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[Loud Whispers]

But we can't have computer-controlled cars! How will people do drive-bys, rob banks, or park illegally?

Pft, in dystopian future, cars drive you!

[Flying Dice]

But we can't have computer-controlled cars! How will people do drive-bys, rob banks, or park illegally?

Pft, in dystopian future, cars drive you!

In dystopian future, cars protect you from thieves!


Actually, I recall a short story along those lines, about a farm for 'retired' AI-run cars that murder some land-sharks that threaten their caretaker. I think it was written by Asimov.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

You know, you won't have much reason to park illegally if the cars are computer controlled. The network could find you the closest available spot in an instant, even if you yourself can't see it. 

[Flying Dice]

But what if there aren't any spot available? For that matter, how many times have you seen someone park illegally because the closest legal spot is three minutes of walking further away?

[DJ]

For that matter, how many times have you seen someone park illegally because the closest legal spot is three minutes of walking further away?

On my way from work, I regularly see the same VW Golf II parked in a lane in front of a pub. There's half a dozen parking spots across the street from the same pub, but I guess crossing two whole lanes on foot is too much walking. And yes, it's always parked so the driver's door is facing the pub door and aligned with it.

I guess the guy must either be a cop or have lots of friends in the force, because I've *never* seen a ticket on this car.

[Levi]

I accidentally stumbled on this press release today:

Rheinmetall’s “Multi-Ammunition Softkill System” (MASS) is a fully automatic means of protecting ships on the high seas and in coastal waters from symmetric and asymmetric threats.

When MASS detects an incoming threat, it takes into account the azimuth, altitude, distance, number and sequence of projectiles before launching appropriate countermeasures at precisely the right moment. The company’s new programmable omnispectral decoys – 32 per launcher – provide reliable protection in all relevant wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum (radar, infrared, laser, EO and UV). There is thus no need for the vessel to take evasive action. Rheinmetall’s “Multi-Ammunition Softkill System” (MASS) is a fully automatic means of protecting ships on the high seas and in coastal waters from symmetric and asymmetric threats.

It sounds like something Iron Man or the Batmobile might have installed. 

[RedKing]

o_O

So...it's a really fancy chaff/flare launcher?

[MaximumZero]

Looks like it. Unless it's a glitter cannon that deploys Bieber-clones to catch missiles with their faces.

[Levi]

More Future, today!

Autonomous flying robots that can do complex flying manuevers, build structures, map out buildings and even play instruments.

I think this is pretty amazing stuff.  I'm wondering if in 5 to 10 years flying robots could be everywhere.  The video starts out a little slow, but its totally worth watching to the end.

[Frumple]

Not everywhere... only outside your bedroom window. Making sure your alone time is utilized in constructive and moral manner.

[alway]

Without all the human drivers on the road, computer controlled navigation gets a billion times simpler and safer because all these cars can communicate with each other. They'll then know almost instantly when other cars around them go out of control or have a failure of some sort, and accidents like pileups will be a thing of the past.

Actually, with half decent algorithms all those things can be done even with only some of the car being computerized. Case in point: The Stanford & Google cars*. Google drove their cars for around 200k miles, no accidents**, in real traffic on real roads.

*More info, from the online AI class (skip to 2:30): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqDvbguZsAA#!

**Technically, there was 1 minor accident in a self driving car, but it was when the autopilot was off and a human driver was in control; they backed into a parked car, which ironically would have been prevented had the car been driving itself.


There was something quite intriguing I realized the other day. Assuming aerospace companies keep going with the space tourism thing, prices come down a little (not even significantly, really), and I were to save a large amount for 5 years to a decade, I could probably go to space at some point in my life. Huh.

Nothing of the space hotel sort unless I really managed to fall into a pot of gold somewhere, but something along the lines of Spaceship Two ($200k) or Lynx ($95k) will probably be low enough in price to actually be feasible. Hell, even at the $200k price, it's still only as expensive as raising a child; an expense most people can manage fairly well, all things considered.

[thobal]

But what if there aren't any spot available? For that matter, how many times have you seen someone park illegally because the closest legal spot is three minutes of walking further away?

Easy, the car drops you off in front of the place then drives off to park nearby. When you want to leave, you just push the appropriate button on your key fob and the car returns to pick you up.

Of course, why would you want the automatic cars to have to park like a normal car? You could let others rent the car when you didnt need it. Even more logically, you could buy a fractional ownership on a auto car and never have to worry about parking again. And before you say "but what if my car isnt available when I need it?" overages and peaktime charges, just like cell phones.

[mainiac]

So basically a self driving taxi.

[thobal]

Basically. Plus the company cleans the car with your usage fee. Of course, certain individualist will always need the Hummer in the driveway.

[Tidal]

Miles per month instead of texts per month.