Autoblog

Why Google's autonomous car tech could be worth more than its web business

Zach Bowman — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:01:00 EST

According to Forbes, Google may be into driverless cars for more than the party tricks. As part of a three-part series on the tech giant's foray into the automotive sphere, writer Chunka Miu says Google's efforts could have a widespread impact on the nature of transportation worldwide. The company believes it can theoretically reduce traffic accidents, energy consumption and the number of personal vehicles on the road by 90 percent should autonomous models take hold, and those savings could equate to a massive revenue stream as automakers work to adapt the technology to their products.

What's more, the technology could revolutionize the way developing countries design their infrastructure, and Google could theoretically be there to lend a helping hand. Forbes says the autonomous vehicle business could be worth trillions of dollars in the long term, far surpassing the company's current search, advertising and mobile platform operations.

Why Google's autonomous car tech could be worth more than its web business originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autonomous car support subject of political attack ad

Scott Burgess — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Technology, Videos, Hatchback, Toyota

It's election time and auto bailouts are not the only thing politicians are talking about. Down in Florida, one group has connected a candidate's support for automated car testing to, well, nothing. And that makes him evil.

The Committee to Protect Florida has taken Rep. Jeff Brandes (R-Fla.) to task for proving automated cars did not operate by "witchcraft" instead of working on other things in the St. Petersburg area. The commercial attempts to instill fear in the program and make it sound like these machines are running amok on Florida's streets. (Note the sound effects at the end of the video.)

The attack ad features a Toyota Prius running a stop sign and nearly hitting an older woman using a walker as the narrator goes on about how silly these newfangled machines might be. Then the commercial flashes the question, "Will Driverless cars REALLY stop for pedestrians?"

Maybe. And if they don't, everyone should blame Jeff Brandes.

Scroll down to watch the 30-second spot.

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Autonomous car support subject of political attack ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch Google's autonomous car drive a blind man to Taco Bell

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Videos

Do you consider yourself a driving enthusiast? If so, does the thought of handing control of your car over to a series of computers scare you to death? We understand. But perhaps it's time to remember that those of us who love to drive aren't the only ones who want to use the road.

As you'll see in the video after the break, autonomous cars hold out hope for some men and women who are simply unable to drive themselves. Take, for instance, Steve Mahan, who lost 95 percent of his vision over the course of several years, leaving him clinically blind. Obviously, Mahan isn't able to drive.

What Mahan can do, however, is sit behind the wheel of an autonomous car, in this case, a Toyota Prius converted to operate sans driver by Google. And when he does, he directs the car to take him to Taco Bell before picking up his dry cleaning.

Questionable food choice aside, we hope that one day in the not-too-distant future people like Steve Mahan will be able to regain the kind of mobility made possible by the automobile that most of us take for granted. Just so long as we can share the road in our old-fashioned drive-it-yourself cars, too. See the video after the break.

Continue reading Watch Google's autonomous car drive a blind man to Taco Bell

Watch Google's autonomous car drive a blind man to Taco Bell originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How autonomous cars are about to change our future

John McElroy — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology

New Technology Aims To Take Your Hands Off The Steering Wheel

The biggest hurdles to autonomous cars will be legal, not technical.

Most car enthusiasts hate the idea of cars that can drive themselves. But autonomous cars will get here faster than most people realize. Slowly but surely, automobiles are doing more of our driving for us. It's only a matter of time before they take over completely.

Just look at how much control we've already ceded to the computers under the hood. Anti-lock brakes, which are consistently better at threshold braking than mere mortals, are pretty much standard equipment. So are traction control and stability control. We now have blind spot detection, lane departure warning, active lane control, and even self-parking.

Now comes the next step. Mercedes-Benz and Audi recently demonstrated Traffic Jam Assist, which uses adaptive cruise control and automatic steering to completely take control of a car up to 60 kilometers an hour (about 37 mph). Google has racked up tens of thousands of miles on its fleet of fully autonomous Toyota Prius hybrids on California roads. The technology will be showroom ready before the end of the decade.

The biggest hurdles will be legal, not technical. For example, who's at fault when one of these cars gets in an accident? And how will the police pull over an autonomous car if they need to? But we'll resolve those issues, and when we do, autonomous cars will have a bigger impact on society than when the first horseless carriages appeared over a century ago.

John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit" and daily web video "Autoline Daily". Every month he brings his unique insights as a Detroit insider to Autoblog readers.

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How autonomous cars are about to change our future originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #268

Dan Roth — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Podcasts, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Honda, Jeep, Nissan, Fiat

Superbowl commercials, Fiat 500L preview, Honda loses Civic Hybrid lawsuit, driverless LeMons cars

Episode #268 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, and Zach. Topics include our favorite automotive Superbowl commercials, the pre-Geneva preview of the Fiat 500L, Honda losing a small-claims lawsuit over Civic Hybrid fuel economy numbers, and self-driving LeMons cars. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #268:

In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Jeep Compass Latitude
2012 Nissan Maxima

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman

Runtime: 01:32:17

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Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #268

Autoblog Podcast #268 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google awarded patent for autonomous car mode

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Depending on your point of view, autonomous cars are either long overdue or a technology to be avoided at all cost. We see both sides of the argument, but a recent patent secured by tech giant Google may mean the best of both worlds.

U.S. patent number 8,078,349 describes a vehicle that can switch from regular human-operated driving to autonomous mode at the push of a button. Sort of. First, the operator needs to direct the machine to a predefined "landing strip." There, a "reference indicator" (think of something like a QR code affixed to the road) would combine with GPS coordinates to allow the vehicle to know its exact location.

If ~~the stars are aligned and the moon is in the seventh house~~ everything is found to be in working order, Google could send the car directions on where to go and how exactly to get there.

Naturally, there's a ton of technical mumbo jumbo in the patent, and if you're game, you can read all about it here. As pointed out by ConceivablyTech, Google is packing plenty of uber-smart star power behind this technology, so we wouldn't be at all surprised to see cars autonomously taking occupants on short trips within a relatively short period of time. Just so long as we can switch it off when the roads get good...

Google awarded patent for autonomous car mode originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google to build driverless cars in the U.S.?

Jeff Sabatini — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Rumormill

In the midst of a longer piece on the top-secret Google X lab, The New York Times drops this bomb: "Google may turn one of the ideas - the driverless cars that it unleashed on California's roads last year - into a new business."

It was just over a year ago when the world first heard of Google's experiments, deploying Toyota Prius hatchbacks in California to rack up test miles of its self-driving vehicle system. Google launched the program in secret, but has since given presentations on the technology and the company's goals for its deployment. Currently, the cars must have a human behind the wheel to act as a potential override to the system, but Google has indicated that it would like the system to get to the point that it operates free of human intervention. Google is currently working towards racking up over a million driverless miles.

While the Times report says that Google is considering building these autonomous cars in the U.S., we've got to believe that this is nothing more than conjecture. Even for a company as large and well-funded as Google, deciding to go into the carmaking business is not something you just jump into, especially not when your sales strategy involves a bleeding edge technology and you haven't shown any desire or aptitude for designing or building nearly any other aspect of an automobile. Autonomous driving tech could be a truly transformative feature, but developing it and selling it to the industry as a supplier would seem to make much more sense, and it would doubtlessly hasten its arrival to the market.

Check out the TED Talks video after the jump to get up to speed on Google's efforts.

Continue reading Google to build driverless cars in the U.S.?

Google to build driverless cars in the U.S.? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google's next driverless car goal? 1,000,000 miles

Aaron Richardson — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Technology, Videos

Google co-founder Sergey Brin announced at Web 2.0 that Google's next goal for its driverless cars is to go 1,000,000 miles without driver intervention. According to Brin, Google's teams have already amassed more than 1,000 incident free miles without driver involvement.

Up to now, Google's driverless cars have gone 160,000 miles, but with some limited human input. The company admits that there's been one fender bender, but attributed that to human driver error rather than Google's software.

Google would like to reach a point where it's legal for driverless cars to mingle with everyday traffic, but Brin said there's a lot of research and development left to do. Before the technology can be marketable, Google says it needs to be developed to need to a point at which human drivers can ignore the road entirely. Click past the jump for a video with more details.

Continue reading Google's next driverless car goal? 1,000,000 miles

Google's next driverless car goal? 1,000,000 miles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nevada passes law governing the use of autonomous vehicles

Chris Shunk — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:31:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology

Audi Autonomous TTS Pikes Peak - Click above for high-res image gallery

When we think of the future of motor vehicles, we're (mostly) excited about what's coming next. We're a bit less than thrilled about the prospect of vehicles that can drive themselves, but the state of Nevada seems all too ready to welcome the autonomous vehicle.

The Huffington Post reports that Nevada has passed a law that will allow autonomous vehicles on its roads as early as March 1, 2012. The new law simply directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to come up with regulations authorizing the use of autonomous vehicles on the highways within the state. The law even directs the DMV to come up with a driver's license for such vehicles.

While the law in Nevada is less than a year from hitting the books, keep in mind that the driverless car is itself still a long way from reality. After all, Google's autonomous vehicles have about 140,000 miles under their collective belt. Meanwhile, we're betting that most 1995 Honda Civics have more road time than the entire Google fleet.

Nevada passes law governing the use of autonomous vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge Charger leads the crusade against the robots

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chrysler, Dodge

Time to take our cars back from the robots - Click above to watch video after the jump

Computers are constantly gaining a foothold on the everyday tasks that occur in our lives, but there are some tasks we simply hold too dear to let go. Or are there?

Jeopardy has gone the way of the robot and Google has shown that cars can be controlled without a human taking the wheel. Continuing down this path could lead to a future where the vehicles on the road are being piloted by robots or computers. Dodge doesn't want to see that day come, and it sends a shot right across the bow of SkyNet's patrolling warships.

In a new commercial for the 2011 Dodge Charger, we're given a glimpse into a world where technology is done creeping. It's everywhere, and it affects all portions of our daily routine. One man has had enough, and decides to take back control of his vehicle (the fascia of which bears an eerie resemblance to the latest Charger). Cut to a shot of present day, and Dodge proclaims that robots "will never take our cars."

That's right, Dodge. Fight the evil robot overlords. Click past the jump to check out the clip.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Dodge Charger leads the crusade against the robots

Dodge Charger leads the crusade against the robots originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Google talks about its driverless car tech at TED

Aaron Richardson — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Videos

Google Driverless Car - Click above to view video after the jump

Sebastien Thurn has made it his life's work to save one million lives from traffic accidents. Thurn has been instrumental in the development of Google's DARPA Challenge-winning driverless car technology at Stanford University, and he's confident that his technology can not only save lives, but eliminate traffic jams.

Thurn's footage of a driverless Toyota Prius is nothing short of incredible, showing the cars successfully navigating deserts, highways and city streets clogged with traffic and pedestrians. So far, the driverless car's most impressive journey has been from San Francisco to Los Angeles down Highway One.

Beyond just city and highway driving, Thurn has provided footage of the driverless Prius and a driverless Volkswagen Passat successfully navigating an autocross-style cones course, proving these cars can handle a wide range of driving styles. The cars function by employing a series of sensors to detect their environment, and use a computer program to respond to what's going on around them.

Thurn was on hand at this year's TED Conference to discuss the idea and show footage from 140,000 miles of driverless car tests conducted by Stanford. The TED Conference serves as a forum for innovative ideas, publishing video seminars and ideas year round, and hosting two in-person conferences per year. The foundation has been holding conferences and publishing content on a creative commons license since 1990. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Google talks about its driverless car tech at TED

Video: Google talks about its driverless car tech at TED originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: German inventors build car that comes when you call it

Zach Bowman — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Technology

Researchers in Germany say they're now one step closer to bringing the ~~nightmare~~ fantasy of unmanned driving to life. A group of scientists have created a vehicle they call the MadeInGermany or MIG. Users can call up the vehicle via their smart phone or iPad and it will automatically chart the quickest and most efficient route to the user's destination sans driver. Using an array of sensors, the vehicle generates a 3D image of its surroundings, helping it to navigate around pedestrians, other vehicles and bicyclists. Should the user decide to take control of the vehicle, they can operate the controls via that same smartphone or other mobile device.

The researchers say that their system will make car sharing more feasible, thereby reducing the number of cars in cities like Berlin by as much as much as 80 percent. Call us skeptical...

[Source: Canoe]

Report: German inventors build car that comes when you call it originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Bluetooth controlled car

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:56:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Videos, Saab, First Drives

So the driverless SEAT Leon Touring Car was a gag, but this one isn't. We even have video to prove it, which can be seen after the jump. What you'll see when you click through is a 1:1 scale Saab being remotely controlled by a Nokia phone. Throttle, brakes and steering are all controlled via the phone through a Bluetooth connection. The application running it also has a built-in kill switch should you get out of range. How thoughtful of them. Seriously though, this seems like a great idea to bring your car to the front door during a rainstorm, or squeezing into very tight parking spots, but unless you're with national security we doubt many other drivers will share your joy at a remote control car. And God forbid some 11-year-old hacker figures out a way to control your car for you. Yikes. Fun in the James Bond, gee whiz factor way, but we really don't like the idea of these making it onto public roads.

[Source: Techeblog]

Continue reading VIDEO: Bluetooth controlled car

VIDEO: Bluetooth controlled car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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