Google is to start building its own self-driving cars

[Dogtrousers]

And if you have two cars, and forget which one you're "driving", the consequences could be a bit worse than me forgetting which bike I'm riding and reaching to the down tube to change gear by mistake, or reaching into the door pocket to put the handbrake on when I'm driving a hire car abroad.

"Sorry mate, I saw you, but the car didn't. I was expecting it to stop for me".

 

[TwoPosts]

Just wanted to point out this story on TheRegister.

Not for the story; which is a lot of FUD from what appears to be one of their USA journalists, but for the reason I visit the site regularly, the comments section

I don't know why being involved in IT makes a difference, but the spirited criticism of the story along with other enlightened comments (mostly) is such a contrast to the usual motoring centric comments you see on the BBC or Daily Heil type stories.

 

[Wobblers]

Whereas with Do No Evil Google, everything you do in or with the car will be accompanied with adverts, and be monitored and recorded in the States.

Great.

Oh, good grief, just root it, install CyanogenmodDrive and adBlock and you'll be fine...

 

[Wobblers]

While I'm sure there are plenty of 'big brother' issues that will keep human freedom/rights people going for a long time, if it takes the 'couldn't be bothered to concentrate' and the 'not very competent' drivers out of the equation then I reckon the roads are going to be better for it.

That, actually, is the thing that worries me. The software will have been written by software developers. While they're doubtless very good, they're still people[1]. And people tend not to be too good on the edge cases. On the road, cyclists are edge cases. So while the cars may function perfectly well in other circumstances, you'll be in for a surprise if the non-cyclist software developer considered a pass of 6 inches perfectly okay. And let's just hope that the computer isn't programmed to consider colliding with that soft squidgy cyclist so much less likely to scratch the paintwork than that nasty hard parked car...

[1] Full disclosure: I used to be a software developer, for my sins. In fact, some of the software I helped write is still being used in bank trading floors. So, yes, it's all my fault. Sorry!

 

[mustang1]

Eventually this will put taxi drivers, bit not taxi companies, out of business. And insurance companies would run out of excuses to charge such premiums. Or maybe not.

 

[Octet]

I don't kow but would assume the running would not be controlled by the web but by on-board computers/controls. The web control may say things like....drive to this address and it would do so. Probably no more dangerous than a taxi

You'd be surprised, SCADA (industrial control systems) are notorious for being put on the web.
When I say "industrial control", I'm not talking about opening and closing doors... I'm talking about power stations, warehouse size refrigeration units etc. and they are very vulnerable!

In the "Internet of Things" (when everything has an IPv6), it shall all be on the net. Even tiny things like light bulbs have already started to be created with a web interface, to tell you when it needs changing, and a car is going to be no different.

 

[jazzkat]

That, actually, is the thing that worries me. The software will have been written by software developers. While they're doubtless very good, they're still people[1]. And people tend not to be too good on the edge cases. On the road, cyclists are edge cases. So while the cars may function perfectly well in other circumstances, you'll be in for a surprise if the non-cyclist software developer considered a pass of 6 inches perfectly okay. And let's just hope that the computer isn't programmed to consider colliding with that soft squidgy cyclist so much less likely to scratch the paintwork than that nasty hard parked car...

[1] Full disclosure: I used to be a software developer, for my sins. In fact, some of the software I helped write is still being used in bank trading floors. So, yes, it's all my fault. Sorry!

I appreciate all that and I would have thought the legal hoops the programmers/builders/designers would have to go through would be huge and I would imagine it would be hard for a programmer to defend any programming that went against the highway code.

I can't see it 'going mainstream' for a long time (I may be wrong!) due to the legalities. If your automated car just ran over a cyclist or pedestrian then as the owner of the car it's not your fault. So I would imagine the family of the deceased would be looking for justice from the car manufacturers/programmers, along with claims for stress etc from the driver who now has issues with getting in an automated car that might cause an accident. I would imagine it would be an insurance minefield.
I'm sure the time will come, just not soon.