[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by dot

But I would still like to drive.

That is a choice that must always be preserved. It should be up to a driver to decide.

IMHO we are a few decades away from having to worry about it This thing will take ages to come to customers as an option.

[MaNishi]

Hi Mods, Tried searching with Self Driven cars and could find only reference to Human driven cars. I think now the meaning of "Self Driven" has to be taken in real literal sense..A Car that can drive on its own.

Just read the article on one of the websites about Google getting License for their Self Driven car. Amazing as the article goes on to describe how other states in US are also planning to issue license to Self Driven cars and how many other automobile manufacturers are planning to apply for the license?

Some thoughts that come straight away .

> What will happen to driving enthusiasts..will it become an exclusive sports kind of activity in near or not so near future?

> Will it ever happen in India and if so whom will police wala harass?

On another thought it might just not happen in India in our lifespan and may have to visit to experience the same.

Look forward to more information and comments from fellow Team members.

Manish

[NinadJoshi]

Google receives license for its self-driven vehicles in the state of Nevada.

Google Just Got A License For Its Self-Driving Cars | Daily Ticker - Yahoo! Finance

Check the drive (profanity warning):

Google's Ass-kicking Self-Driving Car - YouTube

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by NinadJoshi

Google receives license for its self-driven vehicles in the state of Nevada.

The day is not far, when steering wheel will become an optional extra, so when you want to, you can drive, but most of the time, you let the car drive itself.

[joslicx]

I am starting to hate Google. They are depriving us of most of joys of life! First it was books (who wants to read when you can google) then talking with people (now we spend more time on Android than with friends) and now even driving!

What will humans do ultimately?

[NinadJoshi]

Originally Posted by joslicx

I am starting to hate Google. They are depriving us of most of joys of life! First it was books (who wants to read when you can google) then talking with people (now we spend more time on Android than with friends) and now even driving!

What will humans do ultimately?

Driving isn't a pleasure for most of the human race. You'd be surprised to know most humans either look at driving as yet another unavoidable chore, or are simply dispassionate and/or inept to drive. If google can reduce human intervention out of a commute, and make it safer and more error-free too using its electro-mechanico-telematico-gizmotech in vehicles, then why not? My 90 year old neighbor who has to drive to the grocery store by herself will most welcome a google autodriver, as will most 10-mile office commuters

As for me, I certainly wouldn't mind being on the road with a google driven vehicle on the road vis-a-vis a human driver who texts on the wheel while listening to a blaring stereo and eating a MacDonald's carryout.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by NinadJoshi

Driving isn't a pleasure for most of the human race. You'd be surprised to know most humans either look at driving as yet another unavoidable chore, or are simply dispassionate and/or inept to drive. If google can reduce human intervention out of a commute, and make it safer and more error-free too using its electro-mechanico-telematico-gizmotech in vehicles, then why not? My 90 year old neighbor who has to drive to the grocery store by herself will most welcome a google autodriver, as will most 10-mile office commuters

As for me, I certainly wouldn't mind being on the road with a google driven vehicle on the road vis-a-vis a human driver who texts on the wheel while listening to a blaring stereo and eating a MacDonald's carryout.

well if their solution is going to be anything like the Android monster (that crashes every once in a while even on the greatest hardwares) then big NO THANKS to google from my side.

[NinadJoshi]

Originally Posted by joslicx

well if their solution is going to be anything like the Android monster (that crashes every once in a while even on the greatest hardwares) then big NO THANKS to google from my side.

Evaluating a corporations' credibility based on two entirely unrelated products is perhaps taking it a bit too far. By that logic, Tata Consultancy Services could well be a junk company based on the problems that the Tata Indica or Manza have I am sure Google knows what it is getting into.

Further, one shall always retain his choice of buying and operating a 'normal' vehicle, Google or no Google, just as you still have a choice of reading a real paperback book. It isn't like Google is invading the automobile world with its robotic vehicles.

95% of air travel gets done on autopilot, controlled entirely by a computer, while the pilot eats his waffles and sips coffee. I do not think anyone gives it a second thought before boarding a plane, nor does it bother anyone enough to give up flying altogether, does it ? Advancements in ground transportation are inevitable. Radar-locked cruise control, hands free parallel parking, foot-free emergency braking, adaptive lighting, lane-change assistance, blind-spot indicators, pre-crash proactive systems, face (drowsiness) readers etc are all common or available features these days, specifically designed to assist the driver and actually take away the human factor out of potentially dangerous situations. Google is merely stepping it up one notch by automating the entire process of operating a vehicle. Of course there will be a manual override to the system, but chances are, a computer may prove to be safer and better driver than a human.

In any case, let us all acknowledge that creating a full-function autopilot for a car is an engineering feat. Whether it will become a commercial reality, nobody knows.

[sharninder]

I, personally, am all for this tech.

I like driving as much as any other team-bhp reader, but, frankly, driving in our cities (and highways) is a nightmare. Moreover, I also think having a human driven car is incredibly inefficient.

Right now, there are millions of households with more than one car because there are more than one people in the family who need to reach somewhere. Imagine, if the car could drop one person to the office then go back home to pick up the second person for a grocery shopping trip. Imagine, if a fleet of cars could be shared within an apartment complex. If your car isn't available, book your neighbor's car online and pay them using your CC.

I can't wait for this future! As for people who love driving, well leisure flying is still a sport.

[reswaran]

For pleasure, we always have motorcycles.

[DRIVE_ADDICT]

Self driven vehicles in india? haha. I think India will be the BEST place to TEST the self-driven vehicle.

[srishiva]

I think the licence says that a driver should be accompanying whatever drives the car in the driver's seat plus another one in the car.
Not completely driver less I guess. You need different kind of roads and all vehicles to be of same type (driverless) for this to ultimately succeed.

[theMAG]

Unfortunately, most of these technology advances are designed for extremely predictable and controlled environments that exist in developed countries primarily. While the self-driven car is a great technology demonstrator, its adaptation to non-ideal conditions that exist across majority of the countries seems to be, at best, limited.

[vij]

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[fuel_addict]

Originally Posted by theMAG

Unfortunately, most of these technology advances are designed for extremely predictable and controlled environments that exist in developed countries primarily. While the self-driven car is a great technology demonstrator, its adaptation to non-ideal conditions that exist across majority of the countries seems to be, at best, limited.

+1. That is very well said. Can't agree more on this.

Google has been at the forefront of some interesting new technological advances recently; first the Glasses and now this self driven car concept. In the practical world, I do not see too much application of these concepts. Nothing beats the fun of actually driving a car. Why would you want to move around with glasses when most information can be accessed quite briskly on a cell phone?