Robot Cars

When cars can drive themselves...then what?

Wow, my hair's getting long. As it tends to do.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• prepoceros
• car
• cars
• driving
• future
• kids
• generations
• children

[dasilva94]

I'm really surprised that most Americans cannot already drive a manual (stick shift as you say in the US), plus the weird need to print on side view mirrors the text 'Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear'

Such signs seem to presume, complete stupidity on the driver, this message doesn't exist out side of America.

Plus here in Europe most cars are manual, which means more fuel efficiency, but even more importantly I think teaches car control that an Automatic never will.

[dasilva94]

cont.

Also, I believe self driving cars will probably never materialise, just for the simple reason that in the event of a crash the car manufacturer would be found liable rather than the driver.

I'm also surprised by the non usage of cursive script among your peers. Surely writing in cursive is much quicker than individual block letters,especially if one is trying to take notes in a class where Prof. is spewing out info at a mile a minute.

[Prepoceros]

The reason I prefer print, especially when I need to write quickly, is that when I write fast, my cursive becomes unreadable much faster than my printing does.

Very few people I know use block letters. My print has some cursive elements to it that help with speed and comfort -- my "l" (lowercase L), for instance, is looped, as is my "e", and I usually write "s" and "f" in cursive, as well. Many of my letter combinations are connected.

[Prepoceros]

I don't think the text on the mirrors is a result of drivers' stupidity, but rather their litigiousness, if that's a word. There was probably a series of really dumb lawsuits that prompted carmakers to add those words, since you can hardly read them from the driver's seat.

[DoggBisket]

One thing that has been lost during my lifetime is the experience of actually having to get up and walk to the TV, and turn a knob to change the channel.

[Prepoceros]

Ah, those were the days.

[jjuran]

This happens to every technology. Some people when they drive are merely operating a machine, and will be glad to hand over control to an autonomous system that they're satisfied does at least as good a job. Few people write assembler code these days.

But for others there's an element of recreation, sport, or artistry, and they will continue to practice the craft long after it becomes 'obsolete'. There will always be those who enjoy auto racing, or horse riding, or even writing assembler.

[computerjantje]

It usually takes more then a genration to completely loose something. the good thing is that the ones who miss it are dead by then. the robotcar like you describe it, will come for sure but I think replacing manual driving totally will go slow like most new things make old things disapear slowly.

[cjames987]

Huh very interesting. Hopefully WWIII does not kill everyone before then with nuclear bombs. If so I hope you and I survive and have to start civilization all over again.

[wstoner]

The art of writing is somewhat lost to this age of electronic communication. In my great-grandparents day they would send tons of postcards with messages like we text or email meow.

GM will be lucky if they are here in 10 years.

[billkeele]

yea i get wher u r coming from i could not stand having a car that drove it self

[Snaaky005]

Thats why we type at 60+ WPM ;)

[dasilva94]

I know I must sound like an old fogey :), but I am aware of the iniquities concerning gender and race that existed in even the recent past, and am glad there has been progress to rectify them, but I think to use a cliché, it's a pity to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

[dasilva94]

Now while I do write in cursive, I'm in awe looking at the calligraphy of my grandfather and people of his generation.

I know there's no hope of returning to their artful writing , but it would be nice to halt the slide before we all descend into illiterate speak, as seen for example in the worst comments in Youtube, to use an example.