Google issued first license to test driverless cars

[Corey]

Nevada is the first state to grant Google a U.S. license to test driverless cars. The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles confirmed on Monday that it had approved the company’s application to test autonomous vehicles on public streets. Google will be required to have at least two people in the vehicle while testing it, however, including one in the driver’s seat. Prior to being approved, the Mountain View-based company had been testing the car on freeways in neighborhoods around Carson City and Las Vegas, according to Fox News. The tests showed the car was just as safe, if not safer, than cars operated by human drivers. “It gets honked at more often because it’s being safe,” said Nevada DMV Director Bruce Breslow. The driverless vehicles will be required to wear red license plates that contain an infinity symbol, which the DMV says represents their status as “the car of the future.” If testing goes as planned and the vehicles are ever used by the general public, the license plates will be green. “They’re designed to avoid distracted driving,” Breslow said. “When you’re on the Strip and there’s a huge truck with a three scantily clad women on the side, the car only sees a box.”

Read

 

View the full article

[beedub]

The car only sees a box, not three?

[Dddrgn]

That is absolutely insane. I feel like this will be one of the most important technological advances of this generation, and I'm sure that if it is released to the public that accidents will decrease significantly.

[Ken]

Read about this two nights ago in the paper. It seams pretty amazing!

That is absolutely insane. I feel like this will be one of the most important technological advances of this generation, and I'm sure that if it is released to the public that accidents will decrease significantly.

This would be very good for peoples safety. But there still need to be accidents, I do insurance if no one crashes I don't make money, so please screw up every so often.

[ajnl]

I don't ever want a computer to drive my car. Unless its a long long road trip and i'm sleeping. Driving is fun, not gonna give that fun up.

[pronoob]

Google is your Best Friend.

[beedub]

Someone else was testing self drive cars in the Los Angeles area a few year back. These cars were guided by cylindrical magnets that were buried in the roadway. The cars could link to other cars and form a sort of train, they were just a few inches apart. Since the computers were linked they did not have to worry about hitting the car in front of them.

 

As far as the insurance guy's post; I have not had a car crash in many years, I have had computers crash. I think you will be OK once computers start driving cars.

[ajnl]

Yeah I saw that, that was longer than a few years ago tho. The magnets in the road would turn the wheels. But it was a dumb way of doing it, think about the millions/billions of magnets you'd need lol.

 

And that's a good point. I haven't crashed at all, but my computer definitely has.

[beedub]

I just looked at the video of the Google one. Much farther advanced than the magnet guided cars. That was pretty impressive. My only concern is, is it going to use the same GPS technology like I have in my car? Considering the number of times it tells me I am driving through a field when I am really on the roadway. Will the Google cars drive up on the sidewalk, thinking that it is on the road? LOL. Just kidding, I think it is a little more advanced.