GM Announces Autonomously Driven Car

[tiffany34990]

i think it's an interesting idea. but it's not fully practical. humans need the ability to take control. it's just like our calculators in a way. the computer in there can only do so much with what it's told. there are some things it can't. if like some have pointed out before.. some can fail so therefore you need a way to take control. it perhaps may be able to help w/ driving with the different sensors...

but new technology can be helpful yet at time it isn't. we should though i think keep an open mind. who knows what other things will come from this

that's just my two cents.. happy thinking...

[JoeXIII'007]

Wow! Very interesting announcement.
#1. I drive the car, the car does not, cannot, and WILL NOT drive me, period. Let me just say, "blue screen of death!!!" A 'fatal' exception could occur.
#2. I'm wondering where the research was done for this technology, considering that my team is sponsored by GM? Certainly, this announcement was made in Germany, but given that GM is a global company, the research, design, build, testing, and all that stuff could've been done anywhere.

2 cents + tax = an opinion from Joe.

[santosh]

Maybe I am one of the only people here who seems to like this idea. I think it is an amazing idea. If the techonology is further developed, then cars could possibly driving them selves better than humans can. It seems far fetched, but so did a car with a 1001 HP W16 engine with multiple supercharges and a tail that could adjust itself in order to create more down force in order to have better handling 100 years ago. (Veyron) I bet if you tol people about it back then they would have somewhat similiar opinions on it, such as that is horrible and completely unsafe. it can be used in an unsafe way, but the vehicle itself I do not believe is unsafe.
Yeah it is new, but I think it could be developed to become better. Many people are extremely tired after work and are not as alert as we would like them to be when they get behind the wheel. I myself would like to drive my own car around, but I would sometimes want to utilize the capabilities of me being able to take a break from driving for a while.
I do know that some higher end cars already have systems that hit the breaks for you when something goes by at a very high speed. I read about the writers on MotorTrend complaining about it a lot too. But come one. Is no one willing to see the benefits of such technology. I also know that there was a $10 million Volvo. it was supposed to be the safest car ever created. I think It could swith lanes and mantain distances on its own and do some other cool stuff like that. it wasn't fully autnomous but worked along side the driver.
I do agree that lots of money should be spent towards cheap alternate sources of fuel, better MPG, and other things.
Maybe I wrote this in a fashion that makes it confusing. If so pm me if you want a better explanation of my opinions.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

I have a few thoughts on the subject.

I don't agree that letting a car drive you is practical. As a very wise person I know said to me this summer, "Robots are amazing, but god forbid they should drive me...".

However, I think you should all stop basking in how "unsafe and dumb" this technology is, and start considering the potential.

1) Assistance for those with disabilities
I am of the firm opinion that a mild disability should NOT prohibit somebody from being able to get themselves from place to place. A more controlled car environment could provide a very good place for those with some kind of physical disability, or perhaps a memory problem, to learn the road and some driving skills.

2) Drivers Education
As Sanddrag said very aptly, we should be teaching people to drive better, not to be bigger idiots on the road. An automated car in a control environment could be used to run road tests, train drivers for any type of situation, and many other things. Here is an example: Say the car is programmed to avoid certain obstacles. Say they then program it to react like a car would in a really bad rainstorm. Hello Driver Training in bad conditions, without having to simulate the bad conditions in real life.

Maybe that idea sounds ridiculous, but think for a second about the possibilities that it could have. I'm not trained as an engineer by any means, and before you criticize me about all the technical things, just use your imagination...and think of what cars with autopilot could help with.

[Marc P.]

I am also surprised at the negative reaction towards this. True, there are situations where a self driving car may not be necessary, but that doesn't make it a bad thing. According to the article- The car will be capable of piloting itself at speeds up to 60 mph in heavy traffic without any input from the driver sitting behind the steering wheel. Capable does not imply mandatory.

That said, I can definitely see a use for this. Elderly people who otherwise have trouble driving around, or people with vision problems preventing them from getting on the road can make use of a system like this. As long as it is proven safe in various environments (night, rain, snow, etc), I say why condemn a remarkable piece of technology. Anything to increase the potential safety of public roads is a good thing in my book. Ideally, I'd like to see a hybrid human/autonomous control system, where the computer constantly monitors for potential hazards, and takes corrective action faster than a human could otherwise react. Many fender-benders can be avoided if a computer can detect a car suddenly brake in front, and slow/stop the car before a collision occurs. It would also be nice for those long car trips where the drive is mostly highways, like I drive from here in Connecticut to Rochester, NY to visit my grandmother. I'd love to set the car on auto-drive and nap for an hour or two.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and I can definitely see a need/use for self-navigating cars.

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by Jack Jones

I'd rather see GM work on ... putting the power window buttons, headlights, windshield wipers, etc. where I can find them without having to take my eyes off the road.

Oh, but they have!! The car we rented for IRI was a brand-new Chevy HHR. The power window buttons were located....

Guess where!!

...in the center console, underneath the climate controls, where you could barely find them. Not on the driver door within easy reach, like all the other power window cars I've ever driven.

Not a very good example of GM technological advances, I'm afraid. I hope their computer-driven car is way much better designed.

(Note to everyone who noticed our silver HHR in the parking lot at IRI, thinking this strange looking beastie was something cool: Better test drive it before deciding it's for you. I suspect it will not sell very well--it's a niche market sort of thing.)

Enough about the unimportant details of automotive controls!

Last night, we witnessed an accident. A large pickup truck was being driven very badly, like the driver didn't know what lane he wanted to be in, or where he wanted to go. He suddenly veered, and sideswiped a $65,000 BMW. We thought surely he was drunk or something. To our surprise, he pulled into a gas station--he could have easily driven away.

When the lady driving the BMW asked the other driver for his license, he just shrugged. I called the police (ponder this for non-911 situations: how do you call the police on your cell phone when it's not a life or death emergency, seeing as the bad driver was no longer behind the wheel?).

The only good things about this were that no one was hurt, both cars were still fully drivable, and the driver was willing to take responsibility for his actions.

Now, how would a computerized car handle this situation? Here was an unlicensed driver, who had perhaps taken the family car without permission. Would the car have prevented the accident? Would it have prevented his driving the car in the first place?

And, on a lighter note, will a computerized car prevent its driver from practicing his trumpet behind the wheel? I just had to add that. We really did see such a thing once.

[Kyle]

Originally Posted by KarenH

I called the police (ponder this for non-911 situations: how do you call the police on your cell phone when it's not a life or death emergency, seeing as the bad driver was no longer behind the wheel?).

Yes you can call 9-1-1 for any type of emergency as long as its not like a cat in the tree situation, most police and fire agencies have non emergency phone numbers listed in the phone book and also using a 4-1-1 directory

[ahecht]

Many areas also have *-1-1 number for non-emergency situations. In Los Angeles it's 311 (which is for all city services, not just police).

[santosh]

About the fuel efficiency arguement. I wonder if this new autonomous car does get better gas mileage. I wonder if it drives mor conservatively and drives in a way to improve its fuel conomy.