A self-driving vehicle is the aim of many research teams around the world. The robotic car could save lives. And it might enhance other modern difficulties also. Google's Lab X -- one of the places the technology is being explored -- could be planning to create just such a car as early as next year.
Google's Lab X
Although engineer Sebastian Thrun was not the first to work at creating a robotic vehicle, it is he who has spearheaded the project at Google's Lab X. Thrun says he has devoted his life to creating the technology after a close friend was killed in an automobile accident.
If you work at Lab X, your job is to invent. Every out-of-the-box idea is developed in the lab. This lab is kept very quiet. That is why a lot of Google employees were surprised to find out it existed. Although most of the projects being developed there are still in the conceptual stage, two unnamed sources told the New York Times last month that one of the projects could see the manufacturing stage as early as next year. Another source spoke about the no-drive automobile. This person said it could be manufactured in the U.S. by Google soon.
A few checks done
The experimental vehicle was exhibited at the TED technology conference in Long Beach, Calif., last year. Since that time, it has been unleashed on the California roads -- in the city and on the highway -- for testing. The video below shows some of that testing. Bystanders didn't even realize this was a car driving itself because it worked so flawlessly, as reported by undertaking leader Thrun.
Not a new idea
GM explored the idea of a self-driving vehicle at the 1939 World's Fair in New York with its vision of the future of transportation. But it was the development of satellite and computer technology that has made it a real possibility. Lasers, cameras and radar are all used with Global Positioning System to navigate things.
Number of automobiles on the roads
The global gridlock problem will be saved with the robotic car. There are a ton of individuals driving on the road, and more will come as time pushes forward. With all of these individuals, a bigger problem will soon be traffic congestion.
Ford CEO Bill Ford said at a March TED conference:
"The freedom of mobility that my great-grandfather brought to people is now being threatened. Global gridlock is going to stifle economic growth and our ability to deliver food and health care, particularly to people that live in city centers, and our quality of life is going to be severely compromised."
Self-driving automobiles would make it possible to increase speed limits. The concern of crashing disappears with the cars.
Other car businesses have same idea
BMW, General Motors and Volkswagen are also working to develop robotic self-driving vehicles.
Google's Lab X
Although engineer Sebastian Thrun was not the first to work at creating a robotic vehicle, it is he who has spearheaded the project at Google's Lab X. Thrun says he has devoted his life to creating the technology after a close friend was killed in an automobile accident.
If you work at Lab X, your job is to invent. Every out-of-the-box idea is developed in the lab. This lab is kept very quiet. That is why a lot of Google employees were surprised to find out it existed. Although most of the projects being developed there are still in the conceptual stage, two unnamed sources told the New York Times last month that one of the projects could see the manufacturing stage as early as next year. Another source spoke about the no-drive automobile. This person said it could be manufactured in the U.S. by Google soon.
A few checks done
The experimental vehicle was exhibited at the TED technology conference in Long Beach, Calif., last year. Since that time, it has been unleashed on the California roads -- in the city and on the highway -- for testing. The video below shows some of that testing. Bystanders didn't even realize this was a car driving itself because it worked so flawlessly, as reported by undertaking leader Thrun.
Not a new idea
GM explored the idea of a self-driving vehicle at the 1939 World's Fair in New York with its vision of the future of transportation. But it was the development of satellite and computer technology that has made it a real possibility. Lasers, cameras and radar are all used with Global Positioning System to navigate things.
Number of automobiles on the roads
The global gridlock problem will be saved with the robotic car. There are a ton of individuals driving on the road, and more will come as time pushes forward. With all of these individuals, a bigger problem will soon be traffic congestion.
Ford CEO Bill Ford said at a March TED conference:
"The freedom of mobility that my great-grandfather brought to people is now being threatened. Global gridlock is going to stifle economic growth and our ability to deliver food and health care, particularly to people that live in city centers, and our quality of life is going to be severely compromised."
Self-driving automobiles would make it possible to increase speed limits. The concern of crashing disappears with the cars.
Other car businesses have same idea
BMW, General Motors and Volkswagen are also working to develop robotic self-driving vehicles.
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