The complications of doing this in the real world are enormousness. With traffic the way it is in most city's adding to that mix cars that drive themselves would be disastrous.
On the other hand it may actually be safer than people that drive with a cell phone, texting or using a computer. :-)
Google's Self-Driving Vehicles Have Completed 300,000 Miles of Testing: Are Autonomous Cars the Next Big Thing?
thezilch
2012/08/07 22:00:00
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Among other advances in world technology, the computer, internet, and smart phones come to mind. Are autonomous cars the next big thing?
Read More: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-self-dr...
Top Opinion
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Mrkando 2012/08/07 22:04:05
Where is my car? you ask. It has been impounded remotely by sensor.
Finger print car access. Car doors lock you in and car drives you to police station for warrant.
Wake up everyday with even more ads since google knows everywhere you go.
Good luck protesting the government if relations turn sour.
Forget about whatever privacy actually remains. Everyone tracked at all times and places to guarantee autonomous car efficiency.
Machine has better judgement than a human. It's not safe to eat this, walk there, love this person, etc. Let's all chip ourselves so machine can do everything for us to make our lives safer for everyone. Phones have already done most of the damage. Let's finish it off.
Sacrificing liberty for security is worth it.
I mean, come on, just look at that friendly smile!
Put a transponder on every light pole, use the cell networks, GPS, Galeleo & other space-bourne navigation systems well below capacity so if one crashes the rest can keep them at reduced speed until repairs are made. No need to dig up the road beds to put guidance wires & sensors since the wireless infrastructure is in place & reliable. Idiocy to use a single centralized systems, "don't put all your eggs in one basket".
Have the cars automated like some Light Rail Transit. Load it with tons of online entertainment to keep the occupants happy so they don't mind the duration (maybe quicker?) & they will be less stressed out so they can have a better time on their excursions.
Eventually cars will form a network with each other and drive themselves in a collaborative manner. E.g. they could automatically link up to form a sort of train to reduce drag. It's decades off, but something like it will happen.
Welcome the intellectual enrichment. Can't solve everything.
Network the cars to think among themselves and have copious online entertainment aboard, folks may not notice the duration of the trip too much & the car could automatically send updated trip status & ETA's to all involved. Might that reduce stress?
But there'll always be "hard-core" enthusiasts using stick-shift & power nothing but know how to "really drive" but should be somewhat safer if the automated vehicles are more predictable than present inattentive & carelessly man-handled ones today.
A century prior when horses were used, they could (sometimes, if not pushed too hard) over-ride the buggy drivers with some "Horse Sense", Or when the rider was 'asleep in the saddle' get him home at least & maybe smart enough to find the nearest town if he was injured.