Now this has disaster spelled all over it. (If you can read Chinese.)
Chinese carmaker First Auto Works (FAW) is demonstrating a sedan that drives itself. Equipped with two cameras hooked up to a computer guidance system of some sort, the FAW Hongqi (Red Flag) HQ3 prototype is designed to navigate its way through streets, avoiding obstacles, stopping at traffic signals and hopefully mowing down a minimum of pedestrians.
FAW demonstrated the car at the Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo, where it was limited to a snail-pace 37 mph, though the automaker claims it could safely operate at speeds up to 93 mph. If it actually works in real life, this would mark a significant step forward from the embarrassing demonstration of Mercedes' Brake Assist PLUS system and a challenger to vehicles entering the next DARPA Grand Challenge.
Personally, I'll just be happy if it can get an egg roll and crispy beef to my house while they're still hot.
[Source: Techdirt via Engadget]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
rwdmtparkingonly @ Sep 13th 2006 11:09AM
The Chinese claims seem dubious, but I don't want to see anyone claiming that Hongqis can't drive.
Car chops and Discussion @ Sep 13th 2006 11:18AM
Id like to see a video
anything floating around the web?
http://www.carchops.com
doug @ Sep 13th 2006 11:39AM
I hear it's programmed to drive directly to Wal-Mart...
mark f @ Sep 13th 2006 12:08PM
Maybe on the autodrive to WalMart the blog author can pick up the new book "How to Maximize the Use of Subtle Racial Slurs to Foster Steretoyped Images in Newswriting". Eggs roll and crispy beef jokes when referencing Asian technology? Grow up.
Andy @ Sep 13th 2006 12:11PM
93 mph?! That's a bit high don't you think? Especially with only 2 cameras
Ryan @ Sep 13th 2006 12:30PM
"4. Maybe on the autodrive to WalMart the blog author can pick up the new book "How to Maximize the Use of Subtle Racial Slurs to Foster Steretoyped Images in Newswriting". Eggs roll and crispy beef jokes when referencing Asian technology? Grow up."
-Where is the insult? Asians/egg rolls are not a sterotype, they are fact?
Now- "Two Wong's don't make a White" is a different story.
You need to chill, your the very reason why people can't stand the "minority"
Noah Joseph @ Sep 13th 2006 1:04PM
Hoy, of course you're right about the spelling of Mao, and as a poli-sci major I should have known better. (How you can mis-spell a foreign name when writing in English is another story.)
And while I take your comments regarding the Chinese food reference to heart, let me ask you this: If we referenced beer in an article on a German car, or compared a French car to a fine bottle of wine, would you have the same objection?
An immature joke, well I won't refute that. But racist? I think that's pushing it a little. Bottom line: I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone, just trying to spice up the story a bit. (Next time I'll use some spicy chili sauce instead.)
Dirk Dundenburg @ Sep 13th 2006 1:19PM
It has to drive a damn sight better than the asian drivers it's replacing, at least from the driving habits I see around here.
kevin @ Sep 13th 2006 1:20PM
weak! can it do slaloms, drive a perfect line through an s curve up to 115mph? VW's GTI can, remember?
Hamud @ Sep 13th 2006 1:47PM
Seeing from crash test on chinese cars, future owners of cars with this kind of technology wont complain that the system didn´t work properly, mainly cause they would be dead after the system malfunction...
DC @ Sep 13th 2006 1:53PM
Dirk, where do you live? I'll drive rings around your ass any day.
Ren @ Sep 13th 2006 1:59PM
Noah,
While not racist or a slur, your Chinese food comment reflects a typical Western-centric view. Referencing egg rolls and Mao as soon as you hear Chinese like a word association test shows a complete lack of imagination and/or a narrow view of the world.
Ryan @ Sep 13th 2006 2:14PM
If you can't laugh at yourself who can you laugh at?
"While not racist or a slur, your Chinese food comment reflects a typical Western-centric view. Referencing egg rolls and Mao as soon as you hear Chinese like a word association test shows a complete lack of imagination and/or a narrow view of the world."
-Narrow view of the world? LOL, try communist China! They have a narrow view of freedom!
the viking @ Sep 13th 2006 2:30PM
by the way, has any one noticed that the car looks just like a prev generatino lexus GS?
Trough @ Sep 13th 2006 2:48PM
Well, the asian driver cracks were bound to arrive on the subway of wanna-be funny men.
But living in LA, you know what I've noticed? It's not JUST Asians that are bad drivers. I've almost gotten plowed by (probably uninsured) Mexican drivers in downtown LA on Vermont at least 3 times. Come to think of it, white and black people are horrible drivers too in LA. They try to drive agressively but they end up causing near accidents almost everytime. They sure THINK they can drive and THINK they own the road. And don't get me started on the Middle Eastern drivers in LA. They're just clueless.
And Mustang drivers here are just hideous. Even if they're rolling in a bare-bones stock V6, they try to take everyone on - including that CTS-V in the next lane. Idiots.
I think maybe it's just that LA drivers in general can't drive for shit. Sort of like that "Crash" mixed with "Days of Thunder", except everyone just ends up crashing into one another.
Ren @ Sep 13th 2006 3:45PM
Ryan, Your statement proves my point. 1. Who said I was Chinese? 2. Not all Chinese people are communists, yet you immediately associate the two. Just like it would be wrong to say that all Americans are war-mongering Muslim-hating cowboys who see the world in two colors - right and wrong.
Ryan @ Sep 13th 2006 4:15PM
#17
"17. Ryan, Your statement proves my point. 1. Who said I was Chinese? 2. Not all Chinese people are communists, yet you immediately associate the two."
-Okay now your just being plain hypersensative, I NEVER said AS YOU PUT IT "Not all chinese people are communists". I believe I PUT:
"Narrow view of the world? LOL, try communist China! They have a narrow view of freedom!"
I said COMMUNIST CHINA, and I never said you were chinese.
Ren, Where's Stimpy?
"Not all Chinese people are communists, yet you immediately associate the two."
NO WAY, WHO WOULD THINK IT?
CHINA=COMMUNIST
Chinese people that live in the USA:
AMERICAN.
Chinese people make great dish towels and barbie dolls and nike shoes!!!
Ryan @ Sep 13th 2006 4:17PM
"Chinese people make great dish towels and barbie dolls and nike shoes!!!"
-Oh and self-guided cars as well!
Fabulo @ Sep 13th 2006 5:04PM
Aaaaahh welcome to the world of overreacting prude pc police people. Next thing you know someone will flash a nipple for 3 seconds during a football game and a generation of children (and their parents) will be scared for life!
I'll have a General Tsao Chicken please.
rwdmtparkingonly @ Sep 13th 2006 5:11PM
Ok, I can't resist:
-The Chinese won't be able to advance as a country if they let Hongqis decide where they're going.
-(to the author) I think your generalization of Chinese immigrants as takeout restaurant owners was cheap and cliché, but if are looking for fresh egg rolls and crispy beef don't bring a Hongqi with you to the restaurant. You aren't going to get good service if they see that you came with a Hongqi.
-Why are all the Hongqis I see black, don't they have any white Hongqis in China?