Konfucius Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 According to Spiegel online Google equipped a few cars with sensors that enable them to drive by themselves, without the need for a human. They even tested them for over a year on public roads in California but only recently people took notice. Sebastian Thrun, Software Engineer at Google, now confirmed these tests and technology on the official blog. Someone took a short video of them driving around: The cars are equipped with radar, GPS, motionsensors, videocameras and lasers which scan the surrounding up to 70 meters. So far there is always a human driver on board to intervene in case the system doesn't react properly. The longest run of a car without human intervention was 1600 km. Although it was pretty obvious that cars would be able to drive all by themselves eventually I never expected it so soon or by Google. I guess together with Street View it would make sense though and while I'm excited by the technology I can't help but fear that Google will use it to spy more efficiently and thoroughly.
chairdriver Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 I like how Google uses its extreme success/money to do interesting stuff like this.
Pit-Jr Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 While technically impressive, the whole concept is ridiculous. Anyone who thinks they need autopilot in their vehicle shouldn't own a car to begin with. Imagine advanced versions of this tech where someone 'hacks' your car with a few button presses and you watch helplessly as it drives itself out of your driveway
Wesley Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 ...I can't help but fear that Google will use it to spy more efficiently and thoroughly. I'm sorry what?
The fish Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 I can't help but fear that Google will use it to spy more efficiently and thoroughly. My Conspiracy Theorist alarm just overloaded...
Konfucius Posted October 10, 2010 Author Posted October 10, 2010 I'm sorry what? Google stores lots of information related to a person's searches, in Germany the government stopped Street View due to privacy concerns, Google illegally collected W-LAN information in a few countries, the Chrome Browser sends a lot of data about usage without notice and with blogging, e-mail, videos, web-surfing and phoning all tied to the same account, it's easy for Google to know a lot about you. I'm also using Google, they provide good services after all, but it doesn't change the fact that they are spying and trying to collect as much personal information as the law would allow. The only immediate benefit I see for Google from their 'autopilot' project is a fully automated Street View. While technically impressive, the whole concept is ridiculous. Anyone who thinks they need autopilot in their vehicle shouldn't own a car to begin with. Imagine advanced versions of this tech where someone 'hacks' your car with a few button presses and you watch helplessly as it drives itself out of your driveway Automation could actually make the streets more secure - no drunk driving anymore for instance, much faster reaction time. Furthermore if these cars could communicate with one another, they could arrange to drive more efficiently, reduce traffic jams by rerouting etc. The car itself could even pick you up somewhere at the press of a button. Considering how much more difficult it got to steal a car by adding electronic security mechanisms as opposed to purely mechanical ones from before the 90s, I wouldn't be too concerned about car theft as long as all wireless communication is turned off when the car isn't running.
Charlie Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 While technically impressive, the whole concept is ridiculous. Anyone who thinks they need autopilot in their vehicle shouldn't own a car to begin with. That's a rather narrow minded viewpoint. If it was completely automated then human error is completely eradicated; computers can't make mistakes. As Google said it could reduce levels of congestion, help reduce emissions and get people more miles for their petrol.
Cube Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 My Conspiracy Theorist alarm just overloaded... This has nothing to do with Google storing information on people. They already know where I am 100% of the time (well, except for when I go off-the-grid in a little place called North Wales).
dwarf Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 I couldn't care less if Google caught me in my affair with Ray Winston's dog. Let them spy I say, what're they gonna do, come down and kick my door in?
Goafer Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 computers can't make mistakes Mistakes, no. Crashing (ho ho!), errors, viruses, hacking, yes. Computers are only as perfect as the humans who created them.
chairdriver Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 I couldn't care less if Google caught me in my affair with Ray Winston's dog. Let them spy I say, what're they gonna do, come down and kick my door in? This. The whole "Fuck, I'm so scared of people spying on me!" is so very American Republican. Hyper-sensitive about liberty. Most of the time in a really bad way. It seems to be bred out of a mentality that you inherently should feel guilty about yourself. This "don't let anyone find out you've deflowered your not-yet wife" bullshit. In my opinion, I'd prefer a Big Brother-esque situation, if the people in charge were forgiving and open-minded, and were fair about punishment. The reason why 1984 is so threatening is because the society is run by an oppressive, facist and purely-self-interested aristocrat class -- if it were the same situation with the cameras, but the people watching were jovial humanists who believed in the good-nature of humankind and did everything in their power to make the law system fair, then it would get a totally positive reaction. If you aren't a criminal, what the fuck do you have to hide? All our concerns about privacy are bred out of the society we live in. If people actually talked about sex, anal warts wouldn't be an embarrassment. If we had a fairer wealth distribution, people wouldn't feel the need to cover up how much they earn. Etc etc. [/i'm speaking in extremes, which is never a good thing :p, but I'm just so fucking bored of keeping shit secret.]
dwarf Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 This. The whole "Fuck, I'm so scared of people spying on me!" is so very American Republican. Hyper-sensitive about liberty. Most of the time in a really bad way. It seems to be bred out of a mentality that you inherently should feel guilty about yourself. This "don't let anyone find out you've deflowered your not-yet wife" bullshit. In my opinion, I'd prefer a Big Brother-esque situation, if the people in charge were forgiving and open-minded, and were fair about punishment. The reason why 1984 is so threatening is because the society is run by an oppressive, facist and purely-self-interested aristocrat class -- if it were the same situation with the cameras, but the people watching were jovial humanists who believed in the good-nature of humankind and did everything in their power to make the law system fair, then it would get a totally positive reaction. If you aren't a criminal, what the fuck do you have to hide? All our concerns about privacy are bred out of the society we live in. If people actually talked about sex, anal warts wouldn't be an embarrassment. If we had a fairer wealth distribution, people wouldn't feel the need to cover up how much they earn. Etc etc. [/i'm speaking in extremes, which is never a good thing :p, but I'm just so fucking bored of keeping shit secret.] I would be inclined to back you up, but I am aware google may be watching upon my ideas.
Raining_again Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 God damn, you'd think they were actually going into your house the way some of you are getting on... Its nothing you can't see by wandering the main streets yourself.
Goafer Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 The people who moan about CCTV annoy me the most. If they were to be the victim of a crime in the streets, they'd probably be the first people to complain if the court couldn't convict them due to no CCTV footage. The cameras are there to catch people committing crimes, not watch you as you go into BHS to buy some cardigan that makes you look like a fat twat, you self obsessed cretin.
Jimbob Posted October 10, 2010 Posted October 10, 2010 The people who moan about CCTV annoy me the most. If they were to be the victim of a crime in the streets, they'd probably be the first people to complain if the court couldn't convict them due to no CCTV footage. The cameras are there to catch people committing crimes, not watch you as you go into BHS to buy some cardigan that makes you look like a fat twat, you self obsessed cretin. Haha, yeah i know. It's always the people who moan about CCTV and Speed Cameras who are most likely to be the ones who commit the crimes that these cameras are there to prevent. Me, personally i'm not fussed. I have nothing to hide, so i don't mind who watches me.
heroicjanitor Posted October 11, 2010 Posted October 11, 2010 This just goes to show how precise their maps are. A few metres out and the car would probably park past the traffic lights in an intersection. Gah, made my 50th post and amn't new any more. I assumed I could start thanking people, but it appears not. Anyone know how many posts I need to start thanking messages?
Pit-Jr Posted October 11, 2010 Posted October 11, 2010 God damn, you'd think they were actually going into your house the way some of you are getting on.... Give them a year or two...Google Interior View doesnt seem all that far-fetched. And whats with the privacy hate here? Just because someone doesn't want every aspect of their lives recorded and documented doesn't mean they're criminals or trying to hide something.
MoogleViper Posted October 11, 2010 Posted October 11, 2010 (edited) That's nothing. We saw this on fifth gear years ago. Edited October 11, 2010 by MoogleViper
Oxigen_Waste Posted October 11, 2010 Posted October 11, 2010 Computers can't make mistakes. I keep forgetting to inform mine of that. anal warts I read anal wars. I lolled. Then I read it properly. I lolled again.
Rummy Posted October 11, 2010 Posted October 11, 2010 I swear I saw this on the TV through a window at work yesterday, something on Dave with James May, but I don't think it was TopGear. Also had a one man copter thingy from japan. I had no idea what was going on, though, as I could not hear any sounds.
Raining_again Posted October 11, 2010 Posted October 11, 2010 Give them a year or two...Google Interior View doesnt seem all that far-fetched. And whats with the privacy hate here? Just because someone doesn't want every aspect of their lives recorded and documented doesn't mean they're criminals or trying to hide something. What the frig, "interior view" will NEVER happen. You are exposing your interior (including where your car keys and money is) to the general public. Seeing the front of someone's house is certainly not breaking their privacy... but inside is. Besides them taking pictures of the inside of your house would involve something called breaking and entering.. unless you're dumb enough to actually give them permission. No-one is "recording" every aspect of your life by taking pictures of the main road you live on... flip its not even a live video, my house image is over a year out of date!
MadDog Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 I swear I saw this on the TV through a window at work yesterday, something on Dave with James May, but I don't think it was TopGear. Also had a one man copter thingy from japan. I had no idea what was going on, though, as I could not hear any sounds. I watched that aswell, it was James May's Big Ideas. The car used GPS and lasers to identify other cars/objects. It was smart though, If you needed to pull out and go past a car, while a car was coming the other way, it would stop and wait for the car going past. It seemed to work quite well.
Charlie Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 I keep forgetting to inform mine of that. Computers follow instructions and as they don't have a mind of their own they can't do anything other than follow them exactly. When was the last time your computer made a proper mistake, i.e a miscalculation? Computers can crash, but that's not them making a mistake that's them following too many instructions or incorrect instructions.
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