As the fantasies from our youth inch closer and closer to reality, the surprise may begin to wane. Society will adjust to a contemporary age, just like it always has. Still, there will be some points that will never just ease into the normal zone of human comprehension. Self-driving vehicles is probably tops on that list.
The notion that vehicles of any kind (military for example) have the capacity to essentially govern themselves is fascinating enough, but a commercial vehicle doing this is just mind-blowing. If Google has its way, this will become a regular occurrence in the not too distant future. First up, they’re going to make hailing a mid-day cab a lot easier.
From The London Telegraph
Google is in talks with major auto-components manufacturers, such as Continental AG and Magna International, to build new cars to Google’s specifications, according to a report on former WSJ journalist Jessica Lessin's blog.
People familiar with the matter said that Google has been studying how these vehicles could become part of robo-taxi systems that pick up passengers and work commuters on demand, reducing the need for people to own their own cars.
At first, the robo taxis would require humans sitting behind the wheel in case of emergencies, according to the report. Eventually, however, these cars could operate completely autonomously, and would probably be linked to a mobile application.
