Stanford Working on Vehicle to Drive Through California Traffic
Hot off of their historic win at the DARPA Grand Challenge 2005, Stanford’s next goal is to create a robotic car that can drive on city streets. Their current goal is to have a vehicle drive from Los Angeles to San Franciso in October of 2007. Once again, VW will be sponsoring the team, this time with a smaller vehicle, like a Pasat Wagon. The team invisions robotic cars driving commuters to and from work freeing up hundreds of man hours a year.
Another benefit of such robotic cars is the added safety. If driving were 10% safer, upwards of 4,000 lives/year could be saved.
I, for one, will believe it when I see it. Sometimes I actually like driving and not having to worry about other things. Next thing you know, companies will be expecting their employees to be doing productive work during their commute instead of having some time alone - which is rare enough as it is.
Tags: [ Robots | DARPA | Stanley | Grand Challenge | Stanford]
"The average American worker spends an hour a day in the car, being non-productive. The amount of (productivity) money lost is estimated at $61 billion a year. This is a huge opportunity. It’s going to be a multi-billion industry,"
Another benefit of such robotic cars is the added safety. If driving were 10% safer, upwards of 4,000 lives/year could be saved.
I, for one, will believe it when I see it. Sometimes I actually like driving and not having to worry about other things. Next thing you know, companies will be expecting their employees to be doing productive work during their commute instead of having some time alone - which is rare enough as it is.
Tags: [ Robots | DARPA | Stanley | Grand Challenge | Stanford]
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June 9th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Once we are no longer drivers, we are passengers. The robot is in control of our destination, of our life for that short time we travel (I would love to reduce my total commute to one hour, driving or not!) We become prisoners of yet another institutionalized process. What is left to take away? Bathroom time? Sex? Build more trains!!!
June 9th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
[I]What is left to take away? Bathroom time? [/I]
Funny you should mention that. I recently read an article about the working bathroom. No joke!
Workaholics make bathroom the new home office
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060211/BUSINESS/602110391/1003
Personally, I keep the work time to a minimum on my commute. That’s when I do my pleasure reading. On audio, of course.