Mau-tronic! FAW's Chinese robotic car

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]