Now with Beer Garden for our smoking patrons.
The needed technology already exists and many manufacturers are expected to provide such cars within the next few years. Also seems auto-manufacturers are worried about the potential BIG decline in sales - think 40+%, because of this revolution.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/innov ... 7360344191
More reading on this topic.Driverless cars will be here by 2020, if the government allows them, Nissan boss says
NISSAN will have vehicles packed with autonomous driving technology by 2020, but whether people will be able to drive them on roads is up to government regulators, its chief executive Carlos Ghosn says.
Many of the world’s carmakers and companies outside the auto industry (such as Google) are working on technology that allows cars to navigate without human intervention.
Ghosn said good progress was being made toward the Japanese automaker’s goal of delivering a driverless car by 2020.
“Our cars will be ready,” he said.
The biggest hurdle for such vehicles becoming readily available to consumers is approval from regulators around the world, he told reporters at Yokohama headquarters.
Ghosn said autonomous driving was sure to be part the future because that was what consumers wanted. He said consumers also demanded zero, or very low, emissions as well as connectivity — the means to access the internet, to watch movies and to duplicate in their vehicle the same experiences a person had at home or in the office.
Nissan has committed to developing electric cars, rather than invest in other technology, in its bid for a zero emission vehicle.
Currently, Nissan produces the Leaf electric car, but also uses hybrid technology in vehicles like its luxury arm Infiniti’s Q50.
Ghosn said Nissan saw autonomous vehicles as adding to driving pleasure. While Nissan could end up producing a totally driverless car, that was not the automaker’s immediate goal.
“That is the car of the future,” he said. “But the consumer is more conservative. “That makes us cautious.”
Tesla’s Model S will be one of the first cars to see something close to autonomous driving through a software update due to be released this year. The update will give the car the ability to drive itself on highways without any input from the driver, however it won’t be able to drive you home after a few drinks from the local pub.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he believed fully-autonomous cars were only a few years away.
Speaking earlier this year at the GPU Technology Conference in California, he said: “Autonomy is really about what level of reliability and safety do you want. Even with the current sensor suite, we could make the car go fully autonomous, but not to a level of reliability that would be safe in, say, a complex urban environment where children are playing,” Musk said.
“I almost view it as a solved problem. We know exactly what to do, and we’ll be there in a few years.”
http://www.driverless-future.com/?cat=26
I see a few governmental $$$ conundrums:Imagine a future without congestion, car crashes, smog, or road rage. It’s coming sooner than you think. Summoned with an Uber-like smartphone app, driverless cars will revolutionize transportation. For less than bus fare you’ll enjoy the quiet, comfortable door-to-door service you’d get from a personal chauffeur. A chauffeur that is never distracted, never tired or testy, and always knows the fastest and safest route to get you where you’re going. No cash, no tipping, no crowds, no congestion – just hop in, enjoy the ride, hop out, and be on your way. These cars will be electric: quiet, clean, and so safe that deaths and disabilities will be rare. Instead of dealing with road rage and the frustration of bumper-to-bumper traffic, you’ll be free to text, Facebook with friends, or get a head start on your workday. Since you can cut your cost in half by riding with another passenger, seamlessly arranged by your mobility provider, traffic congestion will slowly fade away.
Owning a car means car payments, insurance, registration, maintenance, gas prices, smog, tickets, accidents, finding parking, and dealing with the stress of traffic. Buying miles instead of metal means you’ll save thousands a year for your dream vacation, the kids’ college education, or buying a home of your own. In addition to lowering stress and regaining the use of 5% of your waking hours, putting an extra $5,000 a year in people’s pockets will compel this change.
Driverless Car Revolution explains the benefits for people of all ages, from kids through seniors, plus the disabled, the working poor, tourists and other special groups. The book also discusses the economic disruption of major industries as well as potential geopolitical upheavals – all the pieces of the puzzle, and how they fit together.
Fasten your seatbelt, engage, and prepare to join the Driverless Car Revolution.
* Speeding fine revenue will steadily decrease
* Road funding (through car registrations, etc) will steadily decrease, but people will still demand more roads
* GST and other taxes from car sales will steadily decrease
Lots more interesting reading on the web. This will come faster than we think.
