, -0/+5Is auto insurance industry ready to take accident liability off the drivers' shoulders? I think not. The system is not going to be perfect. Nothing is. Well, if I'm in a car that drives itself and it manages to kill someone and / or kill me in the process, then who's going to pay for it?
- surfing, on 01/09/2008, -0/+5As long as you can program it to take you through the drive-thru on the way home from your bender.
- SwissCamel, on 01/09/2008, -0/+5This is another future prediction which focuses heavily on what is technologically possible, whilst ignoring human nature. Why aren't we all eating specially formulated powders to give us our daily calorific and nutritional needs (basically a protein shake, technically possible and offers nutritional values difficult to obtain through eating 'regular' food)? Basically because most people actually enjoy eating, the tastes, textures and aromas of food are enjoyable experiences for most people. I see driver-less cars as suffering a similar fate. Most people do enjoy driving. Not sitting in rush hour traffic perhaps, but getting onto the open road is enjoyable (if you don't believe me why isn't the smallest engine size the most popular of each model). People enjoy putting their foot down, and feeling the car surge forward. It's a bit neanderthal, but very common.
Secondly there is the element of trust. For people to buy these cars they have to trust the software which is driving them. Technically it will probably be far superior to any human driver, however a large section of society wont be comfortable out of control. Personally I would be far happier dying in a car crash which was as a result of my own error than because of a computing error. - leffunov, on 01/08/2008, -1/+6Isn't this what DARPA Challenge is trying to do?
- tehbored, on 01/08/2008, -0/+5Yeah, because that totally works everywhere. Especially the suburbs.
/sarcasm - jsully, on 01/08/2008, -0/+5I'm guessing GM doesn't follow Top Gear... BMW's beaten them to the punch by a decade:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vybyj1ETieE - krnldmp, on 01/08/2008, -1/+6By the time aliens come to this planet we will need them to spoon feed us and change our diapers.
- MattBD, on 01/08/2008, -0/+5Plus, you wouldn't have to worry about getting home if you go out. You could go clubbing and get as drunk as you liked, then fall into the back seat and just tell it to go home.
For that matter, it wouldn't be out of the question that you might be able to give instructions remotely, perhaps using your mobile phone, so you could just get it to drive out to where you are on its own, pick you up and take you home.
I look forward to it - at least if I ever have kids I won't have to provide them with a free taxi service! - WiseElben, on 01/08/2008, -0/+5I'll be working on this technology next semester at UT Austin. Though it is likely that this stuff will be used in the future, other students tell me that the technology is definitely not mature yet.
Also, the article mentioned about one of the vehicles that almost hit a building. I'm not sure if this email I got from one of my adviser was talking about that particular car, but apparently, it was a result of a silly logic error in the program: "The vehicle, instead of stopping, was programmed to follow the last commands given. The last commands given were, 'Accelerate and turn!' " - pak314, on 01/08/2008, -1/+6The car will keep on asking you "what's my motivation" while driving down the ridge!
- inactive, on 01/09/2008, -0/+5No. You can drink and sit in the driver seat now.
- Flashman, on 01/09/2008, -0/+5@ geekchic "how quickly we can remove the human from the equation?"
This is starting to sound a lot like Skynet. - whiledo, on 03/25/2009, -0/+5masterm1nd: funny
umbriago: You realize that computer controlling cars will be an INCREDIBLE gas saver, right? And it will apply to any technology that's actually in the cars - gas, electric, biodiesel, etc. - GT35R, on 01/09/2008, -1/+6Why dont you shut the ***** up. Every time effort is spent on something other than alternative fuel or feeding Africa some idiot like you posts some stupid *****. Not all research goes to solving global warming, alternative fuels, and feeding Africa.
- pkonink, on 01/09/2008, -0/+4Driving on public roads is a privilege, not a right. I'm sure there would be no law against you driving wherever you like - on your own property.
- MattBD, on 01/08/2008, -0/+4Don't know about the cops, but the ambulance-chasing lawyers are a definite plus...
- ChaosMotor, on 01/08/2008, -0/+4One of the technologies in the system of technologies I've been developing is an intelligent road system that senses the location and heading of all the vehicles on the road and enables these vehicles to network and share position data for greater safety and easier vehicle telematics (self-driving cars). I've started posting a series on these technologies as I make them publicly available for the first time. You can read more here: http://digg.com/tech_news/Services_Middlemen_and_G ...
And on my blog at chaosmotor.com, where I'll be posting the updates as I publicize these technologies over the coming days and weeks. - Merrick178, on 01/08/2008, -0/+4I'm sure auto-driver would be just another option in your car. Taking away complete control would be stupid. For example: "Family of 5 freezes to death after auto-drive malfunctions. Investigators are saying the car had almost a full tank of gas and started up immediately. More on this story after the McDonalds diet at 9."
- carpespasm, on 01/08/2008, -0/+4only until the machines decide to kill us all!
- inactive, on 01/08/2008, -3/+7Another step to the possibility of a robot rebellion.
- urbandistrict, on 01/09/2008, -0/+4YES I AM!!!! ...please?
- sDow, on 01/08/2008, -0/+4I'm really interested in how this is going to effect DUI law.
If I'm plastered and use a smart car to get home, and a Police officer gives me a sobriety test when I get out of my car in my driveway, will I be able to defend myself in court? Probably not, as if the automated system fails, I would not be able to take over. But, it would be an interesting case, none-the-less. -
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