Technology is advancing at a rapid rate, with new and interesting things being released to the public on almost a weekly basis. Some things are significantly more compelling than others, like the Google Self Driving Car. People have expressed opinions ranging from sheer terror at the idea of an automobile gaining sentience to utter delight at the prospect of never having to drive again. On the whole, however, people are easily described as excited. The Google Waymo car is an intriguing advancement in science and technology, and regardless of how it affects people personally, this is a defining moment for the future of mankind.
How Does the Google Self Driving Car Work?
The self-driving car prototypes that Google is currently perfecting through their Google Waymo car subsidiary depend on the sensors and software within them to drive themselves. There is no more steering wheel, no more pedals, no fuss. With the Google self-driving car, there would be no more drunk drivers, no more people texting while trying to navigate, and no more exhausted drivers who run off the road. The software has been being improved upon since it was developed in 2009, and it has over 300 years of human driving experience. The Google Waymo car has an additional billion miles of simulated driving added to it every year to improve upon the software and sensor technology.
What Technology Is Used In The Google Waymo Car?
The self-driving car Google technology associated with Waymo is advanced and capable of determining pedestrians, road work, cyclists, other vehicles, and more from distances away spanning two football fields. The sensors pick up hand gestures and signals, and subsequently predict the behavior of the other people involved. The software allows for the cars to defensively, not aggressively, and to react calmly to unexpected changes, like lane closures and bad drivers.
When Can You Get One?
The automotive technician executive for Waymo, John Krafcik, has announced plans to complete the entire project by 2020, allowing self-driving cars to be available to the public at this time. The original release date was 2017, but the schedule was updated to improve the features as much as possible before public release. The cars have roughly $150,000 worth of equipment within them, including a laser for 3D mapping the environment around it. The system has been tested on a variety of vehicles, and the LIDAR specs make it perfectly compatible.
January 7, 2017
That’s really thinikng of the highest order