Google Expanding Self-Driving Vehicle Testing To Phoenix

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If you live in Phoenix, Arizona you've better keep your eyes peeled for Google's self-driving cars. Actually, it's probably a better idea that you aren't on the lookout for Google's cars. Paying too much attention to Google's self-driving cars seems to be more of a danger than the autonomous vehicles are themselves.

Alphabet Inc is expanding its testing of self-driving cars to the Phoenix, Arizona metro area, the company said on Thursday, making it the fourth U.S. city to serve as a proving ground for the autonomous vehicles. The company's Google unit has conducted driverless vehicle testing for six years in Mountain View, California, where it is based, and expanded testing to Austin, Texas last summer. In February, Kirkland, Washington, which is home to significant wet weather, was added as a testing site.
 
I'll just pre-emptively state my condolances to the car. Unless it is around midnight, that car is screwed if it is on I-10 between the west 101 Loop exit and the Phoenix Skyharbor Airport exit. Also, it will get an easy lesson on gridlock on any freeway during rush hour and part of morning commute times.
 
Why haven't they put any in North Dakota in the winter instead of perfectly marked lanes and perfect conditions? Hmm, I wonder. "In February, Kirkland, Washington, which is home to significant wet weather, was added as a testing site." Oh, now we have a challenge. "wet" weather. LOL. So they said "wet" as in rain? How did it fair in "wet" snow/slush?
 
I'm in Phoenix, and it's a cake walk compared with many cities. I lived in Boston for 6 months. Phoenix is a cake walk. Gird pattern, wide lanes, a win.
 
ShagnWagn said:
Why haven't they put any in North Dakota in the winter instead of perfectly marked lanes and perfect conditions? Hmm, I wonder. "In February, Kirkland, Washington, which is home to significant wet weather, was added as a testing site." Oh, now we have a challenge. "wet" weather. LOL. So they said "wet" as in rain? How did it fair in "wet" snow/slush?
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Why? Because they need to get it working in perfect conditions first. It's really understandable.

What is not understandable is the vitriol this gets from everyone around here. This supposed to be a tech forum, instead I feel I'm surrounded by a bunch of technology fearing ignoramuses.
 
Now if only I could wave a wand and replace all the daily commute Phoenix drivers with autonomous drivers.
 
M76 said:
Why? Because they need to get it working in perfect conditions first. It's really understandable.

What is not understandable is the vitriol this gets from everyone around here. This supposed to be a tech forum, instead I feel I'm surrounded by a bunch of technology fearing ignoramuses.
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The "fear" is that when this technology fails, someone will get injured or result in death - for a single or multiple people. Plus damages to property in the thousands to millions of dollars (such as trucks with merchandise). Can you understand that? Again, I realize you are trying to protect your "precious" because you work in that industry. You have a biased opinion and are against people that (mostly) understand technology that are rightfully cautious. If so many people are thinking the other way, maybe you should listen. Kind of like when a guy is dating a woman blindly when everyone is telling him she is a gold digger and he ignores them.
 
M76 said:
Why? Because they need to get it working in perfect conditions first. It's really understandable.

What is not understandable is the vitriol this gets from everyone around here. This supposed to be a tech forum, instead I feel I'm surrounded by a bunch of technology fearing ignoramuses.
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It's not technology fearing people, it's people who understand and are aware of the limitations of technology. It's not magic; programmers are not magicians. Every program ever sold is filled with bugs. Software crashes, hardware fails. Computers are like RainMan... Idiot savants that can crunch numbers but are basically retarded. I'll take my chances with real people. People invented computers. People built the rocket that went to the moon. People who can make a split second decision in a totally unforeseen situation.

Self-Driving cars are like Google-Glasses. A cool sounding concept that falls apart in the real world because it disregards basic human psychology.
 
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