Google's self-driving car takes blind man to Taco Bell

Google posted a video of the self-driving car taking a legally blind man for a spin, showing one of the possibilities and benefits that could come from the technology.

"Where this would change my life is to give me the independence and the flexibility to go to the places I both want to go and need to go when I need to do those things," Steve Mahan says in the video.

latimes.com

This was done on a pre-planned route, but the potential for this type of technology to break down barriers to independence is immeasurable. It actually gave me a good feeling to watch this video.

Cool video S & F

Pretty neat technology.

The day a blind man, with his heightened senses of hearing and smell, goes to Taco Bell deliberately - armageddon is nigh.

Also, I guess blind people are exempt from seat belt laws? The car can go to taco bell and back but can barely park itself in the driveway?

I can see this tech being used by people wanting to go out and get hammered. "I'm not driving, officer - the car is."

Otherwise pretty cool.

I want one.

I do a lot of driving for my job, and this technology would greatly reduce the stresses of traffic.

reply to post by N3k9Ni


Independant owners and operators of self driving cars will not happen.

You need the funds and the know-how to support teh operation of these vehicles and hte possible fallout from their inevitible errors.

But government owned automated public transport is VERY close.

Cars like this won't be available to the masses simply because of all the money made off of speeding tickets and parking violations. The CHP would be out of a job unless there was some way to manually drive it like a normal car.

If that's the case that you can indeed do both, that'd be pretty interesting.

reply to post by Wertdagf


You're probably right. Automated public transport might be a better option.

reply to post by Skepticesque


Revenues from DUI, speeding and myriad other violations would drop dramatically. I wonder if you would even need a license?

reply to post by AwakeinNM


Actually, self-driving cars would help reduce drunk driving accidents substantially. I would think it a necessity in the near future that every car come with some self-driving capability.

reply to post by DestroyDestroyDestroy


Imagine the reduction in insurance costs!

Reducing traffic police presence saves valuable tax dollars. This is win-win-win.

Originally posted by DestroyDestroyDestroy
reply to post by AwakeinNM

 

Actually, self-driving cars would help reduce drunk driving accidents substantially. I would think it a necessity in the near future that every car come with some self-driving capability.

Drivers falling asleep, too. I know two people who have done that, and I was a passenger with one of them. Good thing I was, too - I grabbed the wheel in mid-spin and straightened the car out and rolled to a stop - facing backward.

Originally posted by N3k9Ni
reply to post by Skepticesque

 

Revenues from DUI, speeding and myriad other violations would drop dramatically. I wonder if you would even need a license?

That's an incredibly good point.

It'd just be like having a parent driving, therefore I wouldn't think a license would be necessary, unless there was some way to take control of the vehicle.

And if public transport is finaly converted, they will a) send you to fema camps without problems and b) Issue the TSA with body searches because of "terrorist" threads...

Sounds like a great idea.

But people will lose faith in the technology very quickly if it ever makes a mistake...

Coulda just ordered a pizza...

As someone with a visual imparment, this would change my life. I'm always trying to arrange for my transportation. Public transportation in my city is a disgrace. Poor route, times, and sometimes dangerous. This technology would open a whole world of independance for me... Too bad I'm not a billionaire. lol

Originally posted by dayve
Coulda just ordered a pizza...

Believe it or not, one can eat only so much pizza. lol

Originally posted by NuclearPaul
Sounds like a great idea.

But people will lose faith in the technology very quickly if it ever makes a mistake...

yeah...especially if it drives to a burger king, rather than a taco bell.....

kinda cool but its google... Do you really trust google with your life? If google is making the steps now then it will probably be the main company distributing this technology when its out. I do not trust google to control my car, do you?

reply to post by Infi8nity


If I could get a reasonably affordable car that would take me anywhere I wanted to go, on demand, without me touching any of the controls, I wouldn't care if it was produced by Hitler.