Driving is a pretty dangerous pastime. You’ve got to watch out for truck drivers watching movies on their laptops and other drivers texting and fiddling with GPS apps while trying to negotiate a roundabout. When you get into town there’s pedestrians crossing the road without looking up from their phones, people who can’t park, cyclists and roadworks.
But Google, as you’ll already know, have been working on a solution. Their driverless car has, until now, been a modified version of an existing vehicle. Now though, they’ve developed their own 25mph beast..
Yes, it looks like a 1960’s bubble car. It’s almost a road-going version of those Heathrow Airport pods that take you to the car park. There’s two seats, no steering wheel and no pedals. 100 of these test vehicles are to be made.
The car, which has been developed in secret, aims to make driving safer and once these 100 vehicles have been tested there’ll be no way for any silly human to take control other than a big fat “emergency stop” button. Until then the initial batch maintain a steering wheel to comply with local laws in California, Nevada and Florida
Here’s a look at the car..
Google are to remove controls all together because their testing has revealed that humans were “unpredictable and potentially dangerous”.
I think, my friends, we’re about to enter a new world…
How long before us “unpredictable” and “dangerous” humans are just sat in a pod, getting propelled up the motorway, watching movies on our Google Glass headsets? You will be assimilated.
Wake up, have your Google Android handset track your movements, your Google Nest system checking which room you’re in, your Google Car taking you to work as you watch TV on Google Glass and browse on a Google tablet before arriving to work on your Google Chromebook. All the while, your viewing habits are being tracked, your music preferences are being noted, your browsing habits are getting logged. Google will also know where you work, how long you stay there and who you’re texting.
Are autonomous cars are the future because you’ll have more time to use Google services if you’re not driving?
Whatever happens, after driving at a solid 50mph up the M6 this morning I can see the appeal. However, I’d like to see one of these puppies take on spaghetti junction in Birmingham, perhaps with a little jaunt through the city centre. Let’s see how in copes on proper roads. 🙂