Jul 17
Apr 12
I drive a two-seat roadster known for its great handling. The last thing I want is for a machine to take the steering wheel out of my hands. My car company isn’t into self-driving cars, but others are: Ford, BMW, Audi. And, of course, Google is moving quickly forward with road-worthy autocars that have accumulated 300,000 miles with only one (human error) accident. The advantages of cars that drive themselves are multiple and compelling.
Automobile intelligence already assists the driving experience by warning of dangerous situations and taking control of parking, which is, for some people, the most difficult maneuver to perform. We are gradually ceding control to our cars. When a completely automated consumer car launches, some drivers will hand over the reins gladly. But for me and other enthusiasts, driving a car isn’t just about reaching a destination; it’s about the journey and operating a beautiful machine. Unfortunately for people who feel that way, the greatest social benefits of self-driving cars would kick in if everyone were herded into a new era of hands-off driving.
Filed under: Transportation, Google
Dec 28
Google’s driverless car prototype has been around for a couple of years now—but have you ever spotted one in the wild? We just did, and it’s equal parts insane, terrifying, and hugely cool. More »
Sep 25
California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads (video)
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Google just chalked up one of the more important victories for driverless cars. California Governor Jerry Brown has signed bill SB1298 into law, formalizing the legal permissions and safety standards needed to let automated vehicles cruise on state-owned roads. While the bill lets anyone move forward with their plans, it’s clear from the ceremony that local technology darling Google is the primary impetus for the measure: Brown visited Google’s Mountain View headquarters to put ink to paper, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin oversaw the signing with his Google Glass eyewear on full display. If you’re dying to see driverless vehicles become mainstays of the Golden State, the official act making that possible is already available to watch after the break.
Filed under: Robots, Transportation
California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Who's in charge here?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.