Author Topic: Would you use/own a Google car? (Read 2345 times)

rumborak · « **on:** February 14, 2012, 05:56:23 PM »

Was just wondering that. Google is developing an autonomous car, to be used on regular roads. Now, I know for a lot of people surrendering the steering wheel is blasphemy, but I personally would love it. If I could practice guitar on long drives, or just chill out with a beer on a long trip, god would I love it.

Opinions?

rumborak

Sigz · « **Reply #1 on:** February 14, 2012, 05:58:34 PM »

I haven't looked into it much, but assuming it functions well I definitely would.

ZBomber · « **Reply #2 on:** February 14, 2012, 06:05:04 PM »

Google gets scarier everyday.

Anyways, assuming it was safe and something I could afford, sure why not?

El Barto · « **Reply #3 on:** February 14, 2012, 06:07:43 PM »

Permanently, no. If it were an option, sure. I get off too hard on driving like Mario Andretti. I wouldn't want to give that up. If I could flip a switch and have the car drive my drunk ass home from a club, then I'd certainly love to have the option.

Nick · « **Reply #4 on:** February 14, 2012, 06:10:42 PM »

It would take me many years and improvements on such a thing to start trusting it more than I do myself.

Dark Castle · « **Reply #5 on:** February 14, 2012, 06:11:11 PM »

Quote from: El Barto on February 14, 2012, 06:07:43 PM

Permanently, no. If it were an option, sure. I get off too hard on driving like Mario Andretti. I wouldn't want to give that up. If I could flip a switch and have the car drive my drunk ass home from a club, then I'd certainly love to have the option.

This, and my nervous side just sees something going terribly wrong.

Fiery Winds · « **Reply #6 on:** February 14, 2012, 06:35:37 PM »

Fear of the system malfunctioning would eliminate any potential benefits of relinquishing control.

Me: "Turn around and head home."
Car: "I'm afraid I can't do that."

hefdaddy42 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 14, 2012, 07:32:56 PM »

I'm down with it.

TheMadgician · « **Reply #8 on:** February 14, 2012, 10:32:17 PM »

This reminded me of the episode of Doctor Who where the built in in car navigation systems took control of the car and killed people by driving them into lakes, or flooding the car with exhaust.

I probably wouldn't because Whovian.

theseoafs · « **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2012, 10:34:03 PM »

Assuming it works, I don't see why I wouldn't. All my information already belongs to Google anyway, and even if it didn't, what would Google possibly get out of the knowledge that I'm going to Wendy's?

However, I think it'll be a while before this kind of technology will be ready for mass consumption.

Progmetty · « **Reply #10 on:** February 14, 2012, 10:38:57 PM »

I'd say we're about 20 years away from this coming to realistic application. I personally don't see myself doing it unless everybody else is doing as I wouldn't trust my car's automated reaction to another car with a human driver doing something stupid or out of control.

slycordinator · « **Reply #11 on:** February 14, 2012, 10:43:40 PM »

Speed traps will start designing CAPTCHA's for the speed limit signs to keep automatic controls from working and make you get a ticket.

black_biff_stadler · « **Reply #12 on:** February 14, 2012, 11:23:26 PM »

Like El Bartholomew J. Simpson said, I'd love to have a go-to designated driver so I could party my ass off if I wanted to without any of the shortcomings of having to find an alternate ride home, paying for a cab, etc. but malfunctions occurring in a driving situation where you've left yourself 100% at the mercy of an electronic device thoroughly incapable of independent reasoning or instantaneous judgment is quite scary to say the least.

MasterShakezula · « **Reply #13 on:** February 14, 2012, 11:29:47 PM »

I'll make my call when I see it in mass production, plus some years.

Nekov · « **Reply #14 on:** February 15, 2012, 05:19:19 AM »

Quote from: metty on February 14, 2012, 10:38:57 PM

I'd say we're about 20 years away from this coming to realistic application. I personally don't see myself doing it unless everybody else is doing as I wouldn't trust my car's automated reaction to another car with a human driver doing something stupid or out of control.

Zydar · « **Reply #15 on:** February 15, 2012, 05:48:13 AM »

Quote from: Fiery Winds on February 14, 2012, 06:35:37 PM

Fear of the system malfunctioning would eliminate any potential benefits of relinquishing control.

Me: "Turn around and head home."
Car: "I'm afraid I can't do that."

Or if we're going by Google's search function:

Me: "Drive me to off to Cliff".

The car: Did you mean 'Drive me off a cliff'?

lordxizor · « **Reply #16 on:** February 15, 2012, 05:52:19 AM »

In theory yes, I would use one. As long as it gave me the option to drive by myself if I wanted to. There are times when driving is awesome. Most of the time I'd rather be doing something else.

kirksnosehair · « **Reply #17 on:** February 15, 2012, 08:20:36 AM »

I'm in the "if I had an option to turn it off" camp too

El Barto · « **Reply #18 on:** February 15, 2012, 08:51:36 AM »

Quote from: metty on February 14, 2012, 10:38:57 PM

I'd say we're about 20 years away from this coming to realistic application. I personally don't see myself doing it unless everybody else is doing as I wouldn't trust my car's automated reaction to another car with a human driver doing something stupid or out of control.

The trust thing is interesting. Every time some new technology to make driving safer comes along, people say it's bullshit and they'd never trust it. A month or two later they realize that it really is better than they are. I swore I'd never have a car with anti-lock brakes because I'd mastered threshold braking and was sure I could do it better than those fools at Toyota. Yeah, no dice. Not only does my car do it better than I can, but you also don't have to devote precious brain power to braking in a panic situation.

Modern cars have plenty more safety features. Traction control. Stability control. Active rollover protection. All sorts of things that I would initially distrust, but in actuality are probably much better to have than not. We all like to think we're great drivers, but the truth is most of us aren't. I'm pretty confident that a world full of Google cars would probably be a whole lot safer (though infinitely less exciting).

Dr. DTVT · « **Reply #19 on:** February 15, 2012, 09:03:24 AM »

I would love it for long trips so I could do something else like read a book or take a nap. Don't know if I would use it for day to day driving, I guess I'd just have to see how it works.

hefdaddy42 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 15, 2012, 01:47:50 PM »

King Postwhore · « **Reply #21 on:** February 15, 2012, 02:56:57 PM »

El Barto. It would make it much easier to enjoy porn on the go.

El Barto · « **Reply #22 on:** February 15, 2012, 03:06:34 PM »

Quote from: kingshmegland on February 15, 2012, 02:56:57 PM

El Barto. It would make it much easier to enjoy porn on the go.

Not sure why that was directed at me.

Regardless, A: you'd wind up on a sex offender registry the first time a school bus passes you. B: there are already people driving around with pr0n showing on their flip-down DVD players. Kind of funny, actually.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #23 on:** February 15, 2012, 03:09:06 PM »

I always thought of you as a porn aficionado. Meant it as tongue and cheek. Sorry if I offended you.

El Barto · « **Reply #24 on:** February 15, 2012, 03:57:34 PM »

Aficionado is probably a bit excessive. Enthusiast, perhaps.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #25 on:** February 15, 2012, 04:00:10 PM »

Quote from: El Barto on February 15, 2012, 03:57:34 PM

Aficionado is probably a bit excessive. Enthusiast, perhaps.

Sometimes I just need to revert to my teen years.

Orbert · « **Reply #26 on:** February 15, 2012, 04:19:08 PM »

In the movie "The 6th Day" (silly Schwarzenegger sci-fi flick, but bear with me) there's a scene where they're driving to work, and they switch to automated guidance just for the highway portion of the trip. The car warns them when they're approaching their exit and that they must resume manual control of the vehicle, and it will shut down unless they confirm.

I thought that that was an interesting and plausible early step towards fully automated vehicles. The interstates and other highways will be the first to have the necessary guidance systems to interface with your vehicle; it'll be a while before all side streets and other surface roads will be fully compliant. Of course we know now that it will probably be done via GPS, but even so, Google maps aren't always 100% up-to-date, and are never 100% accurate anyway. Anyone who's taken enough road trips following their directions knows that.

JRundquist · « **Reply #27 on:** February 15, 2012, 04:26:54 PM »

I'd be scared if I said the words "Askew" or "Do a Barrel Roll" in any context in a Google car.

snapple · « **Reply #28 on:** February 15, 2012, 04:30:57 PM »

If it allowed me to get home drunk safely, hells yeah. I'd just got and get blasted for cheap instead of pacing out my night (which ends up being more expensive).

Dark Castle · « **Reply #29 on:** February 15, 2012, 04:32:38 PM »

Quote from: JRundquist on February 15, 2012, 04:26:54 PM

I'd be scared if I said the words "Askew" or "Do a Barrel Roll" in any context in a Google car.

If it could barrel roll that's all I would do.

Progmetty · « **Reply #30 on:** February 15, 2012, 04:34:27 PM »

El Barto Maybe the word distrust wasn't accurate. I meant I won't rely on it. But you're right I said that about the GPS when it came out and without it I wouldn't have been able to get around Dallas

Yeah that was my first real test for the thing.
kingshmegland I wouldn't watch porn in the car cause that would be God's best chance to fatally punish me mid flap.
Orbert I've seen that movie but I liked the automated car from Van Damme's Time Cop better but yeah the 6th Day one had more safety features!

Super Dude · « **Reply #31 on:** February 15, 2012, 04:34:58 PM »

Quote from: ZBomber on February 14, 2012, 06:05:04 PM

Google gets scarier everyday.

Anyways, assuming it was safe and something I could afford, sure why not?

All of this, especially the first part. I feel like Google is becoming like those dystopian super-corporations like in all those cyberpunk books/movies. Not that I mind in this case.

Fiery Winds · « **Reply #32 on:** May 01, 2012, 02:03:38 PM »

Here's a new video featuring a family friend of mine "driving" a self driving car. He's 95% blind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdgQpa1pUUE&sns=em

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #33 on:** May 01, 2012, 02:10:45 PM »

Quote from: kingshmegland on February 15, 2012, 02:56:57 PM

El Barto. It would make it much easier to enjoy porn on the go.

Will the car look it up for me? Also, would the dealership have to turn SafeSearch off for me?

slycordinator · « **Reply #34 on:** May 01, 2012, 02:17:40 PM »

One thing they obviously need to work on is parking. When he stopped at the dry cleaners in that vid, obviously the car was not parked straight at all...

News: Video of online chat between fans and members of Dream Theater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx8cLlXnHpA&feature=youtu.be (*no chickens were harmed during the filming of this chat)

Author Topic: Would you use/own a Google car? (Read 2345 times)